Thanks to rextorres for a good game.
I think this one came down to economics. He made me work hard, especially in the beginning... I had to fall back quite a bit. He did many things surprisingly well, which I mentioned to him an email.
Follow-up note: he never got to use my breathers on the capured colony ship damaged at 97%... looks like they were destroyed with the colony component.
Again, I felt really tested. Being the King is exhausting...
yet gratifying.