main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Star Wars OPEN Elite League Limmie

Discussion in 'Role Playing Forum' started by Trieste, May 31, 2010.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. jcgoble3

    jcgoble3 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2010
    IC: Wilrax Tunran IV
    Location: War room, Memorial Oval Sports Complex, Calna Muun, Agamar
    Time: 278 Elite League Draft

    “Why's everybody taking so many forwards?”

    The question from a scout hung in the air for a few seconds before Aebatt answered. “Who cares? We needs backs, so the more forwards they take, the better for us. That trade with the Mandos looking better to you now, Wilrax?”

    It was no secret in the war room that Wilrax had nearly vetoed that trade. “Yeah, whatever. Leave that in the past. Let's figure out who we want. I'm thinking—” He stopped as a comlink buzzed.

    It was Aebatt's. She answered. “Hello?... It's possible, but we haven't even figured out our own strategy yet. … What I'm saying is that I need time to think about it. … There's not a problem here, we just need to figure out our own course of action first. … WHAT?! Are you out of your mind? Flirting with me will NOT work.” There was a round of general laughter in the room at this comment; everyone knew that Aebatt was already married to her work. “I will call you back when we figure things out, and that's that. … Stop wasting your time and make your pick. You only have the whole galaxy waiting on you. … Goodbye.” She hung up and slammed the comlink down on the table. “Kriff you, Setarcos.” she remarked.

    “What was that about?” asked Wilrax.

    “Trade offer. Our late second-rounder and both third-rounders for all three of their 279 picks.”

    “No, I mean, what got you so angry?”

    “He was practically trying to make love to me to get the trade. Kriffing idiot.”

    One of the scouts piped up. “Doesn't he know that you're already married to your—”

    “Shut up!”

    The room descended into silence for a minute. Not only was it known to everyone in the room that Aebatt was married to her work, it was equally well-known that Aebatt hated hearing as such. However, that didn't stop those who felt secure in their jobs from commenting about it.

    Aebatt was the one to break the silence, this time a little calmer as she rested her chin in her thumb and forefinger. “I'm looking at this Zelena Wiles gal. I think she's ready for the big leagues now. Scouts?”

    “Smart, quick, good reflexes,” said the head scout. “The talent is there, but it might need a little refining.”

    Another scout spoke up. “I like Jordan Horste better. Wiles has more talent, but I think she needs a year in the minors to develop before she's ready for the Elite League. Jordan's ready now.” She rattled off a few statistics.

    For a few minutes, the group at the table debated the pros and cons of Zelena Wiles versus Jordan Horste. At an impasse, Aebatt changed the subject. “What's out there in terms of talent that's likely to go late or not at all? Is there going to be a major difference between a third-round pick and the average undrafted player?”

    “Honestly, I think once you get past the top four or five, everyone else is pretty similar this year,” said the head scout. “There's very little fall-off in talent or skill from this point out. Almost any player on the board could be picked or not picked at this point. What are you getting at?”

    “I'm thinking about that trade offer. If we can get basically the same talent in free agency after the draft, then perhaps we should pull the trigger on it.”

    “There's no guarantee we can sign anyone post-draft,” Wilrax said. “I'd rather keep the picks.”

    “Really, Wilrax? Are you allergic to trades or something?”

    “No, I was thinking—”

    With the eighth pick in the 278 Elite League Limmie Draft, the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers select Zelena Wiles Half Back, Prytis College of Natural Sciences.

    “Well, that answers that question,” Aebatt said. “Now, Wilrax, if you want to try to poop on my trade again, the bathroom is down the hall, third door on the left.”

    A collective gasp was heard throughout the room as Wilrax stared down Aebatt. It was no secret that Wilrax had begun to micro-manage the team, and Aebatt was resenting it. But no one has expected such an open challenge for dominance.

    The draft clock continued to count down and reached 1:15 before Wilrax decided to concede. “Fine, whatever,” he muttered. Aebatt quickly called Setarcos back and tersely accepted the offer, hanging up before he could try to flirt again. She then sent the message with the draft pick to the floor and turned to the holoscreen.

    A teenage fan in a Storm jersey, winner of a fan contest, climbed the stairs onto the stage with a piece of flimsi in his hand and stepped up to the podium. Smiling from ear to ear, he announced, “With the ninth pick of the 278 Elite League Limmie Draft, the Euceron Storm select Jordan Horste, Right Half Back, Ralltiir University.” He stepped back for a moment as there was a round of applause, and a stagehand quietly informed him that Jordan was not present. The teenager stepped back to the podium. “For the second round, I now turn it over to the Chief Comedian of the Elite League, Fenrir Lokensgaard!” He then hustled off the stage before Lokensgaard could say anything to him.

    TAG: Trieste for the second round
     
    Vehn, Trieste, Runjedirun and 2 others like this.
  2. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post

    HSN Morning Headlines

    • RHB Leroy Brown, HB Toni Senorps, and HB Sonnet Dern'ii retire from Euceron Storm
    • Storm release LHB Tria Tryvold (Human, Female, born 245) to free agency
    • Storm re-sign CHF Mo Klaret for three years; HF Moni Ristal for two
    • Commenor Gundarks release multiple underperforming players, all of whom choose to retire, and re-sign several other players
    • These transactions occurred about a month before the draft; HSN has just now learned about them
    • Maggie Adams (human female), half forward and Mando'ade Mercs fail to come to terms on new contract. Maggie Adams is released to free agency.
    • Jaya "barefoot" Tam (Togruta female), HF and Mando'ade Mercs agree to one year contract extension.


    Memorial Oval Sports Complex, Calna Munn, Agamar

    "Chief Comedian..." Fenrir said thoughtfully as he came back to the podium, "Never let it be said you don't get your money's worth when it comes to the Elite League!

    "Before we begin the second round, there is a trade to announce." Fans cheered. "The Euceron Storm have traded the eighteenth, twenty-second, and twenty-third overall selections in the 278 draft to the Rydonni Prime Monarchs in exchange..."

    He paused.

    "...for the Monarchs' first, second, and third round selections in the 279 Elite League Limmie Draft.

    "Now, with that being said, the Coruscant Senators are on the clock to start the second round," Lokensgaard said.



    If you hold a second round draft pick, please PM me your selection. As I receive them and can post them in order, I will do so. If a team with an earlier pick chooses a player you selected, you will have an opportunity to repick via PM with me. I would like to conclude the second round by Sunday at the latest.

    TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Polydroxol Rebecca_Daniels Runjedirun Vehn
     
    Runjedirun and Bardan_Jusik like this.
  3. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    IC: May Trieste
    Bakura Gardens, Salis D’aar, Bakura



    Because of her duties at Belden General, May had not attended training camp for the Miners. That had been left to the Miners’ regular medical staff. May had had exactly one meeting on official Miners business since arriving on the planet and that had been with Han Tunross, her boss.

    He was a short-ish human with sandy hair and had come from Eriadu with general manager Quinn Cundertol. Their meeting had been brief.

    “Right, you’re the new doctor, right?” Tunross had said when May had gone to visit him at his clinic in Salis D’aar, “Falene said you studied at Theed, I think?” He was reviewing some flimsi sheets as he spoke.

    “Yes, University of Theed School of Medicine,” May said.

    “And before that studies on Roon.”

    “University of Nime,” May confirmed.

    “That’s a...” Tunross said, looking up from his sheets. May could see the sudden shock of taking in her scars cross his face--but only for a moment. He recovered quickly. “…big shift. You don’t see many people crossing the RTO borders to study in the Republic.”

    “It was a family decision. My parents thought it would be good for me to be closer to my sister at the time,” May said.

    “Riiiiiiight,” Tunross said, drawing the word out, “Of course.”

    “As you probably know, she became Senator shortly after that,” May added, “and now she’s back on Roon, so it didn’t quite work out the way they all expected.”

    “Right,” Tunross said. He apparently liked that word a lot. “So you’re a resident at Belden General.” And it seemed like he wanted to confirm everything he’d been told about May.

    “Yes.”

    “What’s the stupidest thing you’ve learned at Belden?” Tunross asked suddenly.

    That question caught May off guard. “Uhhhhh…” May hesitated and thought hard.

    “Look it’s princess Trieste with her cushy job with the Miners.”

    “The rest of us are going to be stuck covering
    your shifts while you’re off galavanting with the pro athletes.”

    “Hey Trieste, I’ll forgive you if you set me up with Jolla Pic.”

    “Hell, I’d settle for just giving Dalton Ward a physical. I’d be
    very thorough in examining his physique.”

    Why were the snide comments of her colleagues the first thing she thought of? Were things really that bad for her being a member of the Noble House with all the supposed--and actual--advantages that it brought?

    But May had a question before her. “The stupidest thing…” she repeated as she kept thinking. Her eyes flitted about before snapping back to Tunross. “That I shouldn’t care about xenomedicine, that I’ll never see it enough on Bakura for it to be worth my while, even if I were to specialize.”

    “And why is that stupid? Over 95% of this planet is human,” Tunross asked.

    “Because that still means 1 in 20 patients that I see will not be human. I’m not willing to have 1 out of 20 patients I see receive subpar medical care because I didn’t even try to do my research,” May said, “What kind of a doctor am I if I willingly give 5% of my patients subpar medical care?”

    Tunross looked at May. “You’ll do,” he said, “Do you have a blue suit or professional dress you can move in?”

    “No.”

    “Buy one. Throw in some yellow if you want, like a scarf or a belt. We make a good sight on the sideline professionally dressed like that. Remember--flats not heels. Easier to run if you have to and it’s always a possibility we have to get to someone quickly,” Tunross said, “You’ll be expected four hours before game start time for home games. You’ll get messages on your datapad with departure times for road trips. Be there 15 minutes before scheduled departure. We’ve got a friendly at the Gardens with the Smugglers so we’re starting the season off with a busy day. The Smugglers don’t take prisoners out there so we’re going to have a lot of work to do.”

    “Got it,” May said, taking mental notes.

    “We’ll set an appointment in advance so you can become acquainted with the on-site facilities at the Gardens,” Tunross said.

    “Let me know when,” May said, standing.

    “I take it you know your way around the Gardens?” Han said, “Given your family history and all?”

    “I knew the old Six Boroughs better,” May admitted.

    “The old lady was something else,” Han said, “You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the Gardens. Show up an extra hour early to walk around. I think you’ll like it.”

    So May had done exactly that. Luckily it was a late afternoon game so May didn’t have to show up before the sun had risen on Salis D’aar. She knew many of the great traditions of Bakura Gardens, like the fact that its exterior concourses overflowed with planters of blooming flowers in homage to its name. There were the polished silver doors etched with the Miners logo that opened onto the lower concourse. Carpet would be unrolled leading from that door to the transparisteel doors that led to the permacrete tunnel that took them out to the pitch. There was the owner’s box at midfield that before every Miners game was prepared for the Noble House, including six holos on the walls with each of the Galactic Cup Championship teams under Trieste ownership, including last year’s squad.

    Even so, her self-guided tour of the stadium brought new discoveries about the inner quirks of one of the smallest Elite League stadia. Some of them were small little things, like a flourish of architecture that gave the place character or the name of a concession stand. One touch was particularly impressive.

    Across from the door to the visitor’s locker room was a large plaque embedded into the wall. No opposing player could walk by without seeing it. It read:

    WELCOME TO SALIS D’AAR
    AND BAKURA GARDENS,
    THE FIELDS OF GLORY

    The fields of glory. May thought about that. It was an interesting statement. As teams like the Mercs, Smugglers, Monarchs, and Lightning built stadia with their owners’ credits (and the Starkillers had intended to do so before corporate benefactors had stepped forward), Bakura Gardens remained as one of the old publicly-owned stadia. Bakura Gardens was about more than Miners limmie. It hosted not just the Elite League, but UB Salis D’aar Golden Bears limmie. It sometimes hosted the Carnation Bowl. It was a place of pride to many Bakurans and it was theirs. Great things had happened here.

    And now May was going to be part of them.



    The locker room was a hub of activity in the minutes following practice and preceding Valerii’s speech. It seemed everyone had minor medical needs to be tended to with the start of the game approaching. Coming out of the offseason Tunross reported the team was relatively healthy. There were a few minor tweaks coming out of training camp, but nothing that was going to keep anyone out of action.

    “So you’re the new sawbones Fae told us about?” Niskat said as May tightened up a wrap on Deenver’s leg. Niskat had been voted assistant captain now that Aron had moved on and bore an A on her jersey as a result.

    “I’m actually not a surgeon,” May corrected.

    “She said you had surgeon’s hands,” Niskat said.

    “That tight enough?” May asked, “Move it around.”

    Niskat flexed her leg and ran in place a bit. “Yeah, good.”

    “It has to do with a game we played at my sister’s wedding,” May said.

    “Huh?”

    “Surgeon’s hands.”

    “What?”

    “Surgeon’s hands. Came out of a game at my sister’s wedding.”

    “Doc! Doc!” someone called.

    “I’ll tell you later,” May said as she moved off to her next charge.

    The player hollering was the captain herself.

    “Yeah?” May asked, “Shoulder okay?”

    “Yeah, shoulder’s good,” Alana said. May had been given the team’s medical files on all of the players. She knew that Alana had experienced a shoulder injury back in 269. She’d recovered from it fully, but Tunross said that sometimes it flared up on her and that Alana usually just played through the pain. Even so, he’d singled it out as something that they needed to keep an eye on. “I just want to know if you’ve got any tips on these guys.”

    “Not a clue. You’d have a better idea than me,” May said.

    “Fae said you grew up around the Smugglers,” Alana said.

    “Different Smugglers. Kaitlyn Vehn’s put her mark on the team. Besides, you beat them last year. Should have had the Commissioner’s Trophy.”

    “Didn’t think I’d hear that opinion from someone related to Vehns,” Alana said with arched eyebrows.

    “Should have expected it from someone with the last name Trieste,” May quipped.

    “Touche doc,” Alana said, impressively, “I hope you provide just as good medical care.”

    “Hopefully you won’t need to find out,” May said.

    It was then that Valerii came into the locker room. “Okay, everyone, gather up. Friendly is the wrong term for what’s about to happen out there. The last three Galactic Cup championships are going to be on that field. HSN’s carrying this game in prime time…”

    May caught Tunross giving her a signal and she slipped over to him. He led her out of the locker room. “Unless you’re still working on someone, we get out of the room when Gaeriel does her thing,” Han said, “We’ll get out on the sidelines before the team arrives.”

    The pair and the other medical staff came through the famous polished silver doors in their dark blue suits and dresses. May had chosen to wear a light yellow sash as a belt around her waist as an accent. As they crossed the carpet that would be shortly tread by cleats, May’s flats clacked softly against the carpet. To either side of them were stadium security-patrolled barriers with fans beyond. The medical staff passed them without comment. Some of the fans’ eyes followed them, but on the whole their attention remained on the doors to the locker room. They were waiting for the players that they idolized.

    It was weird. May knew that they were talking the same walk that Galactic Cup champions were about to take, but it didn’t feel any different to May than any other stretch of a few steps. Even as the glass doors slid open and the blast of fresh air from the field with the smell of grass hit her nostrils. But she was still part of something, part of the Bakura Miners. Her heart swelled a little bit. The pregame festivities were just starting. Though today would not see the raising of the 277 championship banner (that would be reserved for the home opener in 278), the large vidscreens were showing highlights from the Miners 10-1 championship season, amping the crowd up. There were plenty of Smuggler fans who had come for this game, which promised to be even bigger than the last time they played, when the last two Galactic Cup champions had also clashed.

    Today it truly would be the field of glory.

    TAG: Vehn
     
  4. galactic-vagabond422

    galactic-vagabond422 Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2009
    Team Name: Carratos Pirates


    Player Character

    Name: Geoff Copin
    Species: Human
    Gender: Male
    Birth year: 244
    Physical appearance: 5’10” brown hair, brown eyes, average healthy build.
    Homeworld: Denon
    Relation to Team: Head Coach
    Brief Biography: Geoff grew up on Denon watching the Demons play and fell in love the sport of Limmie at a young age. He played in collage with dreams of making it to the Elite League, until a knee injury ruined his chances. He was heartbroken. Geoff contemplated dropping out but, he owned it to his father to finish school. He graduated collage with a law degree all the while being an assistant to the Coach of his Limmie team.

    After collage he had a hard time finding a job as a lawyer and wound up being an assistant coach in a lower Limmie league eventually becoming head coach. He had a decent record and was content to spend his days as a part time paralegal and nights and weekends as a coach of a low league limmie team. One day an offer came from Schnitt Polenta the Carratos Pirates owner. The offer was for the head coach position and the salary was generous. Geoff was suspicious he had never heard of this team, yet they could afford to pay their head coach close to Elite League money. Against his better judgment he moved with his wife and twin daughters to Carratos.
    There he found a team that is strong, determined and young. Only three players had any Premier League experience and the rest are from small collages or local teams. They have a lot of potential but, in Geoff’s opinion, not ready for bigger leagues.
     
    Runjedirun and Vehn like this.
  5. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post
    Memorial Oval Sports Complex, Calna Munn, Agamar

    "With the..." Fenrir began. Then a Sullustan ran on stage and handed him a piece of flimsi. He said something to the Commissioner.

    "Hold on a second folks..." Fenrir said before bending down to get closer to the Sullustan, "Are you sure?"

    The Sullustan said something in her native language.

    "Well, gentlebeings, we have another announcement," Fenrir said once he straightened up, "I am pleased to announce that the Membership Committee has received acceptance from the twelfth team to join Elite League Limmie for the 278 season. The Skywalker Conference will be joined by..."

    He paused pregnantly.

    "...the Carratos Pirates!"

    The logo of the Pirates came up on the big screen...and most of the beings in the hall scratched their heads. The Carratos Pirates? Who were they?

    "I cannot tell you how excited I am to have the Pirates joining the Elite League this year. It's going to make for a very exciting season," Fenrir gushed.

    "Now, back to business. With the tenth overall selection in the 278 Elite League Limmie Draft, the Coruscant Senators select Sharsy Wenips, Midfielder, University of Euceron at Awuca.

    "The Kuat Triforce are now on the clock."

    TAG: galactic-vagabond422 Jedi Gunny Polydroxol
     
    Vehn likes this.
  6. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post

    278 Elite League Limmie Regular Season Schedule

    Week 1
    Agamar Packers at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
    Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Kuat Triforce
    Euceron Storm at Coruscant Senators
    Carratos Pirates at Ralltiir Starkillers
    Ylesia Lightning at Bakura Miners
    Mando’ade Mercs at Hapes Consortium Buccaneers

    Week 2
    Hapes Consortium Buccaneers at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
    Bakura Miners at Agamar Packers
    Coruscant Senators at Ylesia Lightning
    Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Carratos Pirates
    Kuat Triforce at Euceron Storm
    Ralltiir Starkillers at Mando’ade Mercs

    Week 3
    Ylesia Lightning at Kuat Triforce
    Carratos Pirates at Bakura Miners
    Mando’ade Mercs at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
    Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Ralltiir Starkillers
    Euceron Storm at Hapes Consortium Buccaneers
    Agamar Packers at Coruscant Senators

    Week 4
    Bakura Miners at Mando’ade Mercs
    Coruscant Senators at Carratos Pirates
    Hapes Consortium Buccaneers at Ylesia Lightning
    Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
    Ralltiir Starkillers at Euceron Storm
    Kuat Triforce at Agamar Packers

    Week 5
    Ralltiir Starkillers at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
    Kuat Triforce at Bakura Miners
    Hapes Consortium Buccaneers at Coruscant Senators
    Mando’ade Mercs at Agamar Packers
    Euceron Storm at Carratos Pirates
    Ylesia Lightning at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers

    Week 6
    Coruscant Senators at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
    Kuat Triforce at Ralltiir Starkillers
    Bakura Miners at Hapes Consortium Buccaneers
    Agamar Packers at Carratos Pirates
    Mando’ade Mercs at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
    Euceron Storm at Ylesia Lightning

    Week 7
    Bakura Miners at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
    Coruscant Senators at Ralltiir Starkillers
    Hapes Consortium Buccaneers at Kuat Triforce
    Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Agamar Packers
    Euceron Storm at Mando’ade Mercs
    Carratos Pirates at Ylesia Lightning

    Week 8
    Kuat Triforce at Coruscant Senators
    Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Hapes Consortium Buccaneers
    Ralltiir Starkillers at Bakura Miners
    Agamar Packers at Euceron Storm
    Carratos Pirates at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
    Mando’ade Mercs at Ylesia Lightning

    Week 9
    Hapes Consortium Buccaneers at Ralltiir Starkillers
    Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Kuat Triforce
    Coruscant Senators at Bakura Miners
    Carratos Pirates at Mando’ade Mercs
    Ylesia Lightning at Agamar Packers
    Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Euceron Storm

    As always, if you see errors, let me know and I'll correct them. Many thanks to jc for double checking. :)

    TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja galactic-vagabond422 jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Polydroxol @Rebecca_Daniels Runjedirun Tim Battershell Vehn
     
    Bardan_Jusik and Rebecca_Daniels like this.
  7. Vehn

    Vehn Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 14, 2009
    OOC: Trying something new this season. Hope you enjoy the attempt. Yes, there is a connection between all these stories and a point. Sit back and enjoy. Viewer discretion is advised.
    IC: Kaitlyn Vehn
    Bakura Gardens, Bakura (278 Friendly)


    Zelena Wiles had signed her rookie contract less than 24 hours after appearing on stage. The Smugglers moved fast. They moved even faster with Kaitlyn Vehn at the helm. In her mind, negotiating contracts was a waste of time. The rookie or free agent either accepted the contract or was shipped somewhere else, usually the developmental leagues. She didn’t mess around. She offered fair value, at market rates, and then expected the being to sign right on the dotted line. There was no time for negotiation, one was either in or out, part of the team or part of the problem, and that kind of lethality made Kaitlyn a dangerous boss to have. Not dangerous in the sense that she was volatile but that she was incredibly shrewd and calculating.

    Veterans such as recently retired Smugglers players Mira Kashvili and Bree Tarth, who had won a Cup with the squad in 276, knew when it was time to hang up the cleats. There weren’t going to be shopped around like the fading stars they were. Kaitlyn wouldn’t waste their time doing that. She would’ve taken them back into the fold had they been willing to accept a significantly discounted rate. That was a no go and so was their future in the Elite League. Officially both parties agreed to mutually part ways but anyone in the business knew that Kaitlyn had pushed them out. That was a tactic that Vehn was particularly adept at using. Kept the old players in check and the younger players from ruining their careers prematurely.

    She’d left Nar Shaddaa shortly after her first public address as mayor. The city was struggling under the suddenly omnipresent feeling of the VCPD. Nar Shaddaa had never known a strong leader. Not in this sense. Not in this time. Left to its own devices the Smugglers Moon had just always gotten by. That would have to change, Kaitlyn thought, as she stepped off the shuttle and into the pristine air of Bakura. She made her way quickly to Bakura Gardens under the heavy escort of her security detail. Nothing would escape their eyes. Even on Bakura there were threats to Kaitlyn’s safety. She wasn’t the most popular woman in the galaxy and her election to mayor had severely strained relations with the Hutts who now had sovereign control over Nar Shaddaa.

    Kaitlyn watched the Smugglers warm-up. They looked loose out there. Looked ready to fight against their old rivals in a game that didn’t matter that much to either squad. Maybe the game did matter to some of them, Kaitlyn conceded, and she knew it mattered to the fans. They wanted to see the defending Galactic Cup champions go up against the victors from the year before. If one were to write the history of the 270s, of this Silver Age of Limmie, they would undoubtedly discuss ad nauseum the merits of both long standing franchises and their runs to the Final. So far, in this decade, Bakura had three wins, Nar Shaddaa had two. Contributing to this over analysis was the uncanny statistic that when one team won the Final the other would follow up with a victory of their own. That had happened in 271 and 272 and again in 275, 276, and 277. Strange how the hands of fate so controlled these two squads, somewhere, up in that great celestial body known as the galaxy, someone was getting a kick out of that statistic.

    Kaitlyn’s mind wandered back to Nar Shaddaa. Problems were brewing on the planet. She knew her policies weren’t particularly popular with the citizens of the Smugglers Moon. She had the Hutts breathing down her neck hoping to reign her in and complaints rising from the RTO, in particular her niece, stating that any escalation of her bold declarations could potentially destroy the fragile alliance that existed between the Hutts and the government on Roon.

    All in all, well, things were going just fine in her book. Politics was, after all, just one big house of cards….




    NPC: Victor Trubaan
    Corellian Sector, Nar Shaddaa

    Victor Trubaan loved staying late at the office.

    Not because he enjoyed his job.

    Not because he wanted to avoid going home to his wife and kids.

    Not because he made any more money.

    No, the simple answer was, Victor Trubaan loved getting laid by his attractive secretary.

    They’d just finished another round of wild sex. The kind that could make a man forget his obligations, his responsibilities, and his vows to those he loved. He knew his marriage was shot to hell and back. He’d stopped trying with his wife a long time ago. He loved his son and daughter but they’d understand when he eventually left their mother. They would have to. After all, Dad had needs as well.

    Daddy sure was being taken care of tonight, Victor thought, as he leaned back in his chair and stared up past his secretary’s voluptuous form at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and replayed the address of the new mayor of the Vertical City: Kaitlyn Vehn.

    That woman had ambition. That woman had gumption. That woman was going to clean the streets up one block at a time. Not to mention, Victor thought, she’d be good in the sack as well. He’d thought about that little fantasy for some time now. What it would be like to sleep with such a powerful woman. He could stare into her eyes for such a long time.

    What did that say about him?

    “A new season is just around the corner,” Victor said.

    “Smugglers ought to be good this year,” the secretary said.

    “McCloud’s got a good future with the team,” Victor replied.

    “If she stays healthy. I wasn’t sure she’d come back into the starting line-up after that battle with the Mercs,” the secretary said.

    “I wasn’t aware you followed the team so closely,” Victor said.

    “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” the secretary responded.

    “Oh yeah?” Victor asked as he felt his energy returning.

    “Mmmm hmmm,” the secretary groaned as she slipped her way down his torso.

    What happened next reminded Victor Trubaan that he cared little for politics and that all was right in his world.

    Man it felt good to be the boss.

    Little did he know it but his very world was about to change.




    Duros Sector, Nar Shaddaa

    “I’m tired, Markel,” Shellie Oneira, an emerald colored Twi’lek, complained as she strolled down the run down boulevard. “Let me go home!”

    Schutta you got to work the streets for me or I’ll throw you out,” Markel Drexel, son of infamous drug lord Quint Drexel, growled.

    “Don’t talk to me that way,” Shellie protested.

    “I can talk to you any way I want. Treat you any way I want, do whatever I want,” Markel threatened as he pushesd Shellie against a brick wall.

    “Frak you! You don’t own me!” Shellie yelled.

    Markel smacked her hard across the face. She cried out as she crumpled to the street. Shellie wept in fear as she looked up at her “boss”. The man was an absolutele terror, a real sick dude, and somehow, by some cruel twist of fate, her life had taken her
    directly into his oppressive arms. She hadn’t wanted things to be this way. She hadn’t asked for this.

    “You take what I give you, woman. You take it lying down, you take it standing up, you take it any way I tell you to because if you don’t there ain’t going to be any place for you but the underworld down below,” Markel said through his metallic teeth. “Now, tell me you love me.”

    Shellie knew what she had to do as she adjusted the lekku around her neck. She had to tell the jerk that she loved him. It was the only way to stop another horrific beating. The last beating she’d gotten from him she’d nearly died. Working the streets was a rough life. It wasn’t a career path. It was survival. Somehow, somewhere, her entire life had gone wrong. As she looked up into Markel’s eyes, Shellie felt her life energy sucked right out of her. She wanted to die right then and there.

    Only one question went through her mind: When was this all going to change?

    “I love you,” she whimpered through bleeding lips.




    New Vertica, Nar Shaddaa
    Later that evening

    Kent Wattsone was the kind of cop that most people looked up to. Tall, handsome, civically responsible, good humored, college educated, an officer of the finest police force this side of Druckenwell, his life thus far had been perfect. But not all was perfect in his life. He had a terrible addiction to spice and he was as corrupt as the darkest night of the Vertical City. Didn’t help that he worked vice and had access to all the nitty gritties out there. The good stuff. The angel dust as they liked to call it on the Smuggler’s Moon.

    “We won’t be able to meet like this much longer,” Ken said to his contact.

    “That new mayor is going to change this city,” the contact replied from the shadows.

    “She’ll try,” Ken responded as he fished in his pocket for some credits.

    “Product is going to get a lot more expensive if she cracks down, man,” the contact said.

    “I know Markel,” Ken replied as he flipped the money in the drug lord’s direction.

    A small package was sent through the night and bounced off Ken’s chest. It hit the ground with a soft pop.


    “Last time we meet like this, understand?” Markel said as he briefly moved between shadow and the light of a street lamp.

    “The way things are going in this town,” Ken said as he picked up his dope, “might be the last time we ever meet again.”

    “And people think you’re a white knight,” Markel laughed shaking his head.

    “You going to the season opener?” Ken asked.

    “Maybe. Got a new girl I’m breaking in. She’s got some lip but she’ll know her place soon enough. She’s covering as a secretary at a tech firm in Corellian Sector. Getting real cozy with the boss. She knows how to work it, man,” Markel said licking his lips.

    “Might have to take her out for a spin sometime,” Ken replied with a grunt.

    “That’s going to cost you extra,” Markel replied.

    Ken turned to leave and the faintest smile crossed his face, “The good stuff always does.”


    TBC.....
     
  8. galactic-vagabond422

    galactic-vagabond422 Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2009
    IC: Geoff Capin
    Goss-Pell Memorial Stadium, O'phaz, Carratos

    "You can't be serious?" Geoff said to the Balosars, Schnitt Polenta, owner of the Carratos Pirates.

    "Geoff I would joke about something like this," Schnitt replies retracting his antennapalps "We've been selected to join Elite League Limmie this year. We get to show those elitist what Carratos is made of..." His voice was clam almost jovial.

    "What we're made of..." Geoff stood and began to pace around the office. His stomach twisted in knots of fear and joy. The former emotion was understandable, his team made up of twelve young unknowns and three veterans of the Premier League were going to face the strongest teams in the galaxy. The ladder was confusing, why did he feel happy about facing players that put up more points in a game than his team could put up in a month. Maybe it was the chance, the chance to play in the Elite League just once, to play in Barkura Gardens one time, to wave at a holocam and know that his dad was watching. He shook his head banishing the wondrous visions from his head, this was not the time for dreams. "We've got a lot of heart and hustle but, that won't mean much when we face the Narddaa Sumgglers that, last I checked, scored more than twice the points we did last season."

    "They're not the only team in the league," Schnitt retorted "our record was better than the Senators last year."

    "A team of Chadra-Fan could've beaten the Senators last year but, they were just having an off season." Schnitt rose from his padded nerf hide chair and put his arm around the strained coach.

    "Think about the glory and the money we could make. If we get a popular team here like to Mandowhatit's here we'd sell out the stadium. With the broadcasts we could draw optical sensors from the neighing systems and grow our market share."

    "No one wants to watch a losing team Schnitt." Geoff stepped away from the Balosars. "If limmie fans want to watch a game they'll hijack the Denon Demons broadcasts or root for a better team."

    "Ah..." Schnitt tapped his index finger against the side of his head. "Denon aint in the Elite League this year. In fact the only inner rim team in the league right now is the Hapen Consortium." He pressed his index finger into his chin. "You know, now that I think about it we could play up the game between the Hapens and us. They're called the Buccauh... Buccauh... sometin's right?"

    "Buccaneers"

    "Yeah, Yeah," The Balosars said pointing his finger at Geoff "buccaneer's, like a pirate right?" Geoff nodded, sometimes it was best to let Schnitt's mind wander for a bit, better that ruining his train of thought. "We could call it the Scallywag Shootout, the Brigand Brawl or the Marauder Melee."

    "I think the first one is out, our loyal fans call themselves the Scallywags already."

    "Fine, fine," the boss said waving his hand like he was batting away a fly, "I like Brigand Brawl or Marauder Melee better anyways. I looked at their stats and they were middle of the pack last year, I think we can take 'em. I wonder when we play them, I'll need to look at the schedule again."

    "Wait, you've seen the schedule?"

    "Yeah, they released it right after our joining the league."

    "Can I see it?"

    "I already sent a copy to your datapad, you can read it when you have time." Geoff turned towards the door.

    "Got any other bombs you'd like to drop on me today or can I go? I'd like to get started on planning the next practices." He said looking over his shoulder.

    "Sure, go" Schnitt flicked his hand in a shooing motion "I want an elite looking team on game day."

    "I'll do my best." Geoff left the office. He collected his datapad and a few other things from his office and headed home.

    ___________

    Shield Towers, O'phaz, Carratos

    The Shield Towers were in a nice part of O'phaz, well nice by O'phaz standards no deathstick dealers on the corners or roving groups of armed toughs wandering in the streets. Two large Klatooinian guards stood on either side of the door leading into Geoffs building.

    "Evening Coach." One guard said as Geoff approached.

    "Evening Bara." Geoff replied as he passed. He walked though the lobby and into the lifts. He entered his apartment to find his wife, Laura, sitting cross legged on the sofa, in her pajamas, reading a book on her datapad.

    "Welcome home dear." She said looking up from her illuminated screen. The white light glinted off her blue eyes, the room lights were dim making the brightness of the screen stand out. The light from the flashy neon casino signs outside danced in her auburn hair.

    "You're still awake?" He asked glancing at his chronometer. "I thought the kids would've tried you out by now."

    "Well I was going to go to bed after I finished this chapter but, we could go to bed now." She said slightly tilting her head. He pinched the bridge of his nose and walked forward.

    "You can keep reading. I've got a couple of things to look at before I go to bed." He set his datapad on the caf table in front of the sofa that faced the entry door. Sitting next to his wife he looked over the schedule for the season. Laura deactivated her datapad and placed it on the table. She walked behind her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck, putting her chin on his head.

    "I'm gonna' go to bed now, okay." He tilted his head back and looked up,

    "I'll be there in a moment." She kissed him on the top of the forehead

    "Don't stay up too late."

    "I won't." Laura walked towards the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

    "Hey babe," Geoff called before she left the room.

    "Yeah," she replied turning to face him.

    "I love you." She smiles, the same smile that pulled Geoff's heart when he first saw her outside the stadium were his team played.

    "I love you too." She disappears to the bedroom leaving Geoff alone. He compares the stats of his team against the Starkillers. It was going to be tough but, there was always hope. He turned off his datapad and wandered into their bedroom. He changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed with his wife.

    Big day tomorrow.
     
    Vehn, Trieste, Runjedirun and 4 others like this.
  9. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post

    HSN Headlines

    League announces that Commissioner’s Trophy tiebreak will now give priority to head-to-head wins with conference record as second tiebreak starting in 278
    Veiana Eitos (Half Forward) of Lightning to miss entirety of 278 season due to pregnancy


    Memorial Oval Sports Complex, Calna Munn, Agamar

    "With the eleventh overall selection in the 278 ELL Draft, the Kuat Triforce select Kosh Ul'kesh, Goalkeeper, University of Agamar," the Commissioner announced. It was a big get for the new team to grab the Helmsman winner in the second round of the draft.

    "With the twelfth overall selection, the Ylesia Lightning select Megan Meeks, Corner Forward, The Ord Saboak University," Lokensgaard announce. The Lightning? Drafting a human? This new general manager was gutsy.

    "The Euceron Storm are now on the clock."

    TAG: jcgoble3 Polydroxol Rebecca_Daniels
     
  10. Rebecca_Daniels

    Rebecca_Daniels Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2006
    IC: Mirik Chal
    Training camp

    The offseason felt so much shorter from this position. Between everything that had happened - hirings, re-signings, draftees, roster upheaval - the media on Ylesia was almost in a frenzy. It wasn't exactly negative; in fact, Megan Meeks' drafting had been presented with a positive spin on most networks. But Mirik needed the "human question", always the first out of a reporter's mouth, to stop, or this team would never get anywhere. Yes, humans were in the Lightning and they were here to stay.

    The media had been far more reluctant to take to the new head coach, Kyril Lopaki. He had a solid record, but no experience in the Elite League except a brief showing as a full back; time would tell if he could turn his past college success into Lightning success.

    They hadn't yet addressed the issue of his daughter. The easiest solution would, of course, have the Thunder trade her to another team or league, but they were reluctant to leave a gap in the front. It would be a problem that they'd have to deal with eventually, and hopefully in the meantime it wouldn't blow up in their faces.

    But Kyril was getting along well with the players that he'd met so far; only a small portion of the team remained on-planet during the offseason so he was going to meet them all for the first time as a team in just a few minutes, when they arrived for training camp. Mirik was just glad none had asked for a trade at the announcement of a very human front office; at least Kyril had brought along a Rodian offensive coordinator, Leesan Vydoom, to make the anti-human contingent a little happier.

    After a few moments of hesitation, Mirik headed to the locker room, where their far-too-large list of players, prospects, and invitees would assemble during the week. While she hadn't really gotten involved with the players personally in the past, she felt she should be there during the coach's introductions. Just in case.

    Extra chairs were scattered around the room with practice jerseys laid overtop for those not lucky enough to have a locker assigned, mostly invitees and those expected to play with the Thunder.

    Kyril snagged a folding chair and sat on it backwards, bringing himself to their level, not that all the assembled players were sitting.

    "I know I'm probably not what you expected in a new head coach," Kyril began, and the remaining chatter in the room died immediately. "I'm human on a world that doesn't like them, I'm a college coach in a league I haven't been involved in for decades, I'm an unknown to all of you."

    He briefly caught Mirik's eyes at "unknown" and she had to hide a smile; unknown to all of them except her, of course. It may have been ten years but she still remembered Kyril quite vividly.

    "So," he continued, "I'm going to be relying on all of you this week, and for every week hereafter. This is your chance for a fresh start; show me what you can do for the Lightning, talk to me about your skills and weaknesses. I like things to be two-way with my players; talk to me, and I'll listen, but I expect you to listen to me as well.

    "There's going to be a lot of changes this week, I'm sure, and things may not go in your favour. But hard work and teamwork will be acknowledged, so help each other be the best you can be.

    "And let's create the new Ylesia Lightning together."

    The team wasn't used to speeches, neither their Captain nor their previous head coach being inclined, but there was some appreciative clapping and Mirik joined in.

    Standing up, Kyril pitched his voice louder to be heard over the resumption of activity.

    "Now, everyone get changed and get out on the field. You have fifteen minutes."

    --------

    IC: Korlo Penin
    Training camp

    Korlo had never been to an elite league training camp before. While he'd worked on getting over how star struck he'd been last season, it was hard not to get overwhelmed by the fact that he was trading off on drills with the Kasin Urdaaza. And getting destroyed by forwards with a point to prove.

    He wasn't the only one watching Kasin play; he could see their new GM keeping a close eye on her, and it wasn't really a surprise. After everything that happened it was a wonder she was on the field at all, and amazing to watch her fall back into her drills with an ease that he'd never felt. How many years of practice and training had turned her into the goalkeeping star in front of him? How good was she to have not even missed a step after everything she'd gone through?

    There was only one problem: Korlo was supposed to view her as competition. It had been made clear by Coach Lopaki that the goalkeeping position was not set, that it could go to any of them. Privately, Korlo knew that the Eriadu goalkeeper, Tvani Zookin, didn't have a chance, since he did so poorly even in the LFL, but that meant there was one position that both he and Kasin were supposed to be fighting for.

    Tired but not exhausted after the first day of camp - unlike some, who looked like they were barely dragging themselves off the field - Korlo trudged back to the locker room, thinking only of a shower and possibly having a bantha steak when he got back home. But his supposed rival and fellow goalkeeper interrupted his hunger-induced train of thought, throwing an arm around his shoulders as they headed inside.

    "Hey there, hotshot," Kasin greeted, "time to make friends."

    Though he protested that he had friends, Kasin lead him to their side-by-side lockers and sat him down, while she towered over him, hands on her hips.

    "I have been informed that you're friendly kid but a little star struck. Now, you've been in the Elite League a year, it's time to get over that and get to know people. We don't bite. Much." The sharp-toothed Togruta midfielder, Prya Tiin, immediately sprung to mind and he tried not to let his eyes grow any wider than they already were.

    Kasin sat next to him. "You and me are going to be spending a lot of time together this season whether we want to or not. Same with the rest of the team. So, you're coming to dinner with the team tonight, and you're going to mingle and make friends, right?" Korlo nodded, uncertain. "And talk. Please."

    "Uh, yeah?" he assented, still slightly confused over the sudden interaction.

    "Good kid. You'll get used to me." Kasin flashed a smile and headed off towards the showers, leaving Korlo to his confusion.

    "Hey." Captain Zoa Vra was now standing over him. "Keep an eye on her, and be nice. She's not back to normal yet, got it?"

    "What's normal like?" he asked.

    The Zabrak quirked a rare smile. "More talking, more pranks, more fun." She turned to leave, then paused. "Never leave your cleats unattended, by the way."

    Ominous message delivered, Korlo was finally left to himself. Things were going to be really complicated this season, he could tell. But maybe, just maybe, he might be able to avert any oncoming pranks. Time to become invaluable to the prankster.

    --------

    Friendly vs Ralltiir

    It was strange for all of them, even Korlo who had been with the team only a short while, to see their former head coach on the other side. They knew she'd probably handed over the team's playbook, which was just one of the reasons the Lightning wouldn't play like that any more. Except Korlo, who'd been told to stop shots like he always did.

    Kasin was on the bench for the friendly, relaxed. Though he hadn't been told, he suspected she'd play their season opener against Bakura; apparently there was history there, and if she wanted to prove she was back, starting against the reigning Galactic Cup champs was a good way to do it.

    They'd talked a lot since the start of training camp, and Kasin had started making jokes around the team about them dating, considering the number of lunch dates they had together, though she liked to follow it up with comments about being too old for him. Still, they had a good thing going, and though certain parts of the media had already tried to turn their budding friendship into a rivalry, they refused to bite.

    Though the media wasn't too far off when it came to their professional lives. The starting spot hadn't been assigned yet, and Korlo's competitive side had really started to show as training camp went on. Kasin was great, a star, but he knew he had potential, and he'd kept the team alive last season. So he, too, had a lot to prove, and only this game to prove it.

    Shahka rubbed his head before heading to her position; "iz for luck" she'd said, and left Korlo both amused and shaking his head over the Barabel's antics. She'd done something similar at the all-star game and Korlo was fairly certain it had nothing to do with luck and a lot more to do with teasing him. But that was all right, it was just one more sign that the team was comfortable with him. A lot of that came from Kasin being back, so the tension of last season was gone. The rest was probably a forced adaptation to the changes; he wasn't the only human around here any more with the new front office, and then there was their new draftee Megan Meeks up the field at right corner.

    Korlo had been watching the draft, and had seen her initial nervousness when drafted to "the alien team". Though she'd come to him for advice on how he handled being the only human on the team, he hadn't spoken to her much since. From what he could see, she was handling it well, her confidence on and off the field growing the longer she stayed with the team. And the way Megan played, she'd likely have a roster spot.

    Well, if they could handle the Starkillers. They'd been so dominant last season that it was a little daunting the face them, but both their GM and coach had been insistent they get pre-season action in, so there they were.

    And there they were. The Starkillers were out and ready, and the stadium was packed even for this pre-season bout. With all those fans there, cheering as the ball was brought to the centre, for a game that didn't really matter, Korlo's confidence soared. They could do this, it was a new season, a new playbook, a new roster, a new start. A new Lightning, as their coach had said. Last season was over, now it was time to make everyone forget it ever happened.

    --------

    To: Madelyne Vigo

    Mrs. Vigo,

    The Lightning organization has been and continues to be impressed by the quality and success of the Starkillers dance team. As such, I am writing to inquire as to whether we could gain assistance to assemble and train a Lightning dance team sometime during the coming season. We would, of course, provide payment for those services and for any time missed while assisting us.

    Regards,

    Mirik Chal
    Ylesia Lightning General Manager

    --------

    TAG: Runjedirun
     
    Jedi Gunny, Vehn, Trieste and 2 others like this.
  11. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post

    HSN Morning Headlines
    • Commissioner Lokensgaard announces his stadium visit schedule for regular season
      • Week 1: Ylesia Lightning at Kuat Triforce
      • Week 2: Bakura Miners at Agamar Packers
      • Week 3: Euceron Storm at Hapes Consortium Buccaneers
      • Week 4: Coruscant Senators at Carratos Pirates
      • Week 5: Ralltiir Starkillers at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
      • Week 6: Mando’ade Mercs at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
      • Week 7: Carratos Pirates at Ylesia Lightning
      • Week 8: Agamar Packers at Euceron Storm
      • Week 9: Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Kuat Triforce


    Our biggest day of preseason friendlies on the calendar. Bonus rolls (which is now an antiquated term if you think about it) to Bakura, Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa, Ralltiir, Rydonni Prime, and Ylesia.

    Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Bakura Miners (2-26)
    Ralltiir Starkillers at Ylesia Lightning (34-13)
    Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Byblos Red Wings (29-18)
    Coruscant Senators at Alsakan Flyers (15-15, OT 19-16)



    Memorial Oval Sports Complex, Calna Munn, Agamar

    "With the thirteenth overall selection, the Euceron Storm select Quinlyn Zha'rel, Defensive Back, Sposia Medical University," Lokensgaard announced.

    "And with the fourteenth overall pic, the Rydonni Prime Monarchs select Landra Wygins, Corner Forward, Coruscant Polytechnic Institute.

    "With the fifteenth overall selection, the Coruscant Senators select Vex Blooker, Corner Back, Citadel University of Anaxes.

    "With the sixteenth overall selection, the Ralltiir Starkillers choose Garvin Stommer, Half Forward, University of Corellia, Bella Vistal.

    "The Nar Shaddaa Smugglers are now on the clock."

    TAG: CPL_Macja jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Rebecca_Daniels Runjedirun Vehn
     
    Runjedirun and Jedi Gunny like this.
  12. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Gark S’rily
    Senators HQ, Coruscant

    Gark walked into the room, and all eyes instantly fell upon him. In front of him were all the players currently under contract in the organization, plus a few extra non-roster invitees. He wanted to bulk up Thyferra’s pipeline, and had decided to bring in a few other players to challenge the longstanding veterans and see if he couldn’t just give the contracted players extra incentive to perform in camp.

    “I want to welcome you all to training camp for 278,” he said. “This is going to be a major step forward for all of us, so I want to put it to you all straight now. I want to see all of you progress through camp this year, show improvements, and generally be ready for the season. This is not the time to goof around or act on talent alone, because that will get you a swift ticket to the bench. Now, any questions before I continue?”

    “We going on a trip this year?” asked Thulius Jomas, the soft-spoken half forward. Standing next to him were two duffel bags likely filled with various items one would need on vacation for a month or so.

    “No,” Gark said bluntly. “After our atrocious performance last season, I have decided that this team does not deserve the annual training camp trip to Wroona.” This caused some worried whispers in the crowd, especially amongst the veteran players who had been there before. They had been told to bring their belongings for camp, but they thought they would be headed to the shuttle any minute. Now they were shocked to hear that the trip was canceled. “Going to Wroona is a privilege, not a guarantee. You need to earn it, and this team certainly has not the last few years. So we’re not going there until such a time as I feel it is right to let all of you relax in paradise. Got that?”

    The Bothan knew that some of the players were going to start resenting him for this decision, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t in the mood to be their friend right now, because they were professional ball players. They had embarrassed his franchise last season, and now the GM was going to make them pay for it. Not going to Wroona was the first domino that had fallen, and he wanted to make it clear immediately that the players were going to be under a microscope this season. They had to rehabilitate the Coruscant Senators that had once been feared in the league, not the glorified punching bag that they had been last year. That was completely unacceptable. Now this team, even with all the changes made over the offseason, would have to shoulder the burden of past failures. Gark wanted to make it clear that training camp would not be a vacation; it was time to work, not play.

    “Some of you are thinking that’s not fair. Well, tough, get over it. Suck it up. Do whatever you need to in order to clean it out of your minds that we’re going to Wroona today. We probably won’t go there this camp at all, frankly, especially if you all don’t show you’re worthy of the uniform you’re playing for starting today. This is a franchise that has storied tradition to it, and I want to prove to our fans that they should get back on the bandwagon.”

    “Then where will we have camp?” asked Vex Blooker, the second-round rookie corner back.

    “Right here on Coruscant,” Gark said. “At the practice facility, just like during the season. We will still have both teams working side by side this camp, but it won’t be nearly as nice.” He had a twinkle in his eye, and if anyone caught that, they were certainly nervous now. The ‘Magic Bothan’ had finally snapped, and they were going to bear the brunt of his ire. Served them right, Gark thought to himself.

    “Now, I would like to introduce some new faces to this camp period. I have taken the liberty of inviting some non-roster players to join us for camp to compete for contracts. If they do well enough in camp, they may just take your roster spots. I’m looking at you, Thyferra players. You may lose your starting job there if you don’t work hard enough. And that goes for the Senator players too. If you want your position on the team secured, play like it.”

    He then went around introducing the new players. They were a motley mix; a Barabel, a tough-looking Rodian, a pale-skinned O’reenian, a male Twi’lek, and a very lithe blonde Hapan.

    “ . . . and this is Lucy, Lucy Diamonds,” Gark said when he got to the Hapan. “You play what, midfield? Corner?”

    [​IMG]

    “I do whatever I’m asked to do,” the woman said. “And I intend to do that very well.”

    Needless to say, the players who had come hopeful for a trip to paradise were shocked by the end of the day, and were likely ruing training camp in general. This wasn’t going to be fun.

    As they filed out of the HQ, Gark caught up to Diamonds. “You all set for this?” he asked in a low tone.

    “Not really, no,” Nat’alia Patrovish commented. She was going under the pseudonym of Lucy Diamonds for training camp, and had dyed her hair blonde for this event (as she was naturally redheaded). “You know I’ve never played Limmie before in my life.”

    “All I need is for you to push the players a bit. Maybe just get under their skin, make them hate you a little bit.”

    “I can do that,” Nat replied. “But it will be pretty obvious I don’t know a thing about the sport.”


    “Then you should spend tonight reading up on it. Happy dreams,” Gark said as he walked away. Nat just shook her head. This was going to be a long night.

    TAG: No One
     
  13. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post

    HSN Headlines

    • Elite League corrects Commissioner's schedule to include a Week 1 trip to Kuat to see Nar Shaddaa play at Kuat, not Ylesia


    Memorial Oval Sports Complex, Calna Munn, Agamar

    "With the seventeenth overall selection, the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers select Victoria Duchamp, Forward, Brentaal College of Commerce," Lokensgaard continued.

    "With the eighteenth and last pick of the second round, the Rydonni Prime Monarchs select Olle Quiver, Forward, University of Myrkyr.

    "We will now begin the third round. The Coruscant Senators are on the clock."

    TAG: CPL_Macja Jedi Gunny Vehn
     
    Rebecca_Daniels likes this.
  14. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    And now to get my second story going for this offseason:

    IC: Adanna Inviere
    Home, Commenor

    Adanna watched the Holo as HSN showed a Limmie preseason special. It was stupid, to be honest, since the season didn’t start for several more months, but she watched it all the same. She wanted to see what kind of motivation she could give her team from the critics on these sorts of programs; when they said the C-Bucs weren’t good enough, that was a challenge to try and make the “experts” look foolish. This show was likely going to be chock-full of crap that would provide extra motivation for this season.

    She was headed out to Hapes Prime in the morning to meet with her team staff. Camp wasn’t for another two months, but the Hapan GM wanted to make sure her players were staying on track with what the medical and training staffs had given them. The C-Bucs would have to be strong and fast this next season if they wanted to show that they could contend on a regular basis, something that was desperately needed for a Limmie-hungry fanbase without much recent success.

    And now we get to Hapes, which looks towards its second year of the Chambers-Inviere project. The C-Bucs did well last season, but they look to be a team that will slide down this year in the standings. They just don’t have the kind of talent a good team needs to contend in this League; once Chambers is figured out, then this team is doomed to the cellar.”

    Adanna wasn’t surprised by these remarks. Her team wasn’t particularly stingy in any one area. But they were young, and they still had talent. Not many moves had been made over the offseason, but there had been a dearth of things to get done. What they needed was to get what pieces they had to the next step, which was to finally push through the barrier that had kept last year’s team down and make it to a Galactic Cup Final. They had come close last year, but close was never enough in pro sports. Maybe in college that was good enough, but not here in the Elite League. It was Galactic Cup or bust for everyone.

    “What’re you watching?” Maff Biskis asked as he came into the room. He had been cleaning up in the kitchen, and was carrying a dustpan and mop.

    “Some stupid show on the HSN,” Adanna informed her husband. “They think we’re a worthless team, and are going to slide down to the bottom. It makes me mad.”

    “Don’t listen to them,” Maff reassured her. “Besides, there’s plenty of time to get things figured out.” He came and sat down on the sofa. “Anyways, I feel beat. Cleaning is always hard.”

    “You’re just lucky we’re not on Hapes right now. Otherwise you’d be expected to do everything while I take the credit. Women’s rules, you know,” Adanna teased.

    “Makes me glad we’re not there,” Maff replied.

    “But it still pisses me off to know that no one takes us seriously,” Adanna said. “What more do we have to do in order to get the galaxy to believe that we can do it?”

    “I believe you can,” Maff said. “If it makes you too annoyed, you can just turn it off.”

    “And then what am I going to do with my time?”

    “Well, I could use a break, a long one,” Maff suggested. He leaned over and gently kissed Adanna’s cheek. The Hapan didn’t resist, because she had been thinking the same thing. She grabbed the remote with one hand and turned off the Holo screen before the remote dropped out of her hand onto the sofa. The next thing she could feel was the dull thud of her body hitting the floor, but she didn’t mind. It wasn’t long before Adanna completely forgot about the Holo program as she made love with her husband.


    Several weeks later, Adanna found out that she was pregnant. She wasn’t due until several months after the season was over; how that would affect her work with the C-Bucs, she didn’t know, but it certainly was going to make this upcoming season interesting. Very interesting.

    TAG: Vehn (let's write one hell of a Hapes story this season, shall we?)
     
  15. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post

    HSN Morning Headlines
    • Maggie Adams signs with Rydonni Prime Monarchs
    • Euceron judge allows Rosty Bassell to continue representing himself, despite persistently refusing to recognize the authority of the court
    • Beginning of Bassell trial scheduled to coincide with Week 2 of 278 ELL season
    • Bassell is charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit capital murder, among other charges, and faces the death penalty over allegations that he orchestrated the mass shooting of several Euceron Storm players and personnel in 275
    • Bassell's brother, Rondy Bassell, continues to hold the #1 spot on the Euceron Bureau of Investigation Most Wanted List, accused of actually executing the attack, twice escaping from prison, and other offenses



    Memorial Oval Sports Complex, Calna Munn, Agamar

    "With the nineteenth overall selection in the Elite League Draft, the Coruscant Senators select Deluxx, Full Back, University of Tatooine, Anchorhead," Lokensgaard announced.

    "The Kuat Triforce are now on the clock."

    TAG: CPL_Macja jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Polydroxol
     
  16. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post
    Memorial Oval Sports Complex, Calna Munn, Agamar

    "With the twentieth pick in the Elite League Limmie Draft, the Kuat Triforce select Rhia Saunders, Forward, Druckenwell Technical University," Lokensgaard announced.

    "With the twenty-first pick in the draft, the Ylesia Lightning select Sula Le’kri, Full Forward, Bothawui School of Business.

    "With the twenty-second pick in the draft, the Rydonni Prime Monarchs select..." Fenrir squinted at his datapad. Then he held it up to look at it closer. Then he turned it upside down before turning it right side up again. "...Ryan Barlen, Defensive Back, Celwis System University." The Rydonni Prime third round off-the-board pick had struck again.

    "And with the twenty-third selection, the Monarchs select...Elsa Sarnac, Defensive back, Cathar Tech University." Lokensgaard looked at the datapad again. "I think that's right. Or this is broken. I'm not sure." Lokensgaard tapped the datapad against the podium to check. "Looks right. Or it's definitely broken."

    "The Coruscant Senators are on the clock."

    TAG: CPL_Macja Jedi Gunny Polydroxol Rebecca_Daniels
     
    Rebecca_Daniels and jcgoble3 like this.
  17. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post
    Memorial Oval Sports Complex, Calna Munn, Agamar

    "With the twenty-fourth selection, the Coruscant Senators select Callie Polarez, Forward, Brentaal College of Commerce," Lokensgaard reported.

    "With the twenty-fifth selection, the Ralltiir Starkillers select Lowatha, Half Forward, University of Kashyyyk.

    "With the twenty-sixth selection, the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers select Alynn Tran, Half Back, University of Shili.

    "And with the twenty-seventh and final selection, the Ralltiir Starkillers select...Yolanda Dunerider, Right Half Forward, Tatooine University.

    "That concludes the 278 Elite League Limmie Entry Draft. Congratulations to all the draftees and best of luck to all of the teams in the coming season!" Lokensgaard said, "From Calna Munn on Agamar, good night!"

    TAG: Jedi Gunny Runjedirun Vehn
     
    CPL_Macja and Runjedirun like this.
  18. Vehn

    Vehn Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 14, 2009
    IC: Meredith Chambers-Vayne
    Royal Limmie Grounds, Hapes C-Bucs Training Facility, Day One of 278 Training Camp

    The footage of the Bakura Miners dismantling the Hapes Consortium Buccaneers in the Solo Conference Finals ended with a sizzle and pop as the hologram winked out of existence. The dark interior of the conference room slowly gave way to the burning glare of high intensity lighting as Meredith Chambers-Vayne, head coach of the Hapes C-Bucs, walked from the rear of the packed room toward the podium with a sense of purpose.

    Most of the veterans thought they knew what was coming. The rookies, the walk-ons, the hopefuls, the dreamers, had no idea what they were about to experience. Meredith had a surprise for both groups as she took to the podium and stared at familiar faces from the previous season such as Wai Linn, Alysha Romax, Camille Montes, Pam Bouvier, all beautiful, all toned, all eager to pursue that ever elusive Galatic Cup.

    “Some of you know who I am. For those that don’t my name is Meredith Chambers-Vayne, I am a four time Galactic Cup champion, I am a member of the Elite League Limmie Hall of Fame, I am a mother of two twins and the wife of a great man, an even greater husband.

    “What you just saw here on the holoscreen a few minutes ago has got to be one of the most impressive offensive attacks I have ever seen in all my years of playing this game. Believe me I have seen a lot. Never, though, have I seen such a thorough, surgical, methodical attack on a defense that just a week earlier had shut out one of the great rising franchises of the ELL, the Ralltiir Starkillers.

    “What you just saw were the Bakura Miners. Get used to that name and get used to being disappointed because they’re going to find a way to beat the living snot out of you. Just when you think you’ve got them pegged, you’ve got them figured out, they find a way to twist that knife a little deeper into your flesh. They are three time Galactic Cup winners in this decade alone. Are they the best to ever walk the pitch? No. I don’t think anyone can really take that honor. But they are good. They are experienced. They are incredibly dangerous. At some point in your careers you will experience losing to their blue and gold hordes. Get used to that as well.

    “I’ll be honest,” Meredith said as she clutched the sides of the podium with those iron hands of hers, “Hapes isn’t known for sports. We’re known for beautiful women, killer queens, submissive men, and some wild court-room drama. But that’s why I’m here. I’m going to put Hapes on the galactic map. No longer will teams be able to scratch us off every year as the easy win. We’re going to fight hard, we’re going to give what we get, and we’re not going to back down.

    The players in the room clapped and whistled.

    “Knock that off,” Meredith scolded, “this isn’t a pep rally.”

    The clapping stopped.

    “Most of you won’t make it on the final roster. I would tell a lot of you to just go home now but that’s why we have training camp. Sometimes, and very infrequently, there is a diamond in the rough. A person who wants something so badly they’ll just about do anything to get it. Believe you me that I will be examining every play, every penalty, every person, to the highest detail. Nothing escapes my eye, ladies, not one damn thing. This camp will push you. This camp will make you want to cry out in pain. This camp will punish you on so many levels you’ll think that dying would be the easy way out. Well, that’s on you. Not me. No, I’m not going to be blamed for someone being unable to hack it. I’m in the process of building a winner. I’m in the process of bringing home a Cup to my homeworld. 28 years is a long time to wait. 28 years is a long time to suffer. We’ve seen lots in those years as a culture, as a people, as a planet.

    The room was dead silent.

    “The losing stops today. The winning starts now. Get on the pitch and show me you want this opportunity to be a Buccaneer,” Meredith said as she tore off in the direction of the practice fields.
    Meredith Chambers-Vayne wasn’t going to show any quarter this year. Not after being so close. Not after feeling that heavy Cup nearly drop her to the ground four times in her storied career. All she wanted was to raise that damn thing above her head and prove that she could join the pantheon of great coaches who had come before.

    The losing stopped today.

    Tag:Jedi Gunny;Trieste (for mention of the Miners)
     
  19. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Gark S’rily

    After taking Laura Cellen with the sixth overall pick in the Draft, Gark retreated back to the War Room to prepare for the second round. He knew that with six picks he could afford to fill the holes on the roster with draft picks. However, what would make the choices more complicated would be the development roster for the Force. They had done a decent job during the season, given that they had been wracked with call-ups and demotions about halfway through the season. That kind of instability, plus a new coach in Polis Vayne, had ended in disaster for the Force, who had tanked the second half of the season and tumbled out of championship contention. But the players who had been there all year had some merit, and the Bothan was wise to consider what they could bring to the field as well as any potential rookies. These choices were going to be difficult.

    When he returned to the room, he found two names up on the team’s board from the rest of his staff, Zelena Wiles and Jordan Horste. Gark sat down in his chair and looked around the table. “I take it we’ve got our next pick cut out for us if one of these two is available?” he asked.

    “We need a solid half back, and both of them will fit the bill,” Peet Carelle said. “High-rated backs are always nice to have around.”

    “We just need to hope they’re still available,” Gark mused as he turned his attention back to the Holo screen.

    Ralltiir took Lou Jeffers, which gave Gark some pause. He knew the Starkillers needed defense, but that took the only measure of protection from the two listed backs on the board away from his squad. Now a run on defenders would decimate his plans, and that would definitely ruin his day.

    “We could have used Jeffers,” Rosa Berant commented. “Would have been a nice understudy to Borr,” she said, referencing new Senators full back Ugdulo Borr. The Chevin had won a Galactic Cup title in 274 with the Chandrila Patriots, and hopefully would bring some meat to a position that had been lacking a dominating presence since Shev Fil’yer retired after the 273 campaign.

    “Could move over another player if we need to,” Peet said.

    “But that would necessitate us getting one of these two players, and there are two picks ahead of us,” Gark said. “And I have a feeling at least one of them will be gone by our next pick.”

    Sure enough, Gark’s hunch was right when Wiles went to Nar Shaddaa. That definitely hurt the Senators’ plans, because Wiles was a tough nut to crack, and would have been a welcome addition to a team in need of grit and toughness in the Back 6. Now Euceron was up.

    “Do they need offense? Meeks is available,” Me’lin offered.

    “That’s the big-ticket question here,” Gark said, scratching his chin. Word had come out that Mo Klaret had been called up at long last by the Storm, and was a corner forward, so Meeks was likely off the table here. That left a few half forwards and Horste.

    “They’re going to ruin our day, aren’t they?” Helena Forsythe groaned when the Storm were ready to make their pick.

    “. . . Jordan Horste, from the University of Ralltiir . . .[/i]

    “Dammit!” Gark said, pounding the table. He then looked up at everyone, who were staring at him intently. “Um . . . shouldn’t have reacted like that,” the Bothan said, quickly backtracking on his angry outburst.”

    “Now we’re stuck with the middle-tier defenders,” Peet noted. “We could easily pick one of them up later. Should we go for another forward?”

    “Problem with another forward is that we already have two of them from this Draft,” Polis said. “And I think we have enough returning players and prospects on Thyferra to fill out our Opening Day roster.”

    “So that leaves us with . . . a need at midfield,” Gark said, looking over the roster in front of him. He indeed had a glaring hole there; the LFL contracts signed by Gayla Renhorn and Ye’ves’toung kept them in the system, but he wanted to look for a budding star in this Draft. An entire round had gone by, and none of the midfielders had been selected yet. “We could go with a pick there and fill our starting spots, provided Farfell starts next year . . .”

    “Is she ready? She’s only had two games at this level,” Helena asked.

    “We don’t have a lot of choices,” Gark replied. “Besides, we’ve groomed her as long as we can in the Futures League. She either needs to put up or shut up now.”

    “And our backup situation looks dicey,” Polis said. “All we have are Corner, a few veterans who failed last year, Mekmek, who has a little experience at this level but not much, and Wulson has never started at the LFL level, so we’re looking at a position that is in need of a steadying presence. I think we should take a midfielder here.”

    “Then which one?” Gark asked. He looked at the list; five names were on the board list. “Wenips is top-rated . . .”

    “Small school. Never even heard of it,” Peet said.

    “But she got them to a Galactic title at D-II,” Rosa interjected. “Girl has some talent, obviously, especially when they leaned on her to do all the dirty work last season.”

    “But Ric Anderson has the school pedigree,” Helena said. “Hell, even Knott, both of them, do, since Agamar U’s been hot the last few years.”

    “Do we take the risk with Wenips and hope she’s as good as advertised, or do we go with a potentially less-talented but more polished rookie from a bigger school?” Gark asked. He looked to Me’lin, hoping that his wife had something to say that would help him cement a decision.

    “I’ll be fine with whatever you come up with,” she said. That wasn’t exactly what Gark wanted to hear.

    “Wenips,” Polis said. “I had a big-school pedigree, but I had to make the pro team on my own sweat equity. The best players are those who can make use of what they’re given, not of what school they came from.”

    “Anderson,” Mac Johnson said. “Looks more polished, like you said.”

    “Toss-up,” Helena said.

    “Wenips,” Peet commented. “She should be hungry to prove herself.”

    “Whatever works,” Rosa said.

    That brought things back to Gark. He hadn’t gotten a very conclusive answer, but Wenips it was. He sent the pick in and waited for the Commissioner to get to the announcement.

    But there was something else in store first. The Commish had something else to say before opening the second round.

    "Well, gentlebeings, we have another announcement," Fenrir said once he straightened up, "I am pleased to announce that the Membership Committee has received acceptance from the twelfth team to join Elite League Limmie for the 278 season. The Skywalker Conference will be joined by...
    "...the Carratos Pirates!"


    “So he waited until our turn to say something?” Me’lin asked. “Way to overshadow our pick.”

    “I’m sure someone thought that would be funny,” Gark said with a slight snarl.

    "Now, back to business. With the tenth overall selection in the 278 Elite League Limmie Draft, Sharsy Wenips, Midfielder, University of Euceron at Awuca.”

    Wenips happened to be in the audience, since she had been the top-rated midfielder coming into the Draft. She quickly had a Holo snapped of her before retreating to the team table.

    [/i]"The Kuat Triforce are now on the clock."[/i]

    Gark added Wenips to his roster, and now was looking at a team that was taking shape. A lot of pieces were still going to be moved around, especially for players like Cellen who had several positions she could play at, but at least it wasn’t a gelatinous mass with no rhyme or reason to it. Still, it looked like a weak roster no matter how he tried to manipulate it in his mind. This was not anywhere near the teams he had once built, the great ones that would be remembered for years to come. No, he didn’t have future Hall-of-Famers on this team, unless you counted both Polis and himself. This was a burning wreck that he was going to try and at least put out the flames on. Until they showed they had promise and could actually win a game, this team wouldn’t scare anyone.

    The next pick still had several good options on the board. They had to go defense here was the main thought of the War Room, and when their time was called, they quickly selected Vex Blooker. The Zabrak had been a college teammate of current Senator Patricia Meter at Citadel University of Anaxes, but had lost some draft stock due to his sometimes wandering play. Gark was sure the rookie could be molded into a good player, so he was drafted there.

    That made things go to the third round. Defense was still the name of the game here.

    “We could take a nice defender here, because there’s a lot of value left on the board,” Rosa commented. “Take Deluxx. That kid won a Galactic Award, and yet is still on the board after two rounds. I think we need some meat in the Back Six, and he would go a long way towards helping us out.”

    “Anchorhead has a good program, so he has a nice pedigree,” Peet said.

    “And we need a full back. I’m not sure if Turnud is better,” Mac said. “I think going with the big guy is that better option here, especially if we’re trying to add some bulk to our defensive unit.”

    “Then we need to hope he lasts until our next pick,” Gark said. He doubted anyone would take the Weequay before their next pick, but there was a possibility the Senators could pass on him with this selection and hope he was available with their last pick. After them was Kuat, who was picking up big-name players and could easily ruin the parade, the Bothan thought, and although Ylesia took its first human draft pick in the last round with Meeks, they were still a major non-human team, and Deluxx would fit into their plans in some way. The Monarchs, who owned the next two picks, likely were going to do what they always did and take players off the board, or take humans if they stayed on the board. If they did the predictable route, Gark mused, it would make it easier to snatch the full back. Still, no one else on the board really jumped out. Rhia Saunders, who had been projected to go third overall in the major HSN mock draft, was still available, but the Senators had already spent both first round picks on forwards, so the need wasn’t there. Ugdulo Borr needed an understudy on the Senator roster, and this pick would be better for need than for a player to stash on Thyferra if at all possible.

    The Monarchs took Olle Quiver, and then the Senators were up. Gark quickly sent in the pick for Deluxx, and it wasn’t long before the Weequay was in the fold. Now they had one last pick, likely a stash selection unless a major bargain was available. Possibilities went anything from Mort, the OSU goalkeeper, to Ellie Knott, from the University of Agamar, to Lowatha, whose hot streak season with the University of Kashyyyk had fallen short, and whose draft had not gone so well. They could even go off the board, although Gark doubted they would. There was still too much talent left here to pass up on for someone off the board.

    Saunders went to Kuat, and Lek’ri to Ylesia. Now Rydonni Prime was up, and as expected they went off the board with two players. Now the Senators were up once again.

    “Lowatha would give us some meat up front,” Peet offered.

    “What about Polarez?” Me’lin asked. “I know she’s last-ranked on the board, but she was nominated for the Helmsman.”

    “Risky move. BCC wasn’t any good this year,” Helena said.

    “But Adama was the offense for her team, and we selected her first overall,” Mac said. “I think we could give this girl a chance. She has nice intangibles. Besides, if we need a business major for any operational stuff regarding the team, she can probably do it.”

    “What about Ric Anderson?” Polis inquired. “We need another midfielder at some point.”

    “Taking another rookie midfielder would be risky. We’ve already got two slated to start there right now in Farfell and Wenips; taking another one here would mean that Levi Corner is our most experienced player there. And that’s not good,” Gark said. “We have options on Thyferra who can fill that spot. I think we would be best off taking a chance on Polarez and seeing if she can’t just show us some of that Helmsman nominee brilliance.” He sent in the pick, and then the Senators were done for the 278 ELL Draft.

    Doing a quick check in his head, Gark figured that 4 or 5 of the players his team had just drafted would start the season on the Senator roster. That was definitely a draft for need, but sometimes that was what the Draft was for. They hadn’t replenished the Thyferra pipeline much except for Polarez, who likely would be aced out of the Elite League roster after camp, but many of their prior top prospects had flamed out, and Gark had been insistent on adding veterans for depth instead of unproven rookies. They had enough newbies as it was.

    Ralltiir was up on the clock, but Gark wasn’t finished. He was already looking over any potential players who would be undrafted free agents, and see if any of them filled a need on Thyferra, even if it was just as a backup for the time being. There was plenty of room for advancement in such a position; Levi Corner had gone from fringe player to an almost-lock on the Senator roster in just two seasons. Plus, the Force roster didn’t look extremely solid this season, so adding some new blood was definitely in his best interest.

    One of his targets hadn’t been on the Draft board, but had been well-recommended by his former college coach, who happened to be Rosa. Republican had a solid team on both sides of the ball, but the defense had been even better than the offense all the way to the bitter end. He would reach out to the young man soon to try and come to contract terms with him, and then he would likely dip into the free agent pool and see if there was someone to pick up from there. The work was only just beginning for the Bothan GM.


    TAG: No One
     
  20. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    IC: Ty Allin

    After Ralltiir chose Jeffers two more defensive players were taken at the end of the first round. Concluding with Jordan Horste. “Way to go Ralltiir U,” I said raising both of my hands in the air. This was huge for my alma mater. Their first ever player to go in the first round. Now that Ralltiir was back in the Elite League the school had been making steps to improve their recruiting program. With two players entering the draft this year things were finally beginning to look up for them.

    The second round was a series of announcements by the commissioner. Somehow we stole Gavin Stommer. “Now that’s a good pick-up,” Andres commented. “He won the college final, how he got ranked so low I will never know.”

    That ranking had probably enabled us to get the pick-up so I wasn’t complaining. Besides anything that made Andres happy was good in my book. He had been our top scorer last season and we needed him to win. “Bella Vistal has an unbelievable players’ facility,” Tomas said suddenly looking towards Andres. “You are so lucky you got to go to school there.”

    “When did you see Bella Vistal?” I asked Tomas.

    “After Bat and Georgia had Serene,” Spencer answered for his brother. “When mom took us to Corellia so we could meet her and help them pack for their move to Tatooine.”

    “What’s that got to do with visiting Bella Vistal?” I asked knowing it wasn’t exactly close to the area where Bat had been living.

    “Lots of schools are interested in Spencer,” Tomas continued. “He was invited and mom let me tag along.”

    “That’s great,” I said giving Spencer a pat on the back. “You still have three years left at the academy don’t you?”

    “Two,” he said correcting me. “I can graduate when I’m 16 and still finish 2nd or 3rd in my class. Because of my grades and my swimming records schools have been calling from all over the galaxy.” He said sounding disenchanted. “Mom wants me to visit as many as possible.”

    “That’s what moms are for,” I explained. “Looking out for your best interest. So you thought Bella Vistal looked like a good school to play Limmie one day?” I asked turning to Tomas.

    “Well they did win the championship this year,” he reminded me.

    “Smart kid,” Andres said with a laugh.

    We picked up two more forwards in the third round. Probably prospects for the team on Tatooine. Andres collected his family and headed home as soon as the draft concluded. Spencer and Tomas were up late in their room that evening. I looked forward to visiting Trey when he got back for his analysis.




    When Trey was released from prison he had promised to always be there for me, to be loyal as I had been to stand beside him all those years while he waited for his name to be cleared. He had a rough go of adjusting to life outside of prison again. I invited him to come stay with me and Lucie while he looked for a job and a place to live. For the first week he never went out. He lived on our sofa until Lucie asked what he was so afraid of. “I don’t know where to look for a job,” Trey confessed. “The only thing I know about is Limmie, and I’m too old to play again. These young kids would rip me apart.”

    At this point Lucie’s father was in the final stages of securing his purchase of the Starkillers. “In that case I’ll call my father,” she told him confidently. “Even if you don’t want to play I’m sure he has a position you can fill.”

    Sure enough Martin Vigo was more than happy to bring Trey on. The Starkillers were coming off their worst season in recent history. Martin wanted to re-haul the entire team. He had Trey scout players for him and evaluate current talent. He also paid Trey a decent salary, enough for Trey to rent his own apartment and begin to pay off the legal fees he owed. One morning Trey called to tell me he was applying for the head coaching position.

    I didn’t know how to react. He was my friend; I wanted him to have anything he wanted. He certainly deserved a chance to prove himself. But if he was to get the job as head coach he would be my boss. I knew our friendship would change. When he did get hired he promised that on field I’d be treated like any other player. When training camp started I pulled my usual pranks and generally tuned out his hollering.

    The season began with three losses in a row. During the fourth game he benched me. When he first pulled me out of the game on Agamar that evening I was angry. “This is how you thank me for helping you find a job when you got out of prison?” I bellowed at him in front of the entire bench.

    “If I want to keep the job you got me, I have to start winning games,” he barked back. “In order to win games I need someone on field who uses the plays I’ve designed.”

    “What plays? We’re losing because this defense sucks.”

    “Have you read the play book Allin? When this team plays man on man you’re playing zone. With play like that the offense is going to score every time. You are constantly out of position, allowing the other team to score on us.”

    “I shouldn’t have to read the play book,” I returned angrily. “I’ve been playing this game my whole life. I think being stuck behind bars for 4 years made you forget how the game is played.” Instantly I regretted my words, they had been in anger. We were losing a game, all I wanted was to get back in there and play.

    “You’ve done time too,” he pointed out coming closer so the whole bench wouldn’t overhear. “And your time, unlike mine, was deserved time. Much like the time you’ve earned on the bench this evening. Now sit.” He ordered.

    That was the night I began to respect Trey as a coach. I went as far as to apologize at a press conference after the game. We won that night and every other game that season, at least every game during the regular season. Last season we had won even more regular season games. It had been our best season ever in the ELL, losing only once. That loss had cost us dearly though, forcing us to play a first round play-off game, another play-off loss.

    When Trey got back from Agamar I was anxious to talk to him about the prospects we had acquired during the draft. This season was important to me. I wanted to win every season, but this year seemed even more crucial after the owner of the team had been gunned down in our own parking lot at the end of last season. Lucie was determined to keep her relationship with her mother strong. She told me I was welcome to spend a day with Trey because she was planning a day with her mother and brother’s. T.J. would be no trouble with all those eyes to help her she assured me.

    Trey and I met at a diner for breakfast. A friend of Bat’s who used to work at the stadium was the head cook; he personally came out to take our order’s and of course ask about the team. “You haven’t started last year’s first defensive pick yet and now you’ve drafted the two highest on the board this year,” Fenton commented. “Are you going to overhaul the defensive line-up?” He asked Trey.

    “You’ll have to wait until opening day to know who the line-up is, just like everyone else,” Trey told him gently. “You just concentrate on my eggs. The Starkillers season is still a ways off.”

    Once the young chef returned to the kitchen Trey got down to business. “We are going to be making changes to the defense,” he began. “I’m not sure whether we will be starting new players or just changing our game plan, but it’s obvious to me that the other teams in our division are concentrating on offensive efforts. You saw the draft, out of the first seven picks we were the only team to pick up defensive players. We can beat those offenses with our defense we can repeat ’76, win our division.”

    “What about the Miners?” I asked. “They didn’t draft at all, you think they are making any changes this off-season.”

    “The Miners should be vulnerable without Rodders. No need to worry about them, they won’t repeat.”

    Our plates came out. I’d ordered same as coach, fruit salad, whole wheat toast and eggs. Didn’t want him to think I let my diet slip just because it was the off-season. “So I have to know,” I said after taking a bite of my eggs, “How did Richard react when the Monarchs took Gabor?”

    “He hid his emotions well actually,” Trey commented as he paused to take a sip of his caf. “Martin would have been proud. He knew we needed Roselli more and understood that securing her was more important. I think getting Jeffers will help us a great deal as well. There will be stiff competition for roster spots again. Shen Shyall is hungry to play and with the top two defensive picks to compete with we will find out if she deserves the chance or not.”

    “So, Jeffers your pick? Did you pretty much make all the decisions?” I asked with my mouth full of eggs.

    “It was a group effort,” he assured me. “The hardest decisions came in round three. Bat wanted to draft both Deluxx and Dunerider for his squad on Tatooine because the hometown players really help with ticket sales, but Coruscant stole Deluxx right out from under us at the last moment.”

    “So that’s how we ended up drafting three forwards. Those other defensive players didn’t look so hot?”

    “Lowatha was a steal in the 3rd round,” Trey bragged. “Wookies can play Limmie for 30 years, she has all the time in the world to develop. We will try our luck in free agency with the goal keepers and even a couple midfielders. It never hurts to have too many prospects. Especially when you only have one pick in the next draft.”

    I couldn’t argue with that. After breakfast we went to Trey’s apartment to play hologames. We turned up the volume so loud the walls vibrated, made wagers so the loser of each round had to do push-ups and cussed freely when we lost.

    TAG: no one
     
  21. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Gark S’rily
    Senators Training Camp, Day One

    Gark looked at the mass of players on the field, and knew that they were probably going to hate him starting real soon. But he didn’t care; this was training camp, and he was going to make sure his team went through their paces. It would be best for them to get the major pain out of the way now and save later embarrassments with good conditioning. A little bit of pain now never hurt anyone, and it was better to get the weaknesses out now before they could cost the team a game. They couldn’t have that; there had to be wins this season. Or else the consequences, Gark knew, would be dire, both for the players and for his own credibility.

    With him was the coaching staff, decked out in their team-issued polos and slacks and ready to get down to their first practice as a unit. Peet Carelle had a sappy grin on his face, already anticipating the upcoming work. Gark liked the man, and knew that if there was anyone who could coach this team back to prominence, it would be the former college coach.

    “You ready for this?” the Bothan asked.

    “Hell yeah,” Peet said, the grin still plastered all over his face. “This is going to be a fun one. When do we get started?”

    “Right now,” Gark informed his new head coach. He then walked forward onto the field, and gradually all eyes turned to him (although a shrill whistle blast from the sidelines certainly helped matters). “Listen up, teams,” he began. “Today begins the long process of training camp. Now, if you’re not here to try and make these teams, I suggest you leave now. This is going to be a long, hard process. I’m going to make you all work to the point where you can’t go any farther. This is going to be the toughest training camp you’ve ever had before. I’m not going to stop and let this team suffer because its players are weak. Coruscant needs a winner, and that’s going to be all of you when you put on that uniform. And that starts today. Line up on the far side of the field. We’re going to do sprints, ten at easy pace to get started.”

    All the players did so and then on the whistle started to jog lazily down the field. Gark knew that warmups were crucial to minimizing injury risk, but he was going to push these players. He motioned to a team staffer over at the temperature controls. A dial was moved.

    “Wait, what are you doing?” Peet asked.

    “We’re turning up the intensity in here,” Gark explained with a deadpan expression. “Let’s see if these wannabes can take the heat.”

    When the players were done with their easy lines, they began to notice a change in the temperature of the practice space. “Is it getting hot in here?” asked one of the players in the mass.

    “Hey, what gives?” yelled out Rainy Frantsen, one of the Thyferra veterans.

    “Are you all afraid of a little heat?” Gark asked. “Line up and give me thirty sprints at mostly-full speed. I want to see you all working hard, or I’ll assign you extra laps.”

    Now the players were grumbling. Something wasn’t right here, they thought. This was training camp, not a sauna.



    “This is going too far,” Peet protested on the sidelines.

    “Look, Peet, I have my reasons,” Gark commented dryly.

    “They’re going to get injured out there,” his new head coach pointed out. “Warm temperatures will cause a lot of cramping. We don’t need injuries from dehydration on our first day of practice.”

    “This team needs discipline,” Gark said. “And that’s what I intend to give them, like it or not.”

    He then blew his whistle. “Begin!” he yelled.

    The players began to run. As the laps piled up, sweat was flying all over the place. The water-loving players like the Mon Calamari Mekmek and Nautolan Maximus Qorbus were having an especially difficult time, due to their skin drying out faster than everyone else. Deluxx, the rookie third-round pick, looked at home in the heat. He had grown up and gone to college on Tatooine, and was used to dry heat conditions.

    As they ran laps, Gark was talking to them over the mic system. “You know something, critics say that this team doesn’t have much talent. I can’t disagree with them; last year were atrocious. But something they won’t expect? We may not have the biggest names on the field, but we are going to be the best-conditioned team on the field every time we play. Everyone will be able to go out there and give a full sixty minutes if necessary. They say a team is only as strong as its weakest link. Well, we’re going to flip that on its head. You build a team by making the weakest link damn good at what they do. We remove weaknesses and work as one unit. What you came in thinking doesn’t matter; this is how it will be. If you can’t take it, I’m sure I can ship you out to some frakking rock out in the middle of nowhere. You want to be traded to Kessel? Hm? Work your asses off, and then we’ll talk about why you’re here.”

    When the laps were done, many of the players were really struggling. They needed water. But Gark wasn’t interested in their plight. “One minute of rest before we start doing the next drill,” he said.

    “But we’re tired!” someone in the crowd yelled out in anguish.

    “You’re tired? Well I don’t give a womp rat’s ass if you’re tired,” Gark said. His conscience told him not to goad the players on like this, but he knew that it was necessary. “You’re going to keep working out there until you realize that this is not about you. It never is about just you. It’s about this team, about this world. What can you do for your teammates? What can they do for you? Keep that in mind. Next drill!”

    Several hours passed, and by the end of it many of the players were sitting on the field with barely enough energy left to speak in the stifling heat.

    “I don’t approve of this method,” Peet said again.

    “Peet, do you want to know why I’m doing this?”

    “Well, you want the team to be well-conditioned, but doing drills on Day One of camp until the players almost pass out from the heat? They’re going to hate you for this.”

    “I don’t care if they hate me,” Gark said. “But you need to show them that they can make a cohesive unit. I’ve brought all the players here from all over the galaxy. They don’t have discipline yet. We need to drill that into them, whatever it takes.”

    “Then what does that have to do with you wanting to be hated?”

    “If they hate me, they won’t hate you,” Gark said. “I’m taking the fall for you so that you can be their saving grace. You’re going to be their way out. They’ll listen to what you say when they’re broken in. And I’m doing a good job of that right now.”

    “I’m a good players’ coach, I can do it in other ways,” Peet replied bluntly.

    “I’m just breaking them in a bit,” the Bothan said with a shrug. A bead of sweat rolled down his fur, and he wiped it off with his other hand. “Once we’ve removed their egos, then we can mold them into a contender.”




    Two days later, players were going through a drill with the blocking sleds. This was to boost their strength and their coordination; the tackling dummies on the sled were solid enough to make it difficult, and Gark wanted to see his players push the sled a ways down the field.

    The next group of players slammed into the sled, and the thing didn’t want to budge. Unimpressed, the Bothan swapped them out and got in the next group. They were able to move the sled a short bit, but there was still a ton of room for improvement.

    Other players were doing cone drills. Footwork was essential to the game, and this was a good way to practice turning corners on a dime and making plays that other players might not be able to. Switching directions was a big deal for corner backs, who often had to look back and see the ball as it came in on a pass to the corner forwards. This required the swat drill and cone drills to be vital for the corners, and they were being put through their paces. Another group of players were doing a shuttle drill. It was a hive of activity all over the facility field.

    All the while, Gark figured that Peet had his objections. Surely the players were being worked too hard, he thought. In response, Gark would defend himself with the discipline and conditioning excuse. The players had to be pushed from the first drill, he figured, or else they might get lax. This team had everything to prove, and they had to go out on that field for the season opener against Euceron with a fire that hadn’t been seen all last year.

    An hour later, the players were all lined up in rows and columns on the field and required to do the footwork and flop drill. Players would quickly run in place and then, on the whistle, land on their stomach onto the ground, get up, and start over again. It was over this drill that Gark had the mic again.

    “You want to make this team? You’re going to put every ounce of effort into these drills. We are going to be well-conditioned and able to take any team on for sixty minutes. This is about longevity, people. Every player on this team should be able to go sixty at full effort. I don’t want you to be tired out there during the season. Let out all your weaknesses here and build some strengths. This is the Coruscant Senators team; we are going to prove everyone wrong this year. Take pride in that. We are going to not only tame the Storm, but we’re going to bring the storm to their door and wreck them. We are going to be the grounding rod that will eliminate the shock factor of the Lightning. The Packers are going to find themselves boxed up in a cage with our defense swarming the, truly packed into a tight space. These new guys, the Pirates, they’re going to be down a ship when we fire a full salvo into their faces. Hapes? We’re going to prove it takes more than good looks to win a ballgame. The Monarchs are going to be overthrown and eliminated in our own little revolution. We’re going to kill the Starkillers’ star. The Triforce are going to be down one Force when we’re done with them, broken and battered. And for the Miners . . .” he said with a pause. “Well, let’s just say that we’ll undermine those prissy brats and then collapse their tunnel on top of them.”

    “What’s with all the violent thoughts?” Peet asked immediately after Gark had finished with his tirade.

    “Food for thought, Peet,” Gark replied. “This team was scared last season. They didn’t believe they could win any games, and it showed. I want to make sure that these players are confident this season, not just in their own abilities, but also in their teammates and in their cause. Will we do all the things I just said? Doubtful. No one has a perfect season in the Elite League. But we can sure do our damn best to strive for perfection. And that starts with motivation; I’ve given them some, and now they need to take that and run with it.”




    The next two weeks were filled with hard drills that pushed the players to the extreme. They were getting better, but Gark knew they still needed work. The playbook wasn’t perfect yet, far from it; they needed to continue work on that.

    But the egos were broken. The players who may have come in with baggage were now getting herded in with the rest. And Gark was starting to see results. On a broken play in practice, the Bothan saw Max Qorbus take a nice feed from Vail Pin and then make a great pass to a cutting Ynisse Zalt. The Twi’lek then buried a shot into the net past Jam Tarpals. The play had been intended to go to Anya Amasova on the other wing, but a nice play by Jamee Meels, the Talz half back, prevented that move and facilitated the safety valve option.

    Gark was especially interested in seeing how Nat was doing. The Hapan was definitely behind the actual Limmie players on the pitch, but she kept up the intensity anyways. Every now and then Gark would bring her over and heap some praise on her work in front of the other players. That got them incensed, and the next time around in a drill they would try a little bit harder. The more he used Nat in this end, the more effort he got from his midfielders. Both Arienne Farfell and Sharsy Wenips, rookies who were slated to start from Day One, were gelling at the right time. Midfield had been the major question mark coming into camp, and Gark had his doubts. But the two rookies were working their asses off, Farfell because she smelled an opportunity, and Wenips because she had to prove to the galaxy that she had been the Division II Player of the Year and her school won the Galactic title for a reason.

    The offense was starting to come together. Polis Vayne had installed the “Four Around” offensive system that he had run so well during his playing days, and it was coming together nicely. Max Qorbus looked as conditioned as he ever had with the Senators, the half forwards who had been overlooked last season in Thulius Jomas, Anya Amasova and Ava Killenger were getting the job done and passing well, and the rookies Leia Adama and Laura Cellen were running with the veterans and keeping up. It was nice to see the offense clicking; it might not represent production on the field against another team, but there was hope, something that had been absent for some time.

    On defense, there were still question marks. Deluxx was pushing Ugdulo Borr for playing time at full back. The Weequay was hitting hard and asking questions later, and Rosa Berant, the defensive coordinator, was starting to experiment with two full back sets, something she called the “Shell” formation with a half back cheating back into the box to cover the middle of the defensive zone and the corner backs on the wings. It was intended to add muscle to the middle of the defense and to push forwards back into long-range territory. They might give up a lot of bar points, Rosa figured, but it might prevent goals. Plus her players were hitting hard. Syra Kuna, the Twi’lek who had played with Ylesia for her entire Elite League career prior to this season, had been wiped out by a hard hit from Deluxx. Gark knew that the Weequay wouldn’t get any praise from the teammate he had just planted into the turf, but at some point Kuna would have to agree that she wanted to crazy rookie on her side hitting others instead of hitting her again. Christine Gamble looked excellent as she worked with Kara Milovy; the Hapan who had come over in the Derval-Doss deal with the C-Bucs was showing that she had talent, although rookies Vex Blooker and Rickard Herman were also demonstrating proficiency at the position. Most of the defenders were hard workers; Blooker had been taken over flashier defenders in the Draft because of his work ethic, and Herman, despite sometimes not shutting up, had major game and was excellent in coverage and in swatting passes away from their intended targets. In goal, the battle for the backup goalie position was in full force between Jam Tarpals and Ziva Kender. Kender had the upper hand, but Tarpals’ athleticism certainly was a plus for him.

    Finally, the day of the Alsakan friendly came, and Gark had known exactly what to do for it. Since Alsakan was a short jump away from Coruscant, the team would leave that night and get to their destination with plenty of time for the game. But first his team needed a captain, someone to lead. And he knew exactly who to grant that to.

    Christine Gamble swatted away a pass from Vail Pin, who had bene trying to connect with Litan Kuna. Rosa blew her whistle, and practice was adjourned for the day. Christine had a few words with the Shistavanen forward. “Look, Vail, you’ve gotta make sure you get it over me,” the fourth-year corner back said. “If I jump, I can easily knock that down. You might want to try a skip pass there.”

    “I know,” Vail commented. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”

    “Nah, I make a habit of not letting anything near me. I’m going to try and be ‘Gamble Island’ out there this year,” Christine said. “Can’t have a repeat of last year.”

    Before she could get far, though, Gark pulled her aside. “How’s the knee?” Gark asked.

    “Fine. Haven’t had problems with it for a long time,” Christine said.

    “You probably think I’m a real jerk for putting you and the other players through all this,” Gark said with a wry grin.

    “Even if I do, I wouldn’t tell you.”

    “But how is it coming along?” Gark inquired.

    “Like you said, we may not have the most talented players, but we’ve got a hard-working squad this year,” Christine admitted. “I feel really conditioned already, and we still have a few weeks of camp left.”

    “And that leads me to what I need to ask you. You seem to be working well with the rookies out there,” Gark said. “Blooker, Herman, Deluxx . . . they’re all listening to you.”

    “It’s easy when you’re a celebrity like me,” Christine said.

    “Christine, I need someone to lead this team. But I need to make sure that you’re committed to this team for the long-term,” Gark said. “I know you only have one year left on your contract, and this is a make-or-break season. I want to know if you’re committed. Are you willing to be here for the long haul?”

    “Yeah, I think I can be. But only if our fans come back,” Christine said. She was still bitter about how badly she had been treated by the media before the All-Star Game the prior season.

    “Are you willing to lead the charge?”

    “I guess so, I never thought you would ask me.”

    “Are you willing to wear this?” Gark asked, holding up an orange letter ‘C’.

    Several seconds passed with silence from the corner back. Gark bore a stare into her, trying to get her to react. He needed a captain; this team needed a captain.

    “You want me to be captain this year?” Christine asked. “I thought I was still suspended from team activities.”

    “I can make an exception,” Gark replied.

    “I’ll do my best,” Christine said. She held out her hand, and Gark dropped the letter softly into it.

    “Then good luck to you,” Gark said. “You’re going to need it.”




    Alsakan

    The Flyers-Senators game was rather ugly in the first half, Gark noted. Lots of missed passes by his team, some missed tackles, fumbles, and a bunch of other bad plays plagued the visitors. On the other side, the Flyers weren’t doing so well, but were staying in the game. Their head coach, Andrew Mundle, had been the longtime offensive coordinator for the Senators, and had created the Four Around offense that Polis Vayne was now using in a modified capacity for the team from the galactic capital. Thus, it was two versions of the Four Around against each other; the Senators likely had more talent on the offensive side of the ball, Gark mused as he watched, but knew that Alsakan was at home, and Mundle would be hungry to prove himself against his former team.

    In the opening minutes of the second half, Peet pulled his starters and let the reserves get some game action in. This allowed Alsakan, which was using mostly its starters, to push the envelope. Flyer drives began to penetrate deep into Senator defensive territory, and that forced Rosa Berant to change it up. Ugdulo Borr had to come in to play the “Shell”, and that seemed to keep the Flyers at bay. They were now jacking up shots from farther away, allowing for more saves by Gungan goalie Jam Tarpals. Still, the tide seemed to be in the favor of the home squad, and Gark shifted nervously in his seat.

    It was pretty obvious to see where the issues with his team lay. The offense was still a mess, with the playbook still not completely understood and the players not developing the chemistry they needed to be successful. Passes were not crisp like they should have been, and a few times entire routes were run wrong. That likely didn’t sit well with Polis, and Gark was sure the former forward was going to chew his forwards out after the game. On the other hand, flashes of brilliance were there. Max Qorbus had scored two goals in this game, after having scored just one goal in the entire 277 campaign. The Nautolan star corner forward needed confidence in his game, and this was likely going to do that. Rookies Leia Adama and Laura Cellen were struggling as expected in their first professional game, and had been complete non-factors the entire time, although Cellen had made a nice pass that was then turned around by Anya Amasova into an assist for a Qorbus goal. There was still time in camp to iron out those rough patches, at least, so they weren’t fatal flaws, at least yet.

    As time wound down in the game, the Senators were trying to hold onto a two-point lead at 16-14. The Flyers came up the field, with Demetra Silkins, a former Senator midfielder, eating her counterpart, Levi Corner, alive. Silkins passed off to a teammate, who then juked Jamee Meels and made his way into the heart of the Senator zone. Rainy Frantsen came up to contest, but was only able to get her hands in the face of the Alsakan forward as he charged. He spun around and got around the Thyferra veteran, and then passed to a cutting teammate. The woman caught the ball but was then dragged down by an excellent full-body tackle by Deluxx. The Weequay wanted to prove something out there, and had made a nice play to potentially stop a goal from being scored. The Alsakan forward passed it to a teammate who quickly drop-kicked the ball through the uprights for a point. 16-15 the score read.

    And the lead wouldn’t hold. The Flyers, on a last-ditch attempt, scored the equalizer with a handful of seconds left on the clock. Gark let out a frustrated roar, startling those in the box with him. When Gark S’rily got upset, people listened. It was to the point where he needed to talk to his coaches and see what they had in mind. Sure he might be trying to control something he shouldn’t have any say in, but as a former coach himself, he had ideas. Thus, he left his box and went down to the field.



    Down on the field, it was now headed to overtime. Peet huddled his players together. “I’m putting the starters back in,” he said. “We have to play to win this game. If we let them back into this and complete the win, you’re going to get ridden hard this week, and rightfully so. So let’s bring the hammer down on them and pick up the ‘W’.”

    The fifteen-minute overtime quickly became a defensive struggle. The “Shell” formation held when it was employed, with Deluxx and Borr doing their jobs down low and Jamee Meels keeping opposing half forwards out of his space as the half back located in the middle of the shell. Christine had her matchup locked down, and when the man tried to stand up, she pushed him back down to the turf unceremoniously. On the other end, Qorbus was being double and triple-teamed, and that was stalling the Senator offense like it had in 277. When Qorbus was being mauled by a defense, everyone else had to make up for the lost production, and that wasn’t happening here. Polis was yelling at his forwards to swing the ball, and they finally complied with about three minutes left in the overtime period.

    When a minute was left on the clock, no scores had been registered. Christine forced a fumble on the defensive side of things, and Deluxx threw the ball up to Sharsy Wenips at midfield. The Zeltron rookie dodged Silkins and her Alsakan running mate and got into Flyers defensive territory. Peet quickly called a timeout, and his tired players came over to the sidelines. “We’ve got once chance left to finish this thing,” the former college coach announced. “Forty seconds; that’s plenty of time. If we run a set play, we should be able to score. They’re going to try and make us kick a ball over the bar from a distance like we’ve been doing to them. No freebies, people. So we should try and draw their defense out of the box and then hammer it down their throats from close range. Qorbus, I need you to run the decoy on a slant pattern across the box,” he said, drawing the play quickly on his board. “Pin should be there to set a screen and keep a defender off your tail. The ball will be inbounded from here,” he said, making a mark. “Pin, I need you to inbound the ball and then set the pick for Qorbus down in the post. Killenger, you have to take the ball. Amasova will be here, and Cellen will cover this spot as your safety valve. If anything goes wrong, and you can’t get the ball to Qorbus, hit that safety option. Cellen, your job will then be to try and keep the defense on their toes until someone gets open. When you get rid of the ball, run here, and then loop around on the other end to keep the defense honest. Adama, I need you to get open, no matter what it takes. Got it?”

    “Yeah,” the first overall pick said.

    “Hey, timeout’s up!” the ref shouted from nearby.

    “All right, we’ve got no timeouts left, and we have to score if we don’t want this thing to go extra time. We need to win this now,” Peet said as he released his players back to the field.

    But before Adama could reach the field, Gark stopped her. “Real quickly,” the Bothan said, “when Qorbus goes across the box, you need to run a curl route to get free from any defenders who might split off from him or get picked by the screen. I suggest you then use Pin as a moving screen and then camp down low. If you’re covered, a spin move or two should help,” he said.

    “OK,” Adama said. She was breathing heavily, and Gark hoped she had another 40 seconds left in the tank.

    The ball was inbounded and Ava Killenger had the ball. The prior season’s Comeback Player of the Year held it for a few seconds as her teammates moved around the field. Pin crashed down and set the pick for Qorbus, whose defender was picked off. However, the full back came in and bumped him off his route. Killenger decided to dump it off to Cellen, who circled the field. She passed it back to Amasova in the middle, who then outleted it back to Killenger. Ava tossed it to Qorbus, who was then mugged by two defenders.

    “Foul! Foul!” Peet yelled at the refs, but they took no notice of him.

    Qorbus was somehow able to drop the ball and kick it away from the defenders, and Cellen got it back. Fifteen seconds left, the rookie knew from a quick glance at the clock. She could kick this ball from her current location, although with the wind blowing the other way she would have to give it a good ride for it to curl over the crossbar from this direction.

    Then Leia Adama got open. She finished her curl route, had stayed by the goalpost, and then spun away from a defender who came in to try and stop her. The defender slipped and the rookie was in the clear. Cellen found her with a bullet pass. Ten seconds left. Adama dodged a defender who tried to rip her down by the legs and then sent a complete rocket into the back of the net past a bewildered Alsakan goalie.

    The crowd went deathly silent as the Senators celebrated. A few seconds were left on the clock, but this one was basically over. The Flyers goalie kicked the ball as hard as he could, but Arienne Farfell made contact with it and kicked it away, killing the clock and securing the overtime win.

    The Senators celebrated the win, and Adama was swarmed by her teammates, one of who poured a cup or two of Gundarkade over her head. The handshake line was formed, and when that was done, Gark joined his team as they walked off the field. Adama was getting a post-game interview, and he waited patiently until the interview was done before approaching the rookie full forward. “See, what’d I tell you? A spin move is a good weapon to have,” he commented.

    “I’m just lucky I had space,” Adama admitted. “If that defender had a bit more leverage there, he would’ve clipped me down.”

    “And that arm speed is something special. You get that from your father?”

    “Yeah, I guess I did. It worked.”

    “If you can iron out the kinks in your work, you will be something special. So keep that in mind.”

    “I will.”

    And so the friendly game experience came to a close on a high note. Gark made some mental notes on the shuttle back to Coruscant; some things definitely needed to be worked on, but there was still time. Hell, one of his best defenders, half back Jenna Leed, was about ready to rejoin practice after giving birth to her second child two weeks earlier, so that would help out the defense. Christine had looked rock-solid out there in her return to game action, so that was a positive to take out of all this. For once, it was a positive, not a negative. And that sat well with him.


    TAG: No One
     
    Runjedirun, Vehn, Trieste and 4 others like this.
  22. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Mirik Chal,

    Thank you for your kind words about our dance team. My daughter Justyne Vigo-Fortune is more than happy to stay on Ylesia for a few days after the friendly match to assist you in assembling a dance squad of your own. She will need to be home for the opener week one on Ralltiir. After that she is available to return to Ylesia during week four of the regular season. I think that will work well since your squad will be playing at home and our team has an away game. We often only send a select number of dancers to away games due to travel expenses. Justyne is one of our top dancers and her presence will be missed. However I know she will service you well. She has been dancing since birth and is excited for this opportunity.

    Yours Truly,

    Madelyne Vigo




    IC: Ty Allin

    Peace City Gardens

    Last season we played back to back games against the Ylesia Lightning, one a so-called friendly pre-season match up like the one to be held today and again the following week for the season opener. Our squad won the friendly easily, during the game that counted the Lightning put up a much better fight, but we still managed to squeak by with a win. Looking for a story the media had dubbed our match-ups “the battle for the sky”. There was no bad blood between our squads and we were in separate conferences so last season the rivalry hadn’t served much of a purpose.

    During the off-season the Vigo’s had hired Sunlua Zan who had just been let go as Lightning head coach to be the Starkillers assistant coach. Sunlua Zan was out for revenge today. I’ve been playing Limmie since I was 6. Pre-game speeches top my list of lame activities. I don’t need to be told to protect my house at home games and I don’t need to be reminded of the glory I’ll feel when I shut up a home crowd at an away game. Over the years I had heard so many of these speeches that I usually wanted to puke when subjected to them.

    I wasn’t really listening to Zan and her tirade as she paced in an animated fashion in the visitors’ locker room before the game. I had to give her credit for her production though. Zan leaped up on a bench midway through her dialogue for emphasis and literally roared for some reason towards the end. As entertaining as she was I was glad when it was over because that was when we got to take the field and play limmie.

    After warm ups I ran out to take my position with the speed of a rookie getting their first start. Problem was as a defensive player I didn’t get to see much action. Loren Jul and Andres Fortune were busy taking out the aggression they had stored up all off-season after our loss to the C-Buccs on Korlo Penin. Loren put three points on the board after a short assist from Frokabukk less than thirty seconds after the game began. By the end of the first quarter of play we were up 21 – 0. Three goals for Loren, two goals and two bar points for Fortune and a goal for Sureysh. The only time I even got to put my hands on the ball was when Hovechar was nice enough to pass back my way so I could pass up field. Coach finally pulled out our starting forwards bringing Odette, Stommer, Lowatha and Dunerider into the game.

    With a less experienced offense in the game I began to see some more action. After my second interception a few minutes later I was pulled. I gave Jeffers a high five as he ran out onto the field to take my position. The rookie and the rest of our defense held their own out there. Megan Meeks was the only Lightning player to score a goal on us. The other 10 points were all bar points. Our offense managed to add another 13 points to our total, including two goals from Stommer and one from Odette.

    I boarded the shuttle after the game feeling great. For a brief moment I sat next to my wife. Just as I had gotten snuggled up comfortably next to her coach came by and wanted to see me. Reluctantly I got up and followed him to a private cabin. When we got there Jul and Zan were already watching game tape. “We start final roster assignments now,” Trey informed me. “As captain I thought you should have a say.”

    They began with offense. We came to the conclusion that Stommer had proved he deserved to be given a chance at starter. Since he had played half forward in college and was most familiar with the position he was placed in the place Lightcen had vacated. Sureysh would still get her starting position as well we determined. She would take Left Corner Forward, benching McTodd. Sureysh had seen a lot of action as a second string player last season and on the developmental team in ’76 starting her up front only made sense. If Strommer struggled McTodd would get another chance.

    The midfield wasn’t changing Hovechar and Klick had proven to be one of the best midfield duos on the pitch last year. There was only one open spot on the defensive roster. The right half back position had been vacated when Ikell decided to hang up her cleats at the end of last season. Roselli was the clear winner of the position. I made a strong case for Jeffers though. “If you feel Jeffers is ready to play we could put Bo’gruth back on the bench,” Till suggested.

    “Bo’gruth just came into the starting line up during the second half of last season and our defense played relatively well towards the end of the season,” I argued. “If we are going to sit a corner I think we should sit Zire.”

    Trey shook his head. “Benching both free agents we worked so hard to bring in last season, no one said being coach was easy. Are you in agreement Zan?” He said turning to his assistant.

    “I can’t go against two young hungry corners,” Zan said before turning to me. “What young players need is a strong leader though, I hope you’re up for it.”

    “I will be,” I said quickly. Our meeting wrapped up and I was able to rejoin Lucie for the remainder of the flight. When we got to the spaceport Mrs. Vigo was holding Marty, Tomas held hands with Zoey and little T.J. stood holding hands with Spencer. It took a while for him to spot us, but when he did his face lit up. I started to run towards him, but Lucie beat me to it and scooped him up in a hug. I ruffled the curls on his head. “How’s it going Junior?” I asked. Lucie held him tight for a long time. Eventually she allowed me to have a quick moment with him before she grabbed him back and we made our way to the speeder so we could head home.

    Tag: Rebecca_Daniels
     
    Trieste and Rebecca_Daniels like this.
  23. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post

    HSN Morning Headlines
    • Mercs sign Max Grap (CB) and Vicki Devine (HF) out of free agency
    • Senators sign Xander Darkrider as a free agent
    • Report: Mort being courted by “multiple” professional teams, including Elite League clubs


    And for your last friendly score of the offseason:

    Balmorra Blasters at Rydonni Prime Monarchs (1-19)

    TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja Jedi Gunny
     
    Bardan_Jusik and CPL_Macja like this.
  24. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post
    Elite League Limmie offices, Coruscant

    “Good morning, good morning, good morning,” Fenrir Lokensgaard said. He seemed to be rather chipper today. “Thank you all for coming. I’m particularly pleased with the announcement that I have today.

    “Last year’s All-Star Game was quite enjoyable. I know I enjoyed it immensely. However, we did see lower ratings for the 277 game, likely due to the fact it was at the end of the season,” Fenrir said, “This sort of thing happens when you try new things. But you know what they say? Fail often, fail fast, fail forward. Accordingly, we’re going to try something old and something new this season for the 278 All-Star Game.

    “Firstly, we will be moving the game back to the middle of the season, give or take, between weeks 5 and 6. We are currently looking for a host venue for the game,” Lokensgaard said, “Personally, I think that Carratos or Kuat would be excellent choices. Either one would help the galaxy get to know one of our two new teams even better.

    “That was something old. Now for something new. This year we will not play limmie sevens,” the Commissioner stated, “While it makes for a fun, fast game, we’re going to move to a full 15 being roster with very limited reserves. This is going to give fans the experience to which they’re accustomed and lessen the impact on players by having to adjust to a the sevens experience in the middle of a season.

    “We are also going to move to a combined conference format instead of interconference competition,” Lokensgaard announced, “But, what’s that you ask? How will that possibly work?”

    The Commissioner waited and looked at the reporters, who also waited.

    “Would someone please ask?” Lokensgaard requested, gesturing with his hand.

    “Huh?” one of the reporters said.

    “Would someone please ask me how that will possibly work?”

    “Uh...Commissioner, how will that possibly work?” an Aqualish said obediently, if not enthusiastically.

    “I’m glad you asked!” Lokensgaard said jovially, “This season the Elite League Limmie All-Star Game will be a pro-am event!

    “Each Elite League Limmie team will be allotted two roster spots on the Elite League Challenge Team, which they will be allowed to fill however they see fit. They can be members of their organization, fans, why it could even be the being who works at the concession stand and puts the cheese on the nachos,” Lokensgaard suggested, “We were considering calling this the ‘All-Fan Team,’ but honestly we didn’t want to discourage anyone from participating. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we wouldn’t mind seeing some of the owners out there. I won’t call anyone out, but they know who they are. The Challenge Team will be coached by retired Elite League players or coaches to help them get ready for the game and to enhance the experience for these dedicated fans who are going to put themselves out there on the galactic Holonet.”

    “Uhhh...Commissioner?” a reporter hazarded, “Wouldn’t it be kind of dangerous for non-professional athletes to play a limmie game against Elite League players? You know...with tackling and everything?”

    “Oh absolutely!” Fenrir agreed, “That’s why we’re going to play backyard limmie rules with two-hand touch. It’ll be much safer and more fun that way.”

    “But Commissioner? Isn’t this just going to be a slaughter by the players?”

    “Nonsense. Our players are upstanding beings who know how to lay off the accelerator and have some fun. Besides, I’m going to referee the game again so I’ll keep them in line if they get too out of hand.”

    “So Commissioner let me get this straight: full 15 being line up, players versus fans, two-hand touch, you’re refing...anything else before I send this to my editor?”

    Lokensgaard thought. “I strongly considered having the all-stars play the interns from ‘What We Learned,’” he threw out there, “but other than that, nope. The players will all receive donations to their charities of choice for participating and the fans will all get to keep their jerseys as a memento of their experience. Who knows? Maybe some of you homer reporters out there will get selected to represent your team.”



    So how is this actually going to work? I will put out a call for nominations due the end of Week 4 (August 31). Each team will get one nomination per position, as outlined below. Voting will be September 1 through 7 (end of Week 5).

    The All-Star Team will have a 27 being roster be nominated in the following categories:
    Coach: 1 head coach, 1 assistant coach (1 vote per person)
    Goalkeeper: 1 starter, 1 reserve (1 vote per person)
    Corner/Full Back: 3 starters, 2 reserves (3 votes per person)
    Half Backs: 3 starters, 2 reserves (3 votes per person)
    Midfielder: 1 nomination per team, 2 starters, 1 reserves (2 votes per person)
    Half Forwards: 3 starters, 2 reserves (3 votes per person)
    Corner/Full Forwards: 3 starters, 2 reserves (3 votes per person)

    The All-Star Challenge Team will have a 24 being roster with 15 starters as outlined for the All-Star Team and 9 reserves of no particular position. Please send me your two Challenge Team players by August 31 with preferred positions (one or two) so I can craft a roster. I will also accept suggestions for coaches for the Challenge team at the same time. Every ELL team will be represented with at least one starter on the Challenge Team. In the spirit of friendly competition, the Elite League challenge team is waiving the Force sensitivity rule and trusting to the inherent goodness of the Challenge Team members. It will consider waiving any other rules by the request of individual teams (so basically, nominate whomever you want).

    Since this is obviously going to be a much different all-star game than usual, I am open to devoting a whole week of the season to the game. Please contact me to express your approval for such an idea in the next few days so I can decide whether the ASG will be Wednesday, September 10 or Sunday, September 14. This has an impact on the announcement of the LFL schedule, so it’ll be a help to jc if we decide this quickly.

    TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja galactic-vagabond422 jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Polydroxol Rebecca_Daniels Runjedirun Tim Battershell Vehn
     
  25. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    Draft Grades
    Coruscant Senators – B

    While drafting Cellen was a steal at the sixth pick, Wenips in the second round, and Deluxx in the third were good moves, the Senators took an unnecessary reach for Adama with the first overall pick. We’ve come to doubt Gark S’rily’s drafting habits as of late (his recent record isn’t good), and this is too much of a stretch pick to be considered a good move. If it works out, he’s golden; if it doesn’t, well, we told you first that it won’t be pretty on the capital.

    Euceron Storm – C

    Horste was a good pickup at the end of the first round, and Zha’rel is an intriguing prospect. However, trading the fourth overall draft pick to the Mercs for two end-round picks was not a smart move. They definitely didn’t get enough in return for that selection. Secondly, while they did receive three picks next year from Rydonni Prime, this year’s Draft definitely suffered as a result. The Storm are likely looking to use this as a rebuilding year and hoping that next year’s Draft will be chock-full of stars.

    Kuat Triforce – A-

    Taking two Helmsman nominees, including winner Kosh Ul’kesh in the second round, was the smart move. Although we’re not sure if Ul’kesh slid because no one liked his skills or because no one needed a goalie, we’re sure Kuat will love having him in goal. Saunders was a solid pickup in the third round; originally slated to go in the first round, she was an absolute steal. Hear that? A STEAL.

    Nar Shaddaa Smugglers – B+

    We love the Zelena Wiles pick, because she is a monster out there on defense. Tran was a nice pickup in the third round. We’re sure Duchamp will be a fine player, but looked to be a bit of a reach in the second round.

    Ralltiir Starkillers – A

    Let’s just say that we love the move the Starkillers made to get the fourth pick, which they used on utility back Lena Roselli. She should be a great one back there for a team already blessed with a lot of defensive talent. Getting Garvin Stommer was a huge pickup, and the end-of-Draft forwards could have an impact in a few seasons. It’s the typical Vigo style, as we’ve come to find out. Only issue was that the Starkillers are going all-in now, and if they struggle, they won’t be able to rely on next year’s Draft for much help.

    Rydonni Prime Monarchs – C

    Stuck in a rut much, Monarchs? Gabor is a nice forward prospect, but it looks like her school pedigree meant more than she was worth in the Draft stock. Now, she could pan out well, but right now it’s a questionable pick. Wygins was up-and-down this season in college, so she may need seasoning. And then we get to the two off-the-board picks. Why the Monarchs keep doing this, we don’t know. Vesper Lynd worked out just fine, but that won’t always be the case. There were better players out there on the board. Only reason they get a C here is because we figure some of these moves will pan out somehow.

    Ylesia Lightning – B+

    The Lightning took a human! The Lightning took a human! That aside, they tried to be opportunistic and took three forwards. Not sure if that’s all they needed, but they certainly stocked up anyways. Now we’ll see if they can get more offense out of that stagnant unit.

    TAGS to jcgoble3, Rebecca_Daniels, Polydroxol, CPL_Macja, Runjedirun, Vehn

    And draft grades are not available for the Packers or Mercs, who had no picks. Value cannot be determined from dealing all draft picks in these rankings.
     
    Trieste, Bardan_Jusik, Vehn and 3 others like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.