Star Wars OPEN Elite League Limmie

HSN Presents an Interplanetary Cup Preview:

Group C Preview:


Rydonni Prime:

Strengths: This team has plenty of experienced players on its roster, making them a threat to advance. Though not flashy, this team could put together a good run in group play and make a run to the Group Final.

Weaknesses: While this team has experience, this is going to be a tough group to play in. Their more-experienced players will have to pick up the slack if the younger players can’t keep up.

Ralltiir:

Strengths: The Starkillers have done a good job recently turning their local talent into stars. That trend should continue with the highly-anticipated debut of Tomas Vigo, the U. Tatooine-Anchorhead-bound midfielder. The University of Ralltiir has produced plenty of good talent over the last decade, and that shows on this roster.

Weaknesses: How Vigo will respond to playing against much older and more experienced players remains to be seen. The rest of this roster is also generally young, so how they will deal with other teams with more experience will determine how far they go.

Zeltros:

Strengths: Mar’gaery, a midfielder for Rydonni Prime, turned in a good rookie season, and should be a force for this team. Myles Tormera, a former Coruscant Senator, is an experienced half back.

Weaknesses: This team lacks a lot of star power, and thus will have to rely heavily on the three players on their roster with Elite League talent. Two of them haven’t played in the Elite League in almost a decade, so a lot will be asked of Mar’gaery to carry this team.

Corellia:

Strengths: Corellia always seems to find good talent for their roster. Jayla Leed and Corvo Antilles provide the squad with arguably the best goaltending duo in the tournament, and whomever gets the starting nod will have a leg up on their competition.

Weaknesses: Outside of the goaltending duo, this team has question marks all over its roster. Can they find a way to use their superior athletic talent in a consistent manner? That has constantly been a problem for players from this planet (lots of talent, but lack of consistency), and that could plague them if they don’t gel quickly.


HSN Predictions:

Rydonni Prime and Ralltiir make it to the Final in runaway fashion, with Rydonni Prime barely edging out Ralltiir for the Group title. Clair Oswin does just enough to help her team win in goal, but Tomas Vigo has a strong tournament and goes into college with a leg up on his competition.


TAGS to Everyone

 

Sub GM Post

Bonus Potential for Thyferra (32) and Tatooine (30)

LFL Final
(3) Tatooine Sandskimmers VS (1) Thyferra Force (1-22)

Congratulations To the Thyferra Force the 284 Limmie Futures League Champions!

Tag: Jedi Gunny

 

IC: Lucy Heart
New Ayotte, Stewjon

It's late at night in a hotel room in New Ayotte, a young human woman in her pajamas of a white shirt and comfortable pants, was still awake. She should have gone to bed a long time ago but, this was the furthest she'd ever been from her home. She was homesick.

"Miss you guys." She said, clutching a pillow close to her chest. Her long blonde hair, usually partly tied up in a side tail, was let down coming past her shoulders.

"We miss ya' too Lucy." A human male around her age, pink hair and toned arms, shouted. A white scaf around his neck as it always was. His vest lay open with no shirt underneath revealing his defined abs. When he smiled he seemed to have fangs, it's a little off putting at first sight but, the blonde woman had gotten use to his smile. There was an exuberance to him that came across almost instantly.

"At least we can keep in touch." Another man replied coolly his back hair, almost blue in the light of his room. He was a little thinner than his pink haired companion but, wearing fewer clothes. Only a pair of shorts and a small sliver sword on a chain was all this man wore to bed. His physique was leaner but, no less powerful than his more defined friend. He also had a cooler demeanor and way about him that was effortless. "You're never too far from us." A smile bloomed on the woman's face and, a tear formed in the pit of her eye.

"Just be careful out there ok." A feminine voice sounded, coming into view was a human woman, a little older the other three, her long bright red hair was pulled up in to a simple bun. Her voice was a little deeper than the woman on the other side of the call but, had a warmth to it. While this figure wore simple sleeping clothes, a set of armor could be seen in the corner, just her size. When she sat next to her friends the bed sank heavily under her weight. She didn't look it but, this woman was made of durasteel.

"I'll be fine," Lucy replied eyes drooping a little. "The Pirates take security really seriously."

"Still you should be careful." The red haired woman replied with a smile. Lucy looked away a little. The 'Occupation' wasn't even a year past at this point. Its scars remain, on the people that lived through it. Many got along in their own ways, for the kids of Fairy Tail it was bonding together, looking after each other, and protecting each other. It also helped for them to play limmie. Many of the kids joined the Carratos Juniors League. Lucy was never good enough to join them but, she'd kick the ball around a bit.

"It'll be ok," Lucy added with a smile, "I can take care of myself you know."

"I don't doubt that," the woman with red hair returned the smile. "It's late we should let you get some sleep."

Lucy's eyes struggled to stay open, "Yeah, I'll catch you guys tomorrow." She reached over to the projector, "Night." Before the image of her friends disappeared they each held up their right hands. The back of their hands faced Lucy and their index fingers were pointed up to the sky, their thumbs pointed up as well though there was a space between it and the rest of the hand.

"Night," they said as Lucy returned the gesture and finally turned off the projector.

The next morning she awoke to her portable alarm buzzing. Lucy scrambled to shut it off but, ended up falling out of bed, tumbling to the floor. With a groan she finally turned off the blaring siren. She showered and got ready for the day, her first true day of work. She started last week technically but, the first few days were taken up with paperwork and filling out forms making sure she was allowed to work. Then there was the travel to Stewjon that took another bit.

Today she was to shadow Ms. Kariz’e and learn the ropes. She'd done some administrative tasks before, she worked in the office of Fairy Tail during her time there so she had some experience but, this was her first real job.

She showered and got dressed in her favorite clothes, a white shirt and blue skirt with part of her hair pulled into a side tail, tied with a length of blue cloth. Smiling into the mirror she took a breath. She could do this, her friends were behind her. Lucy exited her room and made her way to the lobby, where she was asked to report.

Standing there arms crossed clothed in a stark black and white pantsuit was Ms. Kariz'e. The green skinned Twi'lek looked down at the girl a stern expression on her face.

"Are those the best clothes you have?" She asked, turning her head to the side.

Lucy shrunk back a little, "Yes mam'"

"It'll have to do." She looked the younger woman up and down pursing her lips a little. The blonde haired Human felt a little uneasy. "Could you go up and bring Logan…" Ms. Kariz'e stopped herself, not everyone referred to the players and coaches by their first names. Also she was trying to be a professional. "Mr. Manx-Sandin down here as well. I don't believe he got the reminder that there was a meeting today."

"Was I supposed to…"

"Don't worry about it," She waved her hand dismissing the worry, "must have just got stuck in the outbox." The secretary let out a breath, "He's in room 327,"

"On it mam'" Lucy replied with a smile turning back towards the lifts. Her heart was pounding, getting to meet him…

"And Lucy," She stopped in her tracks, "It's Syrnola."

Lucy nodded her head, "Got it…Syrnola." The older being returned the smile.

In the lift car the young woman let out a breath trying to settle her heart. She was going to meet him, 'One Eye' Logan. She could remember the first time she saw his face on the holo, during the 'Occupation' he was just as terrified as them, but was still willing to fight them, fight the 'White Star'. It brought them hope more than he could possibly know. She knocked on the door, and put her hands behind her back so he couldn't see them shaking. There was a long pause as she waited.

The door opened causing her to jump just a little. He looked up at her with his shining yellow eye that gave him his nickname.

"Um…" She started fighting back her nervousness, "Mr. Manx-Sandin, Mr. Polenta would like to talk with you."

"Tell him I'll be right there." The Hero of Carratos replied, he looked over his shoulder and Lucy noticed Mikia dark blonde hair still a little messy from just waking up.

The door closed and the woman contacted Syrnola. "We'll be right down."

"Good I'll be waiting." Was the curt reply

A few moments later Mr. Manx-Sandin came out in a polo shirt and slacks. Part of Lucy wondered how he got them on given his current state though, she knew not to ask that particular question. They moved in silence to the lift, his hoverchair humming slightly as he made his way. In the lift, Logan coughed into his hand.

"So you new?" He asked

"Um…" it took her a moment to finally compose herself enough to speak. "Yeah, started last week. I'm…I'm Lucy."

"Nice to meet you Lucy." There was something in his words that made her think that there was more going on than just an introduction. "I'm sure Syrnola could use the help." The blonde haired girl nodded her head, again a silence over took the conversation, until Logan chuckles slightly though his nose. "Say,"

"Hm,"

"You wouldn't happen to know anyone looking for an assistant coaching position would you?" He looked up smile another laugh leaving his throat.

She returned the smile and the laugh, she couldn't believe this day. She got to meet 'The' Logan Manx-Sandin. Her friends would be so jealous. She was slightly worried he wouldn't be like she imagined him. A simple man with the determination of a people behind him. Turned out, he was also funny, in a weird sort of way.

So far this was going to be a good first day of work.

TAG: No One/Everyone

_____
285 Character Approved by Trieste

Name: Lucy Heart

Species: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Homeworld: Carratos

Physical Appearance:

Relationship to Team: Administrative assistant

Bio: Lucy grew up in a wealthy household, her father, a business man, had made his money in investments and other ventures. While she never wanted for any material necessities, she grew up isolated, taught by live in tutors, cared for by maids and cooks. When she was young, it was alright, she had her mother, her confidant, the person she went to for help.

That was until her mother passed away. The young girl was inconsolable and her father threw himself even deeper into his work. The rift between the two deepened to the point that they went about their days rarely seeing each other, Lucy with her near constant school work, and spending many hours in her father's library, and her father, Jude, buried under mounds of paperwork, and managing a hundred different interests.

When she turned sixteen, nothing changed, a party was held by the household staff, a party her father didn't attend. Cautiously she took a slice of cake and snuck into his office. He didn't even notice her until she set it in front of him. He didn't react kindly, throwing the slice to the ground, roaring that he was busy and didn't have time for her foolishness.

Tempers flared, voices rose, and things were said, things that couldn't be taken back. Lucy rushed out in tears. That night she packed some of her possessions and left, leaving just a simple note. She made her way to O'Pahz quickly getting lost. She was smart but, hadn't really been around that many other people. Luckily she ran into two interesting boys that lead her to the 'Fairy Tail' orphanage. The man who over saw it, knew she wasn't an orphan, despite her somewhat convincing lies but, he let her stay there. Just until she returned home. She never did, years past and now she couldn't stay there anymore. The old man that had looked after them all like his own children vowed that he'd find a place for her.

The next day she got offered a position in the Carratos Pirates' organization.

 

GM Post

Here is your Galactic Cup Final, with bonus potential for both Bakura and Mandalore.

128th Galactic Cup Final
Kenobi Field, New Ayotte, Stewjon
(2) Mando’ade Mercs at (1) Bakura Miners (36-18)

Congratulations to the 284 Galactic Cup Champions, the Mando'ade Mercs!

I'd say, "and that's all she wrote," but I expect a pretty good post coming up. See you in the Interplanetary Cup!

TAG: Bardan_Jusik

 

Trieste Approved

Name: Richard Vigo
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 31
Physical Appearance: 6’ 0”, dark skinned
Home World: Ralltiir
Relation to Team: General Manager



Richard is the second child and eldest son of Martin and Madelyne Vigo. Richard was a studious child who was eager to please his parents. He excelled in school and on the track, he was accepted at and attended Republican University on Coruscant. Richard kept one secret from his parents. Richard loved another man. On Ralltiir traditional families are the norm. After college Richard went on to get a law degree and opened his own practice on Coruscant where his lifestyle was accepted.

At the time of his father’s death Richard had still not opened up to his family about his lifestyle. His partner was becoming impatient and Richard knew he couldn’t live a lie forever. After a private ceremony Richard finally brought Ryan home to share the news. 4 years ago Richard and Ryan adopted an Ithorian boy named Jimsey.

On Coruscant their family blended in. Moving to Ralltiir will be more than challenging. The Starkillers have missed the play-offs two consecutive years. The team is coachless and lost their starting full forward. The planet is 90% human, their adopted child will face scrutiny for his species and for having two fathers. Richard has his partner’s support and is ready for the challenge.

---

​

​

IC: Richard Vigo

I opened my eyes and saw the stack of boxes along the wall of our bedroom. It was real. We had moved back to Ralltiir. I got up and grabbed the running shorts, tank, socks and shoes from the pile at the foot of our bed. I carried the clothes to a fresher downstairs, changed and headed out the door. I yawned, stretched and blinked my eyes. It was too early to be up. I never let it stop me. I hit the screen of my chrono to activate the correct mode, hit start and began to put one foot in front of the other. I had a crazy busy day, it was now or never.

The first mile is always the hardest. This one was no exception. I made my way down the streets of my childhood. I thought about all the challenges I had faced in my life. First day of school, first track meet, school exams, my first date, getting a speeder’s license, applying to college, leaving for college, applying to law school, opening my own practice, my father’s death, telling my mother I was married to Ryan, now my younger brother’s death and taking over as GM of an ELL franchise.

The first thing I had to do was hire a coach. Someone who could wrangle 30 of the Galaxies biggest ego’s. Someone who not only knew how to win Limmie games, but someone who could help players heal. The Ralltiir Starkillers weren’t just any Limmie team. This group of players had lost a teammate. Their former Coach at the center of the investigation of his death.

My thoughts wandered to Trey Till, the man my father hired to be Coach all those years ago when he bought the team in ’76. Till had been recently released from prison at the time. Cleared of murder charges that had been brought against him when two Ralltiir U students had been crushed to death by a table in a fight at a Cantina. Yes, Till had been present that evening, but there was no evidence he had been there at the time the table crushed the students. Eye witness Ty Allin insisted Trey had been flying him home when the fight had taken place.

Now another being had died and this time there was no denying Trey Till was there. Bat’s wife Georgia claimed to have witnessed the whole thing. I had personally listened to her statement and Trey’s. Georgia said the two were in a heated discussion and Bat threw his drink on Trey. A physical fight broke out and Trey seemed to have the upper hand from the beginning. Bat fell unconscious after his head smashed into the back of the booth he had been sitting in and never came to.

Trey confirmed the story. He insists that he never really meant to do more than “knock some sense” into my brother and admits he handled the situation poorly. “I would never intentionally harm anyone. He was my stepson. I love your mother more than anything. Richard, you have to help me. You have to believe me,” his pleas haunted my mind.

What could I do? Even if the whole thing was an accident he was looking at a six year sentence minimum. My brother was dead, why should I help him? He was living with my mother again. Out on bail, my half-sister only 5 years old, could her life be in danger? At Tomas’ request I looked in on them every day. I wiped some sweat off my brow and saw the house my mom was renting up ahead.

As I approached the driveway I hit a button on my chrono to pause my workout and another to call my mom. “Morning,” I said when she appeared on the screen.

“You okay?” I asked.

“You outside?” She asked. “Come in and have some breakfast.”

“I can’t today. I have two interviews for the head coaching position,” I reminded her. My mom and I exchanged a few more pleasantries before I hit the restart button and ran back home.

“We have a crisis!” Ryan said as I stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel.

“Are we out of non-dairy milk again?” I asked as I wrapped the towel around myself.

“No, a real crisis. We are being waitlisted, Jimsey won’t be able to start the academy with his classmates next month.”

I had personally called and made arrangements for my son to attend the academy two months ago. At the time I was assured a slot would be held. “How is that possible?” I asked.

“I just got the message this morning. Apparently there has been a sudden rise in applications and our son’s test scores aren’t high enough to secure his spot.”

“Sithspit,” I spat. “I’ll go down to the school this afternoon and speak to them myself.” I finished dressing and stepped into the bedroom. “You relax,” I said as I rubbed Ryan’s back. “Order us that living room furniture set you wanted and unpack some of these boxes. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Right after I have my caf,” Ryan said as he rolled out of bed. We met up again in the kitchen a few minutes later. On Coruscant I wasn’t the only one who had my own business. Ryan was an interior decorator. He’d be occupied for a while remodeling the house, but soon he’d want to establish a client base again. “I’m thinking of putting in new tile around the pool, what do you think of these?” He asked, showing me some samples on his data pad.

Moving into my parent’s old house was beyond weird. It was a big place for just the three of us. I just couldn’t imagine putting it on the market or sitting empty. Ryan was the perfect person to update the rooms. I gathered my belongings. I hated to leave before Jimsey woke, but I wanted to prepare for my interviews. I leaned down and gave Ryan a kiss before rushing out the door.

My father had hired a Ralltiirian head Coach. In recent seasons my mother and Trey Till had drafted mostly Ralltiirian. I wasn’t sure if my decision to bring in an outsider like Dashric Stonlon would be popular among Starkiller fans. I didn’t care much either. I cared that the team started making the play-offs again. A man like Dash could bring those results. It was flattering he’d accepted my request for an interview.

Was Dash the right being to coach the Starkillers though? There were definitely other candidates out there who might be even more qualified. One I was sure who wasn’t was my brother-in-law Ty Allin. He’d come to me so eager to take the job. It had been impossible not to grant him the interview. If I didn’t hire him would my older sister stop speaking to me? Did I care? Family can be messy.

Step one, I reminded myself was to interview Dash and find out if he’s really the man for the job. I opened a program on my data pad and looked over the questions I had prepared. Finally I was alerted that Dash was in the building and ready for our meeting. I took just a moment to look in the mirror to straighten my tie before heading to the conference room.

We shook hands, exchanged greetings, took our seats and dove in. “What was your greatest challenge coaching the Miners?” I asked hoping to set a tone of business first.

"Greatest challenge? Believe it or not, it wasn't having exactly zero players I could use when Gaeriel Valerii offered me the job. It was when they went on the losing streak at the end of the season, after we'd sown up the playoffs. The team was going through a crisis of confidence," Dash stated. "They were overthinking their play, to the point that even losses where they'd played well, like against Carratos, were in their heads. I had to snap them out of it, get them ready for the playoffs. I did. They were back in the zone after that, but it took hard practices, going back to the basics, to do it."

I had nearly forgotten about the late losses for the Miners in their season which Dash had coached. A cup appearance made such things insignificant. The answer was a good one. “What has been your greatest challenge coaching at Tiarest?” I asked next.

"I was in almost the exact opposite situation as I had with the Miners. I was stuck with the team I had," Dash said. "But that's the way college limmie works. You don't just sign free agents--your new players are young and very rarely do they make an impact." Dash shrugged, as if to say "What can you do?" "Last year's team had finished fourth in the conference. That sounds good, but that was just another year in a string of disappointments. Unlike the Miners' culture, which expects excellence, Tiarest was mired in mediocrity. I had to convince that team that they could play with the UBSDs, the UBTVs of the conference and win. That seems easy to do, but when you get out on the field and you're staring down the defending champs, suddenly it gets a whole lot more intimidating. I only need a handful of players to think they can win to start. They play well, then they'll get the rest of them on board."

Another solid answer. Now just for curiosities sake I asked, “Why are you interested in coaching on Ralltiir?”

"Everyone in the galaxy should want this job," Dash said, leaning forward. "The Starkillers finished last in the conference? Yeah, with a 5-6 record. That would have made the playoffs in the Skywalker Conference. Third in points scored, sixth in points allowed. Plus 26 on the season in point differential, thirst best in the league. This isn't a broken team. It's a team that needs some tweaks and the right additions. Right now, the Starkillers are like Tiarest. Make a few adjustments and it's going to go far."

He was buttering me up. I liked it. “What do you look forward to most if you get the position?” I asked as I did my best to hide my own enthusiasm.

"Working with an actual ELL roster," Dash laughed. "Seriously, it'll be new to work with an experienced team. More than that, I know that your family isn't shy about spending to get good talent. Even the Miners kept the purse strings pretty tight. You're willing to act to make changes. That's a real opportunity."

So that wasn’t exactly the answer I was hoping for. Yes my mom spent credits like they fell from the sky, but I had hoped to change that. We’d discuss it later, if we need to. I moved on to the next question. “What do you think your greatest challenge would be as coach of the Starkillers?”

"There's a big hole to fill now that your brother's gone," Dash said. "He was a large part of the offense. There's no doubt that the loss of a player at his caliber will be something that has to be overcome. There are two options. You either try to replace him with someone who's a bruiser and a big producer or you find a player who can set up the corners, drop back a little bit. It's part of an overall front six philosophy. I'd expect that you and I would set that before the Draft to determine if we want to target a certain skill set in a rookie player. What Ralltiir has going for it is a championship-level development team. If the Miners had that, well..." Dash smiled. "Maybe they..”

My brother’s absence was the biggest challenge this team would face. I had been proud of him. He was a scoring machine. He’d won two Galactic Cups. He’s lived a good life, I remembered. He was also a reason I had to ask the next set of questions. “As you know there's been a fair number of disciplinary problems on and off the field in recent years on Ralltiir. Do you believe players should be allowed to play if they have off field legal issues?”

"Like it or not, these players are role models. More is expected of them in their conduct than other beings. That includes myself," Dash allowed. "However, there's a presumption in the Republic that one is innocent until proven guilty. That being said, there are morals clauses that can be put into contracts. Do you have such clauses that allow for disciplinary action as a result of something like an arrest, regardless of guilt?"

“Well there was one in Bat’s contract last season. The head coach ignored the clause. Bat was family and the team’s leading scorer. I want you to know, under my watch, we don’t bend rules,” I stated firmly. Dash nodded. I think he got my point, so I asked my next question. “Do you set curfews?”

"Absolutely. The young players need it because they're still maturing. The older players have to abide by it because it's a level field for all players."

A good answer, “How do you handle players who break team rules?” I continued.
"Depends on the infraction, but there need to be consequences," Dash admitted. "This is a sport, so it needs to be fun, but fun can't get in the way of the fact this is work. Like I said, fair or not, more is expected of these beings than others."

Fun, it seemed to be missing from my own life recently. I liked that Dash brought it up. “If players have differences on or off field how do you help them solve them?”

"On the field? I'm going to make a fast decision. Is it one of the natural spats that can happen on the field? Is this a timeout to set them straight or is this something bigger than that where I need to sub someone out? I'm going to have to decide who I need out there more than the other. I'll mediate that later, halftime or after the game," Dash listed. "Off the field, it's going to depend. My rule is that you have two options: be happy that you're on the team or be a good enough actor that I can't tell the difference. If there are issues that are getting in the way of team business, then I'll step in. If it's something that's just taking place between two players but isn't impacting performance, that's their deal."

Very thorough. I was glad to be done with this section of the interview and moved on to another topic. “Do you have any candidates in mind for your coaching staff?”

"One of the things about moving around as a head coach--you know a lot of coaches," Dash said. "I've got a short list. Right now, I'd want to bring in at least one with some defensive experience. That's where I see the need. And, in case you're worried, Roy Cardan's not on the short list." Dash smiled.

Well since he brought up I knew a defensive minded recently retired Limmie player who wanted a job. “Are you willing to work with Ty Allin as an assistant Coach?” I asked.

Dash's eyebrows went up as he thought about it. "Now there's an idea. He could do the trick..."

Maybe I could please my sister and still hire the coach I really wanted. “What offensive strategies do you find most effective?” I said moving things along.

"You won't be surprised to hear I like the aerial game. It wasn't what I played on Bakura, but that's because I didn't have the personnel to do it. Bimms aren't big enough for the aerial game. Had to play the ground. But, at heart, I'm a west galaxy offense being," Dash said. "It's fast, it stretches a defense out. I think you could run it here."

We need to change something, I thought to myself as I asked the next obvious question. “What defensive strategies do you find most effective?”

"I'm not a bend-but-don't-break coach," Dash said. "You need a forechecking defense. Get up on players and pressure them. I want my defense to attack, not sit there and wait for a team to come at them with speed. It's got risks, but it pays off big. You need smart players to do it, to know when to step up and when to haul tail and get back."

To bring the interview to a close I had one final important question, “What do you enjoy most about the sport of Limmie?”

"It's the closest thing to armed conflict that I think the galaxy should ever have. We get to exercise our tribal passions against each other, but at the end of the day the worst that happens is a bad injury. Even so, isn't it grand that we all get our blood pumping over a game, we get to feel pride of place, connect with our tribe, if you will, and we've done it without firing a blaster shot?" Dash laid out. "There's something to that, if you ask me."

I had been honored that Dash had taken the time to interview. Now I was itching to hire him. Unfortunately that just wasn’t how you did things in big business. Especially not as an ELL owner. I shook Dash’s hand, thanked him for his time, reminded him I had other candidates and told him I’d be in touch.

I made my way back to my office. It was a closet. My mother had totally remodeled the executive offices after my father passed. I hated the new office, at first opportunity I was going to tear some walls down, make it more spacious, add a view of the city. If you hold power your office needs to be intimidating. It needs to scream “I am important.” My mother’s office was mediocre and needed upgrades. I pushed those thoughts aside as I checked in with Ryan and Jimsey.

“How’d the interview go?” Ryan asked.

“Great, Dash is my man,” I answered.

“So did you hire him?”

“Not yet,” I said shaking my head. “I don’t even know if he’ll take the job. Cross your fingers for me. Besides I have another interview in a few hours.”

“Oh right, your brother in law. Have fun with that.”

“He’s not that bad,” I began. “You know he won two Galactic Cups.

“He would lose his head if it wasn’t attached,” Ryan reminded me. “Every time he visits we have to return a pair of sunglasses, a data pad, a child…”

I laughed, Ty was a bit forgetful. “You’re not still bitter about the time he put a plastic worm in your nerf burger?”

“You promised to never bring that up,” Ryan said revealing that he was indeed still bitter.

“How’s Jimsey?” I asked changing the subject.

“Oh, let me get him,” Ryan began to walk down the hall of our new home as he carried his data pad along with him. “You’d be so proud. He’s working on those programs you downloaded. He’s going to bring those grades up this semester.” Ryan paused, “You know if the school lets him in.”

“Don’t you worry,” I said as Ryan turned the corner and handed the data pad over to Jimsey. “Say hello to your daddy.”

Jimsey smiled ear to ear. “How’s daddy’s boy?” I asked.

“I finished two chapters,” he said proudly pointing to his work.

“Great job! You’ll love your new school,” I promised. “Both your daddies went there. In fact it’s where we met.”

“Really? Do you think I’ll make lots of friends?”

“I know you will.”

“Can I start tomorrow?” He asked enthusiastically.

“In about a month,” I told him. “Meantime you keep up with your studies. Make me proud.”

“I will,” he said cheerfully.

“I’ll be home tonight for dinner,” I promised. “You be sure to take a break for exercise too,” I reminded him.

“Yes, sir.”

“I love you, be good.”

We adopted Jimsey when he was 4. He had been living in an orphanage on Coruscant. He didn’t speak basic and started school a year late. In the beginning it had been challenging. He threw tantrums when he was frustrated and screamed in the unique way only his species could when he didn’t get his way. Through rewards and discipline he had come a long way. One thing was for sure I loved him more than anything in the Galaxy and I was determined to make this transition, this move, this new school go as smoothly as possible.

It was just after midday meal when I had my interview with Ty Allin. Ty showed up in khaki pants and a colored shirt. He sat across from me at the conference table leaned back in a chair with his right foot propped up on his left knee.

“Why do you want to Coach the Starkillers?” I asked to break the ice.

“I miss the Elite League. I have a lot more in me than two measly cups and I want to prove to the Galaxy I’m a lot more than a dumb jock.”

“I thought you enjoyed working with kids. Why do you want to leave the secondary school you coach at currently?”

“I love kids and I love coaching. I’ll continue to run and coach the camps I’ve been operating since my playing days during the off-season. I didn’t play Limmie my whole life to dedicate myself to a secondary school. I dedicated my entire life to Limmie so I could shine on it’s biggest stage and this is my opportunity.”

“Look Richard,” he said before I could ask my next question. “I know you interviewed Dashric Stonlon earlier. I don’t blame you for wanting to hire him. Know this. I’ve been coaching kids for two years and already I have two City Championships. I have colleges calling me day and night. I could coach anywhere I want. I want to coach for you. I want to bring the Galactic Cup back to Ralltiir where it rightfully belongs. Most of all this team belonged to my best friend. I trusted him. What he did to your brother wasn’t right. I need to make this right. If you let me be the Coach of this team I can take that first step.”

It was all I could do to keep my mouth from hanging open. “Thank you,” I said as professionally as possible. “I appreciate your honesty and I appreciate that you came in today. I’ll be making a decision soon. When I do I’ll be in touch.” I stood and held out my hand. Ty shook it firmly. He left the conference room and I noticed his data pad still on the table. I allowed myself a smile before picking it up and chasing after him down the hall.

I had a lot to think about. I nearly forgot that I had made the meeting at the Academy to discuss Jimsey’s admission. Luckily I had entered the appointment in my calendar. The flight to the Academy was short. I arrived to a mostly empty lot since students were on break at the present time. The headmaster himself greeted me in the school office. “Mr. Vigo, I am glad you came down,” he said reaching out to shake my hand.

I shook and entered his office. “My partner and I received a message this morning that our son has been waitlisted,” I began cutting to the chase. “Last month I was assured a spot would be held for him. He’s been studying hard and is excited about his new school. My partner and I are both graduates. Why has his status changed?” I asked cooly.

“We aren’t sure our school is the best fit for your son,” the headmaster replied.

“I know he’s struggled academically, but he’s been working so hard and he really wants to attend here. He can retake any necessary tests,” I offered.

“Mr. Vigo,” the headmaster said a little uncomfortably. “We aren’t sure your son will fit in at the Academy. There’s a great school just a few blocks from here where Dev Politin sends his kids. Have you inquired if they have open slots?”

“Are you saying my son isn’t welcome at this school?” I asked incredulously.

“I’m saying that this school may not be the best fit. Our population is nearly all human and as far as I know all of our students are from traditional families.”

Without realizing it I stood from my seat. “This is discrimination. Need I remind you that I have a license to practice law on this planet? I’ll be here in four weeks with my son and you will have a spot for him or I will hand you a subpoena. Your choice.”

Angrily I turned and left. My anger didn’t last long though. My heart was full when I arrived home to the smell of dinner. A table with the people I loved the most to share it with. I’d hoped to come home with an Academy sweater for Jimsey. Instead I gave him a Starkillers ball cap. I told him I was proud of him for keeping up with his studies. Once he went to bed I began to read up on equal rights laws. Jimsey was my son and I’d be prepared to fight for him until the end.

Tag: Triestefor all his hard work as Dash during the interview section…thank you!

 

IC: Tamon Kutel
Kenobi Field, New Ayotte, Stewjon



Tamon was never going to be able to go home again.

Playing for the Bakura Miners wasn’t something you bragged about in his neighborhood. However, there was one team that everyone arguably hated more than the Miners. The team he had just lost to. Tamon was pretty sure that no one back home was ever going to forgive him for letting the Mando’ade Mercs win a Galactic Cup.

Shutting down Jakku last week had been one thing, but this Mercs offense had been an entirely different monster--one that Tamon just couldn’t keep up with. Their postseason proved that their season awards were deserved. They had just savaged the Miners today, Tamon especially. Ariva Kendal had juked him out of position all day long and gotten penetration deep into the zone.

Once she was there, Tamon felt badly about what happened next. Lizbit Comstock, who had put in the best season of her career until today, was awful. No one would ever say it to her, but she was beat on so many plays that it was embarrassing. On the bright side, she was probably still eligible for the Comeback Player of the Year Award next season now despite being nominated for it this season. Today was a devastating loss, the sort that could break a career of anyone but the most celebrated Miners goalkeeper of the Silver Age.

The outcome of the game had been certain for a long time and while Tamon thought he was ready for the sound of the buzzer, almost a blessed relief, the moment the game was over it was definitely not a relief. Instead it hit him like a punch in the chest. As he looked around he realized that despite the fact last year’s Miners team had been the first in a long time to lose a Galactic Cup Final, today was the first time that his teammates had ever lost a Final. It was the first time that even Gaeriel Valerii had lost a Galactic Cup Final, her perfect 5-0 record in limmie’s greatest game now gone.

However, Tamon didn’t care about all of his teammates at the moment. He knew that there was one player who was going to blame herself for today more than anyone--more than even Comstock.

Kutel crossed the field to where Kira was sitting on the turf, her head against her knees and hands on her head. He lowered himself to the grass next to her.

“I’d say it’s okay,” he said, putting his head next to hers, “but I’ve lost enough to know what it’s not.”

“I couldn’t stop him,” Kira sobbed. “It’s all my fault. I should have been able to stop him.”

“Nobody can stop everyone,” Tamon told her. “Nobody expected you to.”

“But last week...I thought we could do it.”

“Jakku’s no Mando’ade. Kira, nobody’s ever gone straight from high school to a Galactic Cup Final. If you think there’s any shame in that, ask every being who didn’t even make it to college. Ask every being who did make it to college or to the ELL and never made it here. Falene was right. You are a super girl.”

“I don’t feel very super,” Kira said.

“You are. And now we’ve got to get up and shake their hands,” Tamon said.

Kira pulled her head out of her knees and got to her feet. “Okay. Let’s show them that the Bakura Miners lose a Final with their heads held high.” She extended a hand to Tamon to help him up.

He grabbed it and hauled himself up thanks to Kira’s durasteel grip. If only she’d been able to get it on more Mercs today. “That’s the spirit.”

The team in dark blue and gold lined up to meet the Mercs, the team of dark blue and silver, and congratulate them on the win. Tamon and Kira were in the middle of the line, for Niskat Deenever had done the captain’s job and taken the lead. Falene Trieste was at the end of the line, right in front of the coaching staff, ever conscious of her owner’s status. With their deep roster of reserves, there were a lot of hands to shake.

“Congratulations,” Tamon told Kreig.

“Congratulations,” he said to Cody Williams.

To Paul Rooker.

To Ceigarth.

To Do’h Bartman.

To Scott Smalls, who killed them in the limited minutes he had.

To Turnud.

To Gasnar.

To Mike Doubleday.

To Regan Stargazer, who’d briefly been a Miner and made the future of the Mercs between the goalposts look bright.

To Toni Deltwagotolio.

To Cody Williams.

To Vobal Kennick.

To Shayne, who’d always come back when his teammates had called for him.

To Cardelle Jonas.

To Komodo Lecroix.

“Congratulations. You helped bring them here,” Tamon told Argo Mor’kesh, who he’d played against back in his prime, and had gone down with an injury that had kept him out of the playoffs.

“Congratulations,” he told the big Fondorian Shaq’ille Oneal, who didn’t quit against Gared Joff for a second.

“Congrats,” he said to Roc Mynus.

To Mir’ka Kol.

To Nolen Riian with his heater of an arm.

“Congratulations. You know this doesn’t happen every year, right, kid?” he joked with the rookie Jo’ee Bo’sa.

“Congratulations,” he said to the standout defender, Tuuvash Mauntak.

To Kyr Irvin.

To Viela Pahre.

“Congrats. You had the better of me by far. Way to go,” he told Ariva Kendal, giving her a friendly embrace to show his respect.

“Congrats. Way to go,” he said to Lovnivek, even though it had hurt every time the half forward burned Kira.

“Congratulations. Brought one home for Mandalore,” Tamon told La’Bron. “Way to go.”

“Tore it up out there,” Tamon said to Ama’ri Koop’er. “Congratulations.”

“Congratulations,” Tamon said to Vera Langon. “Long road back, but that must make this even sweeter.”

“Now what does the Arock have to say about this?” Tamon laughed with a smile. “Congratulations, you earned this one.”

And finally, Mr. Merc himself, their first draft pick in team history. “Going out on top,” Tamon said as he gave Mij Katan a hug. “That’s the way to do it. Congratulations my friend.”

Tamon didn’t stick around to hear whatever the Commissioner had to say about the game, his congratulations to both teams, or to find out who won the playoff MVP. He was pretty sure it was going to Arock after his performances this postseason, especially today. The truth was that he just wanted to get away from the eyes of all those fans now. He’d been sporting for as long as he could and he had to let it out soon.

Insider the locker room, he sat down next to Kira, put his arm around her, and they cried together. And, after it all, after the wins, the losses, the Commissioner’s Trophy, the nominations, the Solo Conference Championship, that was what important. They were together.

Tamon knew in that moment that no championship would ever be worth sharing the bad times with Kira Zorel.

TAG: Bardan_Jusik what a win, my friend!

 

HSN’s Interplanetary Cup Preview (Part 4 of 4)

Group D

Carratos:

Strengths: This is a team that won a Galactic Cup together just two years ago, and they have the most chemistry out of any team in the tournament due to that fact. While they struggled this past season, they still have worked together long enough to be a serious threat to advance.

Weaknesses: The Pirates had a major down year a season after winning the Cup, and it was due to an offense that couldn’t score. Many of the same players on that Pirates team are on this squad, and they will have to score more often if they want to have a chance.


Coruscant:

Strengths: Team Coruscant brings in an experienced group of players to the tournament; 13 of the 15 players on the roster have Elite League experience, and most of those are long-term veteran players. That experience will help because it will cut down on mistakes that younger teams might make. Head Coach Gark S’rily and Assistant Coach Martin Locke coached many of the players on this roster during their time at the Coruscant Polytechnic Institute.

Weaknesses: This team is old, easily one of the oldest in the tournament (if not the oldest). Dirxx Horstse and Shayt Contar were legends in their own time, but they retired a decade ago. They will not have the same stamina that they once had, which puts extra pressure on the rest of the defenders on the team. Liz Wilder had a rough rookie season in goal for Nar Shaddaa, and will be expected to play the entirety of the tournament. Will she be able to handle that after such a tough season?

Ord Sabaok:

Strengths: Christine Gamble. The All-Star corner back is a force to be reckoned with, and must always be accounted for. Dwayne Hicks looks like a good prospect at forward.

Weaknesses: Gamble is pretty much the only threat this team has. The rest of its players are either young or relatively inexperienced. There is very little Elite League experience here, and that will hurt them.


Ryloth:


Strengths: Ryloth has produced some quality talent over the last decade, and they have some solid players to rely on. Zeus Syndulla is one of the up-and-coming young players in the Elite League at midfielder.

Weaknesses: A lack of depth will seriously hamper this team. The drop-off from the starters to the reserves is striking, and could easily cost them against the deeper teams in the Group.



HSN Prediction: Carratos sails through qualifying, while Coruscant and Ryloth battle it out for second. Ryloth will win because the older bodies of Team Coruscant will eventually give out down the stretch. Carratos will use their depth and team chemistry to beat Ryloth in the Final and advance to the Tournament Semifinals.

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• ELL announces demotion of Stewjon Metropolitans
• Kuati Valor will assume the Mets' place in Skywalker Conference in 285
• Rurra Eshka'mos comments on the demotion of his favored team on The Nightly Show: "I could blame Fentrick Lokensgaffe for this, but I've been a Mets fan long enough to know this is just the way it goes. And I know this too: the Mets will be back. Mark my words"
• Bakura Miners reportedly begin negotiations with free agents
  • Over half the starting Miner players had contracts that expired in 284
  • HSN analyst says, "This truly is a Rosterpocalypse. Risking losing half your players is bad enough. Losing half a Commissioner's Trophy winning team is quite another"

TAG: The Mad Zookeeper

 

​

IC: The Rancor Pitt

Those listening in for the open of their favorite sports wave show were first treated to the voice of the Mercs play by play announcer and the sounds of cheering Merc's fans...

"Mercs staked to the early 2-1 lead here at Kenobi Field, Riian with the ball in the defensive zone, bringing the ball back up field after the Miner's miss. He draws the offensive players in and passes up to Irvin who streaks passed a converging Pic. Now passes the ball up to Jaing, Pic takes Irvin out , he's looking for the flag but the ref swallows it the whistle. Jaing with the ball, looking for Arock, the Miner's d has him smothered now, jaing takes it up open filed and passed a diving Comstock for the goal. Mercs lead five to one!"

"Joff spins around Oneal, open look, takes the shot Katan with the save! Oh boy Joff had him and everyone else beat but Katan deflects the ball back out to Mauntak..."

"Mercs with the ball again deep in the Miner's defensive zone, first half winding down. Miner's defense starting to sag back, still sticking close to Arock. Jaing with the ball again, looking for the open man, it's Langdon she takes the shot, blocked by Comstock. Deflection back to Arock who grabs the loose ball. How did he get that rebound? He's swamped by Miners! Arock with the shot, above the bar Mercs point and the Mercs lead extended to 22-10."

"Mercs start the second half with the ball, still up 22-10 Stargazer in the goal now as Kor'le giving her minutes here in the most important game of the season. Katan's played well in his last game, still looks ready over there on the sideline, doubt we've seen the last of him here. Arock with the ball now, the Miners arent; covering him as tightly now due to Jaing's five first half points. Arock blows right past an over matched Zorel and puts the bvall in the back of the net for three. Comstock never even saw that one coming. Mercs up 25-10 now just 30 seconds into the second half."

"Miner's with the ball, 14 minutes left in the game with a 26-16 lead. Miner's making a bit of a run now. They scored one against Stargazer but have five against Katan here in the last three possessions. Pic gets the ball to Deenever she has one man to beat, oh she faked Bos'a out of his jock, what a move by Deenever she takes the shot...deflected by Katan and over the bar for a point. Mercs get the ball back now up 26-17."

"Eight minutes in the game, Mercs holding onto a 26-17 lead. Neither team has been able to score now for a few minutes. Katan looked shaky coming back intot he game but he's turned into a beskar wall there in front of the goal the last few possessions. Now the Mercs need to get something by Comstock who has been just as good not better. Comstock not helped much by the defense in front of her, but has played as well as can be expected. Jaing with the ball again, Mercs have been running their offense through him for most of the game. Arock double teamed again, Jaing looking for the open man...it's Koop'er, but Tamon is sagging back to cover him. Arock breaks free again and there's the quick pass and the shot past Comstcok. Mercs extend the lead out to 29-17."

"Mercs up now 33-18 with 87 seconds left. Ball back in the Mercs hands as they again break past the deflated Miner's defenders. They look gassed out there. Jaing to Arock, who else? He's scored the last seven Mercs points, the Miner's just have no answer for him. he takes the shot, it's a good one, blocked by Comstock as she dives for it....but the deflection goes right back to Arock! He puts the ball into an open net, that was a chippy there with Comstock out of position by the previous block. Mercs up 36-18 now with just over a minute to go."

"10, nine, the Mercs fans here are counting down now with them holding the ball and the clcok running out on their 36-18 lead. Four, three, two one! Arock flings the ball high into the air and Mandalore is the planet of champions once again!"*

The voice was now replaced by that of Commissioner Lokensgaard

"Well, well, well. It seems like just yesterday that these two teams met in a thrilling Galactic Cup match. Stewjon--what do you have to say about the game we just witnessed?" The crowd cheered. "Today we got to see the top two offenses in the League put on a show. Congratulations to the Bakura Miners, who have now capped an improbable pair of Galactic Cup Final appearances with a fantastic regular season. However, the day belongs to the Mando'ade Mercs. Before we proceed, it is my pleasure to present the Numifolis Award to the most valuable player of the Galactic Cup Playoffs. The winner of the Numifolis is Fu Arock."

"Y'all got AROCKED!!!!!!!" The noise of the crowd cheering and chanting "oya, oya oya", carried out over the wave just as it had during the game broadcast.

"Winning two Galactic Cups in a decade is a feat that requires the highest level of skill and dedication at all levels of the organization. It starts in the front office with the direction of a Grames Award winning general manager in Adenn Vizsla. It continues on the sidelines with a Langann-nominated head coach in Ryi Kor'le. It took the effort of 15 players and 14 games to win. And now it's time for a being who literally broke a leg for this team to receive the Galactic Cup of Limmie. Argo Mor'kesh, get over here."

"Oya, oya, oya!" The chants grew louder as the team captain, sidelined through the playoffs but attending, in uniform on the sideline had come forward and spoke as he took possession of the Galactic Cup.

"Mandalore, this is for you!!!!"**

​

"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! From downtown Keldabe, on sunny and warm and hope the weather holds because we have a Championship parade in a couple of days, it's a Victoooooooooooooory afternoon. Welcome on into the Rancor Pit. I'm Randy the Rancor, he's Justin Pitt. Liz Baker on the boards, with Kitterich on the other side of the glass and oh baby do we have a big champion caliber show for you. Not even gonna ask you how you are Justin because I already know."

"Cloud None man, cloud nine! Champions!"

"Galactic Cup Champions!"

"For the second time in six seasons now!"

"Second time since we've been on the wave!"

"Clearly we're their good luck charm."

"Oh for sure, we deserve rings..."

"Or at least to spend a day with the Cup."

"Oh that would be so awesome..."

"yeah it would. What would you do if you had a day with the Cup?"

"I would hug it and kiss it and love it forever.*** How about you?"

"I would get nak..."

"Hey, PG rated..sort of...show."

"Oh fine."

"Well since you're ruining that, how about that game?"

"It was a great one, at least from the standpoint of a Mercs fans. Miner's fans probably aren't so happy, not as much to cheer about there."

"They made their second half run..."

"They did, they did. But seriously, no one expected them to be able to come back and win at that point."

"No?"

"No, not a chance."

"Well I was worried..."

"Just a matter of time before that Mercs offense came alive again, especially against that depleted Miner's defense."

"Think their sick players..."

"Oh that was a big part of it. Totally different ball game if the Miners were at full strength."

"Think they would have won?"

"I wouldn't go that far, I think that doesn't give this Mercs team enough credit. Yeah they scored 36, but the defense gave up only 18 to the team that led the league in offense this season...."

"Don't forget that a bunch of those points were scored after the Mercs opened things up a bit..."

"Yeah, I think they relaxed a bit on defense being up with the big lead like they were. They would have played things differently had the game been closer."

"Back to the Miner's defensive situation too, rememeber that the same defense only gave up a single point the week before in the Solo title game...."

"True, true."

"...so it's not like they were a total pushover."

"No they weren't. The Mercs, Fu Arock..."

"Y'all got Arocked!"

"...in particular was just too much for the Miner's backs and on defense the Mercs managed to limit Deenever's touches by disguising their schemes..."

"Yeah she was provinding too much for Bos'a to handle alone."

"...and of course were anchored by the pretty shabla good play of Katan in his last ever ELL game."

"That was...I got choked up man, seeing him hoist that trophy after Mor'kesh handed it to him."

"Going to be really weird seeing the Mercs play without him on the field, he's been a mainstay of this team for so long."

"And a vital part of five Title game runs along with two championships."

"Hall of Fame stuff?"

"It's possible, I mean I leave that up to the HoF selection committee..."

"Who seem to be more on the ball than the college limmie playoff selection committee..."

"...though I think he has a good shot. oh yeah, they're terrible. I heard their meeting was a real barn fire last weekend."

"Rumor is that they will be going to a seeded playoff format now..."

"Why didn't they have that before? I mean really?"

"...instead of regional based match... Oh I think, well yeah I agree, but before it was regional matchup to avoid long road trips or some crazy thing. This season the rumor is they are going to be seeded at the beginning of tournament and then play from there..."

"Well hopefully this gets the Bak10 and SEC commissioners off their case,...though from a selfish point of view it gave us a lot to talk about."

"Sure did."

"OK, now back to the game."

"Sure, sure."

"How about the play of the two time reigning MVP Fu Arock?"

"That was...that was some of the best play I've seen in any game, much less a Galactic Cup Final."

"He earned that playoff MVP award, that's for sure."

"He did, he really did. The Miners did a good job early on of trying to smother him, but with their defense nicked up by the injury..."

"Illness."

"...bug, they just couldn't keep with him and he put that game away late, just a tremendous, tremendous performance."

"Arock for mand'alor eh?"

"I'd vote for him for just about anything..."

"No kidding right? And how about Jaing?"

"His play early kept us in it until Arock could take off."

"He could have gotten MVP there too, he had what six assists?"

"Seven actually, to go along with the seven points."

"Tremendous, tremendous effort. And what about the hosts? Stewjon actually did a really nice job there..."

"They did, I liked how they acknowledged that not only was it a Galactic Cup Final, but the Coalition Memorial game as well..."

"I didn't expect that, the moment of silence and remembrance events before the game. That was a class act."

"Bet the Mercs front office will vote to keep them in the league now if the rumors are true and they're on the Mets are on the chopping block."

"I should think so. That was a really well done Finals... and if the way they put on that show is any indication of their own front office, they deserve to stick in the league."

"Well, we'll have time to discuss that later on but you know what?"

"What?"

"The rest of the show today...shab, for the rest of the week, we're devoting every minute to limmie and your Galactic Cup Champion Mando'ade Mercs. Enjoy it Mandalore, you deserve it."

​

TAG: Trieste




OOC:

• * Taken from "Cleveland is a city of Champions once again" following the Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 NBA Championship.
• **Adapted from Lebron James' "Cleveland this is for you" again following the Cleveland cavaliers 2016 NBA Championship
• *** Taken/adapted from Tiny Tunes

 

Interplanetary Cup Pool Play, Game 1

Group A:

Nar Shaddaa vs. Chiss Ascendancy (at “the Tank”, Mon Calamari) (2-12)

Hapes Consortium vs. Denon (at Imperial Centre Court, Bastion) (16-17)

Group B:

Dac vs. Mandalore (at Solo Stadium, Corellia) (20-3)

Bakura vs. Sabilon (at Thrawn Memorial Stadium, Csilla) (10-32)

Group C:

Rydonni Prime vs. Ralltiir (at “The Pond”, Naboo) (3-38)

Zeltros vs. Corellia (at Royal Limmie Grounds, Hapes) (37-28)

Group D:

Coruscant vs. Ord Sabaok (at Bakura Gardens, Bakura) (18-21)

Ryloth vs. Carratos (at Kenobi Field, Stewjon) (8-10)


TAG to Everyone

 

Approved by me because I'm an autocratic dictator.

Name: Patrixa “Trixie” Eldred Penn
Species: Human [Bakuran]
Gender: Female
Birth Year: 260 ABY
Physical appearance:

Homeworld: Bakura
Relation to Team: Player spouse
Brief Biography: Trixie Penn does not care. That’s why she chose the least caring profession in the galaxy: law. She cared enough about that to position herself to make Tiarest Law, the best law school on Bakura. Don’t think that had anything to do with her parents, Regan (a Supreme Court Justice) and Atticus Eldred (a respected trial attorney), and their hopes for her (she stopped caring about those a long time ago). She didn’t care where they wanted her to go to university or law school. Tiarest was simply the best route to getting a job where she could super duper not care about her clients (rich corporations) or her adversaries (other rich corporations). Trixie does not care about Bakura Miners limmie. In fact, she has been disappointed by their continual success. It’s getting in the way of seeing the look on her mother’s face when they go 0-11.

What Trixie does care about is her husband, Horst Penn, starting full back, walking comedy show, and constant natural disaster. She cares so much about Horst that she started sleeping with him while she was still in college and married him “too early” in the opinion of almost everyone who cared to express an opinion (which meant her entire extended family, who she very much does not care about).

Trixie so doesn’t care what happens to the Miners in 285. However, she would like her husband to win a Galactic Cup--mainly so she can use said Cup as a gelatin mold. Now that Horst’s contract with the Miners are up, those two things are no longer necessarily mutually exclusive...

TAG: None

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Team Bakura postgame comments after 22 point loss to Sabilon
  • Goalkeeper Marnie Blake (Tiarest U): "We knew this was going to be tough, but this was a whole different level of the game"
  • Defender Dalton Ward (Smugglers): "All of us have to be better, especially defensively. Our play today was unacceptable"
  • Midfielder Niall Bourdogny (Mariners): "From having spent a season playing with a lot of the Team Dac members, I know for certain that we have got to find the next level in our next game"
  • Head coach Gaeriel Valerii (Miners): "We just lost our margin for error"
    • Valerii remains firm that Deeenver, Joff, and Trieste will all not play in round robin games saying, "the risks outweigh the benefit. I believe in our starters"
  • Associate coach Dash Stonlon (Tiarest U) declines comment on recent interview with Starkillers organization, remains focused on the Interplanetary Cup

TAG: Bardan_Jusik Jedi Gunny Vehn

 

IC: Tomas Vigo

Thursday

When I was 8 years old I went to my first Limmie practice. I missed out on try-outs and had to find a willing team to take me. A team of 9-10 year old kids, because of my size I had to be played up. My father told me it wouldn’t be easy. I had a great Coach, you may know him, Ty Allin. Ty’s been teaching me to play Limmie since before my parents ever gave me permission to play. Ty warned me that playing Limmie wouldn’t be easy.

I could list every name of every being I’ve known and it seems like they all warned me that playing Limmie would be a lot of work. Well I have worked hard and today that paid off! Lots of people wonder why I took up midfield. My hero in life, my earliest coach and someone I am lucky to know so personally is Ty Allin. But I never considered defense. My older brother played forward and I can score just as good as he could. But I never considered offense. I’m not after the fame and glory. I’m after wins.

At midfield you have to be aware 100% of the time. You steal, you tackle, you dribble around your opponents and make them look incompetent. You’re the man behind the hero who scores the goals up front and you're the first line of defense. It’s the most challenging position on the field and Ty told me I had what it takes to be the best midfielder this Galaxy has ever seen.

Today Ty Allin I made you proud! Was it easy or did I just make it look easy? You decide.

Tag: none

 

​

IC: Meredith Chambers-Vayne
New Vertica, Nar Shaddaa

You can do this...you used to do this all the time...

Meredith Chambers Vayne reminded herself as she pushed up the steep aisles of New Six Boroughs stadium. Her knees burned, her legs ached a tender fire, her heart pulsed in her chest, and her breathing was short and ragged. She wanted to quit. She was on the verge of vomiting. She was pushing herself so hard. She'd been training to get her body back into some semblance of game shape for the last few weeks. Ever since the Interplanetary Cup had been announced.

Are you sure you can play the game again? When was the last time you played an active snap?

"11 years ago," Meredith said aloud to herself as she did another punishing climb toward the top of the upper deck. "The last game I ever played was against Rydonni Prime in 273. I'm well aware I'm one of the oldest to return to the beautiful game. I'm not going to give up. Not now, not ever!"

She pummelled the concrete stairs beneath her feet. She made extra emphasis to hit every step on the way down. The menacing midfield logo of the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers loomed up at her from her vantage point way up high in the stadium's nosebleeds. The lights made the pitch seem more green than ever before. Somehow this stadium seemed larger than she remembered. She was not intimidated by the prospect of suiting up again. She wasn't about to give up now. She was going to prove to her haters, to her critics, that she could play with the best.

She finished another section and collapsed into a seat looking down at the field below. Catching her breath, drinking water, it was then that she realized she'd never played in this stadium during her time with the team. In fact, now that she thought about it, this stadium hadn't even been built yet by the time she had finally hung up her cleats. New Six Boroughs Stadium had its inaugural season in 276. This was entirely different venue than the one she had prowled in her youth. Sure, she'd walked the sidelines as a coach at this newest incarnation of Six Boroughs but it had not been where her greatest days had been played. That site had been razed over a decade ago.

Meredith fought off the soreness in her legs, the burning in her knees, the protest of her aging joints, and headed down the stairs and out onto the pitch. There she shook hands with the other members of Team Nar Shaddaa. It was the first time a few of them had ever met the four time Galactic Cup champion. She exchanged a few words, a few tips, and then as if on cue the team assembled took their positions on the field for a skirmish.

Meredith trotted over to her natural position in the goalkeeper's box. She playfully tapped the metal goal posts. An old ritual. Something from the past. She settled into her stance as the ball came flying at her from Sol "Juice" Asandry, a reserve on the current Smuggler squad. She blinked. She missed the shot. She'd allowed a goal to slip across the threshold. Had it truly been so long since she'd been a force to reckoned with in the goal box? Seemed like just yesterday.

Another shot headed in her direction. This time it was high but arcing downward underneath the bar. She tensed and leaped in the air. Her back protested in spasms of pain as she extended her gloved hand upward. The ball easily cleared her outstretched fingers and zipped into the goal. She landed on her knees and nearly crumpled up in a ball as pain shot upward from her worn out knees. Had she forgotten how physical the game had been? Hadn't she been able to deflect that shot not so very long ago?

"Even a four time Galactic Cup champion needs a hand up every now and again," Erin Windreaver said extending her hand.

"Maybe I should've stayed on the sidelines," Meredith admitted.

"Sure," Erin replied, "you could've stayed on the sidelines but when Nar Shaddaa called to assemble their roster guess whose name was at the top of the list."

"Nice try," Meredith said, "but I'm afraid my best days are behind me."

"Perhaps," Erin admitted, "but you're still going to give it your all aren't you?"

"My mind wants to," Meredith replied, "my body on the other hand."

"You've been away from the game too long," Erin said as the scrimmage reset itself.

"Just promise me one thing," Meredith said as she settled back into her natural position on the pitch.

"Shoot."

"You won't go easy on me?"

"Go easy on a four time Galactic Cup champion?" Erin said with a grin, "Never."

"Then let's begin again," Meredith replied.

She set her feet and focused on a heater coming right her. She felt the old instincts return. The focus. The passion. The energy. She moved toward the boloball and punched outward with a gloved fist.

Deflection.

Time to Rise, Meredith, Time to Rise.

---

The Tank, Mon Calamari
Group A-The Chiss Ascendancy

Meredith hopped from one foot to the other as she waited for her name to be announced over the public address system. Her gloves were tight. Her laces were cinched down. Her jersey had never looked better. They'd even allowed her to wear her old jersey number. Number 13. She was wearing the new uniform now. The one from when Kaitlyn had reinvisioned the Smugglers. That was perfectly fine with her. She was the epitomy of past meeting present.

"Introducing the goalkeeper for Team Nar Shaddaa," the announcer said his voice booming in one of the loudest venues in Elite League Limmie, "four time Galactic Cup champion-"

The stadium shook as the crowd pushed the decibels higher and harder. Meredith closed her eyes as she fought off her nerves. This was her first game back in years. This was her first time back in the saddle since walking away in 273. She felt the energy of the crowd surge downward into the tunnel. Now was the time. There was only one direction to go: forward.

"Meeeereeeediiiith Chaaaaaambeerrrssssss Vaaaaaaynnnneeee!!" The announced shouted as Meredith took the pitch, eyes open, ears alert, body and mind at the ready for what was to come.

Meredith trotted around the sideline shaking hands with the team members from the Chiss Ascendancy, greeting her fellow squadmates from Nar Shaddaa, and waving to the crowd which leaned heavily in favor of Nar Shaddaa due to geographical proximity. It felt so good to be back. How could she have ever left?

She settled in between the pipes. Her home away from home. The place where she had made so many records, where she had created a dead zone for opposing offenses, the place where she had struck fear in the hearts of her enemies. She made a quick cut on the grass to test the footing. It held. Her right knee was acting up again. The old injury, the one that had nearly ended her career. She had to power through, somehow.

The game began.

"Bring it," Meredith challenged herself out loud.


"Bring it."

The final score ended in a Chiss Ascendancy win. Meredith had been caught off guard by the speed of the game. By the ferocity of the attacks. The loss had made her question everything.

How will you write your story now, Meredith? Are you so sure you made the best decision in choosing to come back for the Interplanetary Cup?

Tag: Trieste (who gave me permission to pull a beloved character out of the archives); Jedi Gunny (For creating an awesome outlet for Limmie)

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Ralltiir Starkillers announce the hiring of Dash Stonlon as head coach
  • Stonlon is currently serving as associate coach of Team Bakura in Interplanetary Cup
  • Stonlon: "I never thought I'd be a head coach in the ELL again. I am honored and flattered to have this opportunity with a team like the Starkillers"
• Jon Draper, head coach of UBSD, which lost the Bak10 title to rivals Tiarest University led by Stonlon on Dash's departure: "Stonlon as Tiarest head coach? This never happened. It will shock you how much this never happened"
• HSN analyst on first round of Interplanetary Cup: "Tomas Vigo is the real deal. After a lot of favorites going down, he made Ralltiir look good"

TAG: Runjedirun, who now has full control over Dash Stonlon

 

IC: Gark S’rily
Bakura Gardens, Bakura

Somehow, it seemed fitting that the first game of a new tournament, unlike anything that had ever been seen before, was on such familiar grounds.

Unfortunately, those familiar grounds also happened to be a place where most Coruscant Limmie fans despised.

It felt odd to be suiting up for a game here at Bakura Gardens, Gark noticed, and not be playing against the Miners. Team Bakura was on a far-flung world, and in their place was Team Ord Sabaok. Neither team was the true ‘home’ team today, although Team Coruscant would be the ‘road’ team and wear their road uniforms. Though the Senators were a big deal on Coruscant, the organizers of Team Coruscant had decided to go in a different direction for their home and road colors. Instead of the black and orange uniforms that the Senators wore, Team Coruscant would be wearing jerseys more akin to those of the Thyferra Force. They had a dark blue home uniform with light blue accents, and their road jersey was light blue with some dark blue accents and streaks of black. The color scheme belonged to the Galactic Republic in its current iteration. The ultimate irony here was that the team from Coruscant, not Bakura, would be wearing blue here. At least it wasn’t dark blue, because that would have been even weirder.

No one quite knew the stakes of the game. It was the first of three pool play matches in Group D for the tournament, the group consisting of Coruscant, Ord Sabaok, Carratos, and Ryloth. The top two teams would make it to Mandalore for the Group Final, and all four teams wanted to get that far. In order to do that, a team had to gain as many points as they could in pool play matches; 3 points came for a win, 1 for an overtime game. A loss meant getting 0 points, and there was little margin for error. Though one loss would not cripple a team, it would make the hole a lot deeper. Winning was very important.

When the teams took the field, the anthems of the two planets were played. Team Ord Sabaok wore the same color uniforms as their college team, scarlet and silver. Christine Gamble, the Senator corner back, was the star player for her world’s team, and would be a force in this game. Team Coruscant had two anthems played, one for the world of Coruscant, and the other as the Anthem of the Republic. They were vastly different, but given that Coruscant was the figurehead planet of the Republic, it was fitting that both anthems be played. They weren’t just representing Coruscant; they were also showcasing the might of the Republic. It was a blessing and a burden, an advantage and a curse. Yet it came with the territory on the Galactic Capital.

The game was tight throughout. Gark had placed young full forward Jahayla Sofis at the full forward position, and the Echani cross-breed player responded. She scored two goals and assisted on two other scores for her team, and made a nice play to rob their opponents of a fast break opportunity. On defense, Team Coruscant found it difficult to get into a good rhythm, and it cost them several times. Gark’s strategy of switching out his larger defenders for smaller yet faster ones worked some of the time, but not enough. Ord Sabaok, despite its lack of Elite League power, still found holes to exploit. Senator legends Dirxx Horstse and Shayt Contar were struggling to keep up with the younger players, and Gark continuously wondered why he let them be on the team when he had younger options available to him.

With a minute left, it came down to a tie game between the two teams at 18. Ord Sabaok had the ball, and Dwayne Hicks was ready to go. The Draft-eligible player took the inbounds pass, but found himself stopped up by Kaboole Picka, the Coruscant defender. Hicks muscled his way through Picka, who was unable to match the physicality that Hicks possessed, and he made his way into the teeth of the Senator defense. Four defenders were in the game to keep Ord Sabaok off-balance, but Hicks would not be denied. He shed a tackle attempt by Wahay Contar, and then got off a shot a split-second before Dev Poletin got in a good lick on him. The ball got past Liz Wilder’s fingers for a goal.

Those would be the pivotal points in the game, as Team Ord Sabaok won it 21-18. It was a bitter loss to swallow for Team Coruscant; they had come in as favorites given their experience, but the other team had just been better. They now had two games left, and would likely have to win both in order to advance. Some adjustments would need to be made if they were going to win in their next game out; the defense, especially, required some work. This was a completely different style of game than the normal 15-on-15 sport that Gark had coached for so many years. And the atmosphere was vastly different as well, so there was a lot of learning to be done on the fly.


TAG: No One

 

IC: Trixie Penn
Salis D'aar, Bakura

"Honey, do you remember what channel the Agamar game is on? I've looked at like a bajillion channels and I can't find it."

These were the words that greeted Trixie as she came out of the bedroom. Well, that and the sight of her husband in sweats and a University of Agamar t-shirt that was probably a size too small for him now. It looked like he really had bulked up since playing in the ELL.

"I told you yesterday--" and the day before that and the day before that, "--Team Agamar didn't make the Interplanetary Cup," Trixie said in her usual tone conveying disgust, lack of interest, and general annoyance with the galaxy in general. It was also the tone she used to tell her husband that she loved him, which he totally understood in only the way an Agamarian male who played professional limmie could. "If there was a Team Agamar, you'd be on it, Horst."

Horst Penn smacked his forehead with one hand. "Right! D'uh! I keep forgetting that." He was quiet for a second as he flipped through channels. "Hey babe, do you remember what channel the Team Bakura game is on?" Horst asked.

"Have you tried the BBC?" Trixie asked as she opened their fridge to get some juice. "You know, the Bakuran Broadcasting Channel?"

"You really think they'd have it? I mean, why would Team Bakura be on the Bakuran Broadcasting Channel?" Horst seriously questioned.

"Humor me," Trixie said in her most humorless voice possible.

Horst complied and found the pregame show for the first match of the Interplanetary Cup for the planetary squad, which would be played against Team Sabilon. "Hey! What do you know! There it is!"

"Good job, hun," Trixie complimented him as she drank the purple juice of some origin that she didn't really care to know about.

"Man, you're good at knowing where pizza is and you know what channel the game is on. You're like the most amazing wife ever. Someone should make you macaroni art that says 'Best Wife In The History of the Galaxy.'" Horst got off the couch. "Hey, you're wearing like real clothes today! And it matches your breakfast. Is that a new fashion thing?"

It was true. Trixie was actually wearing something approximating a dress. It was plum, like the glass of indeterminate liquid.

"They had it on the news last night. You can't eat anything unless it matches your outfit," Trixie lied to her husband, something she did constantly. Naturally, it was because she loved him so much.

Horst looked at his shirt. "Do we have anything yellow and green in the fridge? I think I have to have that for breakfast now."

"Sorry, I ate our last kumquat last night. You'll have to starve to death. It'll be awful and painful and long and I'll sit watching you with a bowl of popcorn," Trixie said flatly.

"I love you too honey," Horst said, kissing Trixie on her forehead. "So, now that you're dressed so nicely, how about you take all those clothes off?"

"That sounds, like, a billion times better than looking for a job, which I have to do today," Trixie sighed. "It's so stupid."

"I told you, I make a lot of credits. You don't have to work," Horst said. "You can stay at home and do awesome things like...like...be awesome."

"Actually, at the moment you make zero credits. Your contract expired," Trixie reminded her husband.

"Oh right! I keep forgetting about that!" Horst said, as if this was the first time he was hearing about that.

"So then you didn't call Coruscant, Ralltiir, Nar Shaddaa, Rydonni Prime, Carratos, Hapes, and Kuat like I told you do, did you?" Trixie chided him.

"I must have forgotten while I was playing ELL 285 on the Holonet. That game is really hard."

"Unlike your day job," Trixie muttered before finishing her purple juice.

"Honey, I'm totally going to call Mando'ade today," Horst promised.

"Horst!" Trixie growled. "We hate them! They denied you a Galactic Cup only a few months ago!"

"Oh right. But they were so good! I mean, I'd get to play with Fu Arock! He's hilarious!" Horst said. "Maybe I need a catchphrase. 'You just got Horsed!'"

"One, we are never saying that again. Two, do not call Mando'ade," Trixie instructed her husband. "Three, did you sign that document I asked you about?"

"Yes. I totally did," Horst promised.

Trixie checked her datapad. She then held it up so Horst could see the document, sans signature.

"Okay, no. I totally did not," Horst corrected.

Trixie handed him the datapad and Horst signed it.

"I have to go. Love you," Trixie said, kissing her husband.

"Love you too."

Turning around in the door, Trixie said, "Make sure you want to record the game. I want to watch all the shots of Falene on the bench sulking because Valerii won't let her play. Also, all the goals that Sabilon scores. And all the shots that Team Bakura misses. And all the tackles they miss too. Basically everything they do wrong all game long."

"Sounds good honey!" Horst said. "Bye!"

Trixie shut the door behind her and sighed. Her husband was an idiot and she loved him. This was her life. It was awesome.

TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja galactic-vagabond422 jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Runjedirun The Mad Zookeeper Vehn

 

IC: Lucy Heart
Kenobi Field, New Ayotte, Stewjon

Lucy stood as close to the wide transparasteel window of the box as she dared. Looking down on the field, it was a feeling she had never experienced. Though the game was being broadcast up to holos in the box she wanted to see it with her own eyes. She'd seen the games her friends played in person but, she never got the chance to see an ELL level game. What surprised her the most was the speed. Limmie was a fast game, and the Pirates played it at the fastest setting but, the sevens format turned it into lightning.

The three starters, Leigh, Else and Seiji, were amazing. They rarely missed a pass and always seemed to know where each other was. Whenever one of them were taken out, the others always seemed to be nearby to fight for the fumble. All eyes were on Leigh, she was the captain and seemed a natural. Each attack started with her, blazing a trail down the field, pulling defenders. They were so focused on her that they never saw Else coming. The red hair half forward took a long dump pass from Leigh and put a pinpoint accurate shot off her foot into the top corner.

Their coordination was…amazing, nearly breath taking. Her friends were good but, these players were on a different level. There moves were so fast, so fluid, and it wasn't just the team from Carratos, dressed in dark blue and bright red. The Twi'leks of Ryloth were putting up a fight as well, making smart plays and capitalizing on the precious few mistakes the Carratosians made. Zeus Syndulla was dominating in the midfield, muscling out Laz Umbria one of the young midfielders brought onto the team from the Corsairs after their run in the collegiate playoffs.

The Twi'leks pushed back hard clashing into the strong defense of Mikia, Boutros, and Kala. They were tough, leveling crushing hits on the offense. Even in the first ten minutes it was apparent that Carratos was going all out, holding nothing back. The chant picked up, audible even up in Lucy's box,

"Second Chance Second Chance"

That was why, why this team was giving their all, Carratos was one of the most local teams in the league, over half of the players were from the planet. Each loss wasn't just a loss for the team but, for the planet itself. This was their chance to redeem themselves to bring back a little pride after the lackluster season.

When the Pirates won, it was always a cause for celebration in Fairy Tail, though they didn't need much. Lucy can still remember the long nights that were had after wins for the Black and White, and the fights that would break out. It was never anything serious, just young people roughhousing, though there were times that the 'Old Man' or 'Gramps' as some of the children called him had to put his foot down. It was all in good fun, and brought them closer together. Thinking back to those times, the young woman's heart pained her. She was far away from the friends she'd come to love as a family.

With a deep breath she brought her focus back onto the game at hand, the half was almost over and Ryloth had managed to tie it up. Both teams were fighting tooth and nail to go into the half up by even a single point. The defenses weren't making it easy, swarming whoever had possession before they could get a shot off, before they could even get a pass out. Boutros leapt into the air, the magenta defender looming tall over the on coming forward. The shot went up but was instantly smacked down by the flying Zeltron. The crowd erupted in a cheer, looking at the sideline, Tian was on her feet cheering with the same fervor as the crowd.

The halftime came with both teams still tied at 3 apiece. Lucy's hands shook with nerves. It was still so close. What happens if Carratos loses, when they are expected to sail through this play? Will it be another black mark on the team, a team that fell apart after coming so far? No she couldn't think like that, she had to remain positive, this team could pull it out, they could win, they had to. Her friends would be inconsolable if their home threw the first game of the IC. Lucy had to admit she would be too though she wasn't as into sports as her friends it would still hurt to see her home lose.

The teams came out to start the second half and Lucy was surprised to see Tian, Nara and Car’rick take the field. They were the reserves, was Logan resting his starters, making sure they were ready when they needed them. Behind her Schnitt raised an eyebrow, letting out a low hum. Tian led the charge, not taking full command like Leigh had in the first half but, she played with a fire in her it seemed, tearing though the defense. Nara was also very scrappy, getting in the middle of plays, breaking them up even taking a few hits along the way.

This line up was made to take punishment, and give it right back. Even the youngest, Car'rick, he showed no fear, no hesitation diving after lose balls and keeping them in play. Every hit they took, they doled out two more. This was Carratos limmie, rough, in your face, and unrelenting. Where the starting forwards were smooth, and in sync, the reserves were hard and, precise, always knowing where to be to break up the next play. They might not have many shots on goal but, they were delaying the Twi'leks' offense, draining precious seconds off the clock. Was this Logan's plan?
The game slowed way down, turning into a grinding slog for Ryloth. Every time they tried to get it out of their zone they were stymied by the Carratos forwards. Tian, Nara, and, Car'rick were relentless in going after the ball carrier, leveling hard hits against the defenders. It wasn't one sided though Ryloth fought back, and just a hard. Pain was being taken and given by both sides though it seemed the team in blue and red was holding an edge keeping the defenders trapped in their own zone as time ebbed away. The Twi'leks seemed to be getting frustrated at the current play, their moves becoming more and more disjoined.

Eventually they did break out of the punishing forecheck charging down the field the net set firmly in their eyes. The forwards passed beautifully amongst themselves dancing around the Carratosian defenders. It was graceful and almost elegant. A complete change from the rough slugfest the other side had turned into with all of the delaying tactics used by Carratos. Kala broke up a pass but, couldn't get a hold of it. A Twi'lek forward played it with his feet deftly getting around the towering back. A quick cross pass to his partner on the other side of the goal mouth, and the ball hit the back of the net, over a scrambling Qazi.

Lucy looked to the sideline, would this be the moment Logan put L.E.S back into the game? The three forwards were on their feet, ready to jump out there. The substitutions never came the young woman up in the box couldn't see what he did but, it seemed that he wasn't putting his best forwards out, not just yet. The team reset and the ball made its way up to the forwards, once Car'rick got a hand on it the tempo changed. With a burst of speed the Twi'lek with dark colored arms rushed though the defense cutting them to ribbons with his fast feet.

Almost as if from the ether Tian was there just on the other side of him, calling for a pass. Once Car'rick broke free of the last defender he tossed a pass the Pantoran's way. Time slowed, the Ryloth defense was rushing towards the ball and the eventual recipient. Tian charged forward snatching the ball out of the air. She turned and threw the ball with almost impossible force sending it screaming up into the top corner. She took a hit from a defender in the moment after the shot left her hand. She hit the ground hard but, still saw her shot go in.

After that play the switch was made, Leigh, Else, and, Seiji were put back into play. Instantly the game went into hyperspace. The Twi'leks struck back netting a bar point to put them up by one. With all the time the reserves had wasted there wasn't much left for Carratos to wait around for an opening. They rushed down flowing like water around the defense, ball moving seamlessly between each of them. Again most of the focus was on Leigh, the undoubted powerhouse of the team. That just meant it was easier for her line mates to make plays, and make them they did. Seiji picked up a fumble and put it into the goal before anyone knew what was happening.

On the throw in Else got a cheeky steal and converted it into a bar point. Time was running out, Ryloth was down by a goal and couldn't wait around. They burst through the forwards and the midfield still under the near complete control of Syndulla, to enter the Carratos defensive zone. Mikia made the first hit welcoming them to a place they hadn't been that often. Boutros took a swipe next slowing down the offense by breaking up a cross field pass. Last came Kala the one being wall of the back line. Ryloth tried to just blow past him but, he was having none of it, crushing the ball carrier.

The Twi'leks managed to recover it but had lost so much time by this point and had only one option, shoot. And they did, the ball hurdled towards the top of the net. The world nearly stopped, the fans held their breaths, even in the box everything was deathly quiet for the moments it took the ball to travel through space. Qazi leapt up tentacles twitching, would he get there in time? His fist rocketed upward connecting with the bottom of the incoming shot, knocking it over the bar, for a single point. The clock hit zero and the stands exploded with cheers, 'Drunken Spacer' rang out across the field, this was a victory but, there would need to be many more if they wanted to make it to the finals.

Lucy was jumping up in celebration, they did it, her home won, part of her knew that this was only the first but, just pulling this one out was enough for her right now. Her only wish was that her friends were here to share it with her.

TAG: No One

 

Interplanetary Cup Scores, Pool Play Game 2 (of 3)

Group A:

Chiss Ascendancy vs. Hapes Consortium (at Denon Stadium, Denon) (3-2)

Nar Shaddaa vs. Denon (at Stoney End Park, Chandrila) (35-16)

Group B:

Mandalore vs. Sabilon (at Imperial Centre Court, Bastion) (19-4)

Dac vs. Bakura (at Vandelhelm Stadium, Vandelhelm) (26-8)

Group C:

Ralltiir vs. Zeltros (at Mesh'la Vhetin, Mandalore) (11-23)

Corellia vs. Rydonni Prime (at “The Tank”, Mon Calamari) (23-0)

Group D:

Coruscant vs. Ryloth (at “The Pond”, Naboo) (40-36)

Carratos vs. Ord Sabaok (at Solo Stadium, Corellia) (21-36)


TAGS to Everyone: jcgoble3, Trieste, CPL_Macja, Vehn, Bardan_Jusik, Runjedirun, galactic-vagabond422

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• In wake of Interplanetary Cup results, several HSN commentators question why Caffrette McMee of Tiarest University is ranked as the top forward in this year's draft
  • "Team Bakura has scored 18 points in two games. I wouldn't touch McMee in the first round. Maybe not even the second"
  • "I'd take Dwayne Hicks before I even thought about McMee"
  • "Either Yin Sun or Hudsen are more ready for the ELL than McMee"
  • "Given how many points Team Bakura has given up, I think DaVonta and Malu are both right where they should be. But McMee? Hear that whistle? It's the hype hovertrain leaving the station"
  • "McMee would have been better off declining a spot on Team Bakura. This has wrecked her Draft stock. Not even a Helmsman win could resuscitate her at this point"

TAG: Draft watchers (and also I love these Interplanetary Cup results, mainly because McMee was based on a certain player I loathe at the moment who is getting hyped up the wazoo but will likely be a terrible NFL player )

 

College Award Winners (announced one week after the College Final):

Ruy Gey Award for Best Goalkeeper:
Helen Ripley (Human, Female, Goaltender, Vertical City University)

Grazo Award for Best Corner or Full Back:
Norm Hoti (Human, Male, Corner Back, Balmorra State University)

Outlandi Award for Best Interior Defender:
Carly Ly’Rane (Human, Female, Half Back, Namaryne System University)

Batkis Award for Best Midfielder:
Zin Zarack (Twi'lek, Male, Midfielder, The Ord Sabaok University)

Bulitnekoff Award for Best Corner or Full Forward:
Caffrette McMee (Human [Bakuran], Female, Corner Forward, Tiarest University)

Lombardee Award for Best Interior Forward:
Shuri Kaniyas (Barabel, Male, Half Forward, Balmorra State University)

Myxwell Award for Best Offensive Player:
Shuri Kaniyas (Barabel, Male, Half Forward, Balmorra State University)

Remmiton Award for Best Defensive Player:
Norm Hoti (Human, Male, Corner Back, Balmorra State University)

Helmsman Finalists:
Shuri Kaniyas (Barabel, Male, Half Forward, Balmorra State University)
Zeegal (Gran, Male, Full Back, Malastare Tech (D-III))
Norm Hoti (Human, Male, Corner Back, Balmorra State University)
Ralf Farmhand (Human, Male, Goal Keeper, Mos Eisley University, Tatooine)
Zin Zarack (Twi'lek, Male, Midfielder, The Ord Sabaok University)

Helmsman Winner:

Spoiler

Shuri Kaniyas (Barabel, Male, Half Forward, Balmorra State University)

TAG: Jedi Gunny Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja Trieste galactic-vagabond422 Vehn Runjedirun The Mad Zookeeper

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Bak10 Commissioner Kerry Trieste appears on The Nightly Show with Rurra Eshka'mos and talks limmie
  • "I haven't seen a new playoff format yet"
  • "If the rumors are true that they're moving to a rankings-based selection format for who makes the playoffs, then it's very similar to the proposal I took to the GCAA"
  • "Making the rankings the basis of who gets in the playoffs would solve a lot of problems. For example, I'd think that they would take into account the fact that the Carnation Bowl pits two power conferences against each other, like they did this year. That means there's a reason for the Bak10 and Super 16 to play each other in that game"
  • When asked about recent criticisms about McMee's readiness for the ELL: "We're talking about the best front three player in the game last year who's playing against ELL-level professionals"
    • Eshka'mos: "Are you saying this because you pushed for Bak10 players to make Team Bakura?"
    • Trieste: "I'm saying it because it's the truth. McMee had a fantastic year. She deserved to make the team"
  • On the Mets' recent demotion: "It was a shame. They had two seasons in the League and they made the playoffs one of those years. Is that really cause for demotion?"
    • Eshka'mos: "If you were Commissioner, would you have done it?"
    • Trieste: "That's one of the nice things about being a college commissioner, Rurra. I don't have to kick teams out"
    • Eshka'mos: "But would you have?"
    • Trieste: "I don't see the ledgers like the ELL does. When I do, then I can make that call"

TAG: Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Tomas Vigo

Saturday

Zeltros came into this tournament ready to play. Two games in a row they have dominated traditionally strong Limmie planets. I’m sorry to say that today they dominated us. I’ve been through a lot, losing a game shouldn’t be upsetting. Losing today is upsetting. Losing today hurt.

After the game our team boarded the shuttle for our next destination and our game against Corellia. This is the biggest game of my life. There is so much pressure. Win or go home.

I know we just left Ralltiir two weeks ago. I know we only played two games. Maybe that’s why I’m not ready for this journey to be over. On the shuttle this evening I sat down with coach Reeser and we talked about how to channel my feelings and energy in a positive way so I can perform at my peak and help team Ralltiir be victorious.

I can’t promise a win. I do promise to play my best. I promise to make you proud.



IC: Richard Vigo

Reading my brother’s blog was more difficult that I thought it would be. It wasn’t the things he said, it was all the things he didn’t say. His post was short, to the point and I had to give him credit for keeping it positive. Here at home I was doing the same. I’d offered Dash Stonlon the head coaching position and I was relieved when he accepted the offer. I had struggled with the hire. I knew in my heart that Ty Allin was more than qualified. In the end experience won out. Allin was a good sport and content to be Dash’s assistant.

There was so much going for us. A new head coach and Tomas starting college in a few short months. At the same time there was a dark cloud looming, a cloud that got closer every day. Trey Till’s trial. My mother had accepted Trey back into her life. Tomas had been practically raised by Trey. They could see beyond the fact that Bat was dead. I wasn’t as forgiving,I couldn’t condone what he had done. At the same time my family’s happiness was important to me. I had to trust the court system to solve this problem for me. I had to help my family through it and be there for them as things progressed. I turned around in my home office and saw Ryan in the doorway.

“Richie, you coming to bed?” He asked.

“Eventually,” I replied as I turned back to my data pad. I was looking over a list of pro’s and con’s that Loren Jul had been nice enough to compile about each player with an expiring contract on our current roster.

Ryan walked into the room, put his hands on my shoulders and began to knead away the stress. I allowed myself to relax and enjoy the husband I was so blessed to have.

The next day Ty brought T.J. and Ezra over to play with Jimsey while he and I discussed player contracts. I was feeling a lot more confident about who we would want to keep and Jimsey was getting to know his cousins. It was important because they would go to school together in two short weeks.

IC: Tomas Vigo

Tuesday

So a lot of beings have asked me my opinion about the college awards. I really don’t have much to say except…What a farce! UTA wins the championship and not a single award.

Team Ralltiir has been practicing hard for our game against Corellia. I’m excited, nervous and ready to play! Ty Allin showed up with my nephews to cheer me on in person. Here goes nothin’!

IC: Richard Vigo

I had my feet propped in Ryan’s lap. He was working magic with one of his famous massages. It felt amazing after a long hard run. Ty had insisted on taking Jimsey to the match against Corellia so Ryan and I were alone. It was something we hadn’t been since adopting Jimsey. I had promised Tomas to watch my mother, so I remained on Ralltiir. It wasn’t like Trey Till could leave planet with murder charges pending. I grabbed the remote and flipped on the holo.

There was my little brother, surrounded by grown beings. A 17 year old boy in an adult world. Confidently he dribbled the ball up and down the field warming up for a game he was born to play. “Here we go Ralltiir,” Ryan said.

“Here we go,” I mumbled in reply.

Tag: No one

 

Taungsday Morning News and Notes:

• Mando'ade Mercs Goalkeeper Mij Katan announces his retirement from the game of limmie. Katan is a two time Galactic Cup Champion and an 13 year veteran of the league.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the retirement of halfback Ciegarth.

• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of Midfielder Kyr Irvin to a one year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of Center Half Forward La'Bron Jaing to a one year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of Left Half Forward Ariva Kendel to a three year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of Right Corner Forward Ama'ri Koop'er to a three year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of backup Fullback Laqis Turnud to a one year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of backup cornerback Gasnar to a two year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of backup halfback Mike doubleday to a three year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of backup midfielder Viela Pahre toi a two year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of backup half forward Toni Deltwagotolio to a one year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of backup cornerforward Krieg to a two year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of backup full forward Shayne to a two year contract extension.
• Mando'ade Mercs announce the signing of reserve Defensive back Komodo Lecroix to a one year contract extension.

• Mando'ade Mercs announce the release to free agency of backup midfielder Do'h Bartman (Zabrak Male).

---

IC: The Rancor Pitt

"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! From downtown Keldabe, on a cold and rainy, Taungsday afternoon. Welcome on into the Rancor Pitt, here on your wave home of the 284 Galactic Cup Champion Mando'ade Mercs. I'm Randy the Rancor, he's Justin Pitt. Liz Baker on the boards, with Kitterich on the other side of the glass and oh baby do we have a show for you. How ya doin' Justin?"

"I'm good, i'm good. You catch that Zeltros game last night?"

"Catch it? Yeah I was there!"

"Oh you were? Man that looked like a fun game. good to see a lot of locals showing up for this event even though it featured two off world teams."

"Yeah it was a fun game, and the crowd was great, Mandalorians love their limmie, even if we didn't have a team I think the fans here would all find someone to root for."

"Oh I wonder who would get the most love then..."

"Not that team from Nal Hutta's moon, I can tell you that much."

"What if that squad had the most Mandalorians on it?"

"Well, OK, maybe then."

"Ha!"

"The Mandalorian team seems to be doing OK in their pool, the so called pool of death, so far even without having any ELL or even PLL or LFL players on their roster."

"Yeah, one and one with that big game against the Bakuran's left."

"Aren't they 0-2?"

"I think so, which means..."

"Due for a win."

"Yeah probably."

"Well, we'll see. Mercs weren't supposed to have much of a chance against the Miners a few weeks ago and look how great that turned out!"

"Sure, sure. Interesting to see with all the amateurs how the some player's draft stock is being affected."

"Yeah, Kind of thought maybe A'pon'e was making a mistake by not trying out for the Mandalorian squad, but I wonder if he actually made the right choice now."

"I know McHee's stock has fallen like a rock with the Bakuran team's showing, at least so far."

"Yeah, watch her put up double digits on the Mandalorian team now."

"That would impress everyone, and be a disappointment to the Mercs organization too."

"The Mercs?"

"Talking to them it seems they want to work her out, have a feeling she might drop to the lower part of the first round with her poor play."

"They have the last pick in the first though, think she would fall that far?"

"I dunno, I can't see Bakura passing on her. I really can't."

"Even if they do, would she be a talent the Mercs would even want then?"

"Oh yeah, she has talent, could just be the bright stage of a new event. Kind of unusual circumstances she is playing under now. Get her into the Mercs system and I see a potential all-star there."

"Mercs could always try to trade up for her if they think they need to get ahead of Bakura."

"She's good, but I am not sure she is worth trading away a draft for though."

"Wouldn't have to, we have five picks."

"Five? I thought we had four. Our own and then Ralltiir's second rounder."

"It's five, we have the Hapan's third rounder too."

"They're not in the draft this year though, some kind of..."

"Doesn't mean we lose their pick, we just get it slotted where they would have been in the third round if they were participating."

"Really?"

"Pretty sure that's how it works."

"Well then, that's a...

"If that's true then it's a late third rounder, they made the playoffs too, but it might be enough to sweeten the pot and trade up if Vizsla decides he needs to get ahead of the smug dragon."

"Do the Mercs even need a corner forward though? I though we resigned Koop'er."

"Yeah we did, but the Crusaders need all the help they can get, and after an abysmal season Lostsoul, one of their corner forwards is retiring."

"So trade up to take a developmental player in the first round? yeah, not buying that at all now."

"Well, they may have to take someone like that early, not too much offense in the draft this year."

"Well who else do the Mercs have to replace?"

"Backup goalkeeper is a big need with Katan leaving and taking the head coaching job at Concord War College out on Concord Dawn."

"That's probably where you will see the Mercs spend that first round pick then, whichever of Ripley or Farmhand drops to them."

"Or maybe they trade up to grab..."

"Could be."

"They also have need a halfback and a midfielder."

"They can wait until the third round for that halfback. Lots of defense in this draft, which I know you love"

"I do, I really do.

"You know, with the Mercs having two picks in the second round, they could grab both a midfielder and a halfback there."

"Still thinking they end up using one of their second or even third rounders to trade up and grab whichever 'keeper they like best, so might not have that second round pick."

"What if they don't?"

"Then yeah, use their first three picks to fill holes on the Mercs roster and the third rounders to stash developmental players on the Crusaders..."

"They were horrible this year, like really dreadful."

"Yeah it's a good thing the Mercs don't have too many holes to fill...well starting goalkeeper, but that's being filled internally, because there is no help ready for them in the LFL."

"Valabax is retired too, after the injury he sustained."

"Yeah we didn't cover that too much, but the Crusader's fullback is gone too so maybe that's where they draft someone like an A'Pon'e if he is available, to stick on the Crusader's roster and hope he develops."

"I could see that happening."

"What about free agency?"

"What about it?"

"The Mercs could fill some holes there."

"They could, but like we were saying, they don't have too many holes to fill. They actually signed most of their potential free agents this off season."

"I've heard rumors about Horst Penn..."

"Vizsla has coveted him for years, and he would be an immediate upgrade on this defense, but I doubt even Vizsla could pull that off."

"Blip Sayless has reported actually that contract talks between the Mercs and Penn are advancing though..."

"Sayless? The buffoon from HSN..."

"He's at Channel One Spo..."

"Doesn't matter where he's at, he's an idiot. If he says the Mercs are the top contender to nab Penn, you can be sure the opposite is true."

"Hey, just passing along what has been reported out there."

"Well if it's from him, then don't. Just don't."

"Fine..."

"Hope I'm wrong though. Penn would look great in a Mercs jersey."

"Yeah he would."

"He would look even better in no jersey..."

"Liz, he's married!"

"Does he know that?"

"That's a legitimate question..."

"OK, so what other free agents might be on the Mercs wish list?"

"I think it all depends on how the draft pans out for them, luckily they have more picks than they have roles to fill, so they are kind of coming into the off season from a position of strength."

"Coming off a Galactic Cup championship, that's a pretty nice spot to be in."

"Yeah it is, and that's probably why Vizsla won the GM of the year award even in a season where Bakura put together the better regular season team, and it's why I am guessing he won't just sit on his laurels this draft either. Look for something, whether packaging picks to trade up or flipping current picks for future picks or even players, I am sure Vizsla has something up his armored sleeve trying to improve the team and bring back to back titles to the Mandalorian Mercs."

TAG: Trieste.

 

IC: Gark S’rily
”The Pond”, Naboo

It was a picture-perfect day on the idyllic world of Naboo as Game 2 of Group D play would be featured at the venue they called “The Pond”. It was the kind of setting that anyone would want for a nice vacation; sloping hills, quaint lakes dotting the rolling meadows that seemingly stretched out to eternity, and a nice, quiet atmosphere to its cities. It truly was a peaceful place, a picturesque background that paired perfectly with the Naboo people’s mantra to rely on negotiations rather than force to solve their problems.

But the field would be anything but untouched and pristine. On the field, between Team Coruscant and Team Ryloth, there would be a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to go down between the two teams. Both squads entered with a loss in Game 1, so winning here was essential to keep the hopes of making it to the Group Final on Mandalore alive. And the wily Bothan at the helm of Team Coruscant understood that perfectly. It was not the first time that Gark had found himself in the middle of a pressure situation. He had faced many of them on and off the field over the years, the Limmie exploits mixing together with his achievements as a crime-fighter and do-gooder. But, no matter how many times one went into a pressure-filled arena, there was always a hint of nervousness, a hint of questioning oneself in the face of long odds. Those were the questions that asked: “What am I doing here? I’m not good enough to get through this.” And the only way to silence those questions was to go out into the arena and fight with the highest integrity that a being could perform. It began, and ended, with effort and heart.

As the anthem for Team Coruscant played throughout the stadium, Gark took a quick peek at his players. He could see Dirxx Horstse, the living legend, standing there with a sense of purpose on his face. The Besalisk had been embarrassed by his performance in the first game, and he wanted to make it right this time out. Gark had enough experience with the former captain to know that when Drixx told himself that he would make an impact, he would do just that. There was a reason the Senator defenses the man had helmed were good on a repetitive basis. He knew how to play defense, and despite his advanced age, those killer instincts were still there. The only question was if the body could keep up, taking hits and trying to keep stride with younger players.

There was Jahayla Sofis, the brash young Echani forward. She always had a look of determination on her face, and one was wise not to question her motivation. The biggest question with her was knowing the source of her motivation; she almost never disclosed anything about her personal life or her past, just commenting that she had found a permanent home on Coruscant and left it at that. No one truly knew where she was from or why she was fixing speeders in a dilapidated garage to earn a living instead of playing college ball. Sometimes there were questions that were better left unasked, but sometimes Gark wanted to know where this forward had come from and why she was on Coruscant in the first place. He didn’t like having an enigma on his team, despite her clear talent. She would make a good forward someday.

And then he saw Gayla Renhorn, the former Senator midfielder and the second-overall Draft pick in the inaugural Draft in 272. She had been declared a bust by the majority of pundits despite playing for over seven seasons in the League, and that had carried into her later career as a major chip on her shoulder. Gark had experienced firsthand how this had motivated his former player when he was coaching at CorTech and Gayla was his assistant coach. She still had all the intensity from her playing days, but there was something else to her, something more akin to leadership than she had during her playing days. With consecutive conference titles under her belt, she was a hot commodity coach on the open market now, but Gark had the satisfaction of knowing that he had recruited many of the players who had helped win those titles. One of them, Wahay Contar, was Gayla’s teammate on Team Coruscant as a defender. Now Gayla was a backup midfielder who would likely see extra minutes due to the physical play of Ryloth midfielder Zeus Syndulla. The Senator middie was known for his physical style of play, and that would likely wear down starter Grace Organa. There would be plenty of switching at the midfield position in this game.

When the anthem finished playing, Gark had a few words with his team. “We’re not expected to win this game. Everyone gives Ryloth the upper hand. They say we’re too old, too washed-up, to be here. Ryloth has some good players. As we saw last time out, they don’t need stars at every position to do well as a team. We have to focus our efforts and do the little things. If we can do that, we have as good a chance as any to win here today. And we need a win; I cannot state that enough. Lose, and we’re basically out. Win, and we have a chance to make it to the Final. Lock in and do your job; it’s why you were chosen for this team, and why I have put my faith in you to succeed. You’re doing this for all the folks at home. Win one for them.”

As the starters walked to the middle of the field, Gark stopped Sofis by grabbing her shoulder. “We’re running the offense through you today,” he said. “If you show us the same effort as you did last time, Ryloth won’t know what hit them. Prove to those players that you don’t need to be from a fancy background to be a good Limmie player. Drive is enough to help you succeed.”

“As if you needed to ask,” Sofis said before taking to the pitch.

---

The game featured a torrid scoring pace throughout. When one team got on the board, the other team came right back and answered. Sofis started the game with two quick goals, but Boris Yin Sun of Ryloth matched the effort with two goals of his own. One of them came on a missed assignment by Shayt Contar, the veteran corner back. Contar was visibly angered at herself for missing the play, and Gark knew that one mistake would be the last one. Contar was like her teammates in the back line of the “Golden Days” Senators; they rarely made mistakes.

Syndulla took over the middle of the field from the outset of the game, outmuscling Organa at the point of attack. Gark countered with Gayla, and the veteran midfielder pushed back enough to even things out. This push allowed the Senator forwards to keep up their attack, the Renhorn sisters and their fellow forwards dishing the ball to Sofis. The Ryloth defense couldn’t find an answer to the young forward, who once again leapt a defender who was going low for her legs. It was that kind of play which placed Gark’s faith in her. If they were going to win, they had to ride the hot hand, and Sofis had that. The only question was if the defense could keep pace.

At halftime, it was obvious that the defense wasn’t holding on very well. Gark knew that it would be a shootout to the finish unless something changed drastically, so he had to comment to his defenders to hang on long enough to let the offense keep scoring. It wasn’t the pep talk they wanted to hear, but no one wanted to see the defense lose this one when the offense was rolling along smoothly. They had to do enough to win, and anything more would be a bonus. A coach had to make concessions like this during games; sometimes things weren’t going according to plan, and a new gameplan was necessary on the fly.

When the second half started, Ryloth put up another goal from Yin Sun, his third of the game. Liz Wilder was out of position in goal for Team Coruscant, so Ryloth took advantage and scored three points. On the other end of the possession, Landra Wygins punched in a goal of her own to knot things up again. When Ryloth got a bar point, Gargoa Broussard, in for Alex Renhorn, deposited the ball over the bar for a point. It was that well-matched.

Down the stretch went the two teams, each scoring at a frenzied pace. Neither defense held firm in the face of the ongoing onslaught, defenders run ragged by the much-faster forwards. The ball whizzed around the air like a swarm of angry bees, and such a disadvantage existed for the defenses that it made fans wonder if the goalies could make any saves or the defenses any stops. It was a game that made casual fans want to tune in, unlike defensive struggles. High-scoring affairs were always popular.

With only a few minutes left, Sofis put in her fifth goal of the game, a nice shot past Oola Ban, the Ryloth keeper, that skipped in past Ban’s fingers. This put Coruscant up 39-35. Gark looked to his bench; the players he had available were all exhausted. Dirxx had draped a towel over his head, trying to keep cool after working so hard on the field. Kaboole Picka was drenched in sweat, or whatever it was that kept a Zabrak cool if it wasn’t sweat. His team looked beat, but they had a game to finish. He had a timeout left in his pocket, something he would consider using if the tide of momentum turned in Ryloth’s favor.

And that moment came quickly after Yin Sun scored yet another bar point, putting his total up to 17 points on the day. There was no stopping the young Ryloth forward, who undoubtedly was impressing scouts for the upcoming Draft with his performance. Gark called a timeout so that his players could regroup and rest.

He looked around the huddle after all the players had come in. They were tired. But they weren’t done yet. “I know you’re exhausted,” he said. “I know you have nothing left. But you have to dig deep and find something, because we can’t afford to lose this game. We have to finish this one off. We can’t let them walk off like Ord Sabaok did. This time, we’re pulling this game out at the last second. This is our chance to make a statement. Just give me a few more minutes.”

His players nodded, but it was obvious that they were out of gas. They had to find a way to kill clock and avoid facing a bull-rush by Ryloth’s offense. They likely wouldn’t survive that, given how the defense had been sieve-like throughout the game. This game had to end on this possession.

“I want to get the ball to Wygins up here,” Gark said, drawing out the play on his Holoboard. “She then has the option to dump it down to Renhorn here, or try to go for the goal. Sofis, I need you to get open. Do whatever you can to find space. If you get the ball, ram it down their throats. We need to kill time, but if you find an open shot, take it. Don’t pass something up if it’s open. Use your best judgment and make a play.”

Wygins had the ball to start the possession, but she was double-teamed immediately by a Ryloth defender and Syndulla. She had to throw the ball on a line to Gayla at midfield, who reset the play. She got away from a tackle, but ran into another defender. The pass was deflected to a Ryloth defender, but Morgan Renhorn made the play with a nice tackle to pop the ball loose. It skittered onto the turf, and Renhorn was the first to it. Looking up, she could see space in front of her. She dribbled the ball for several yards before finally putting air underneath it. The ball sailed up into the air and curled in around the goalpost for a point. Game, set, match.

When the horn sounded, Team Coruscant walked away with a 40-36 victory. It set up a showdown with Carratos for a spot in the Group D Final, but no one on the team cared about that at the moment. They had pulled out the tough victory, and had finished in the face of a strong team from Ryloth. It was an occasion to be proud of, and one that Gark knew he could hang his hat on at the end of the day.

When the team got to the locker room, Gark kept his speech short. “I know we’re all tired, so all I’m going to say is ‘Good Job’.” And that was enough, because the win did enough of the talking already. For the weary Team Coruscant, they had done it.


Now they had to do it again against Carratos.