Star Wars OPEN Elite League Limmie

IC: Dewey Finn



(I present to you the musical theme for my story this season, featuring one of my favorite bands)

Training camp was perfect for getting good footage for the show, as there was a lot going on, some nice plotlines, and plenty of story fodder to play with. It all started with the first day, when the team got back to the facility to start camp. Some of the players had participated in the Interplanetary Cup; in fact, Senator players had represented 8 different worlds in the tournament, and several more had homeworlds in the tournament but had not been chosen to play. So there was plenty of talent to go around, and it was Dewey’s job to show that.

As the players warmed up on the field before they started practice, Dewey’s crew started the rounds. Christine Gamble was chirping at Grace Organa, the young midfielder. “You didn’t stand a chance against us,” Gamble said.

“Get stuffed,” Organa commented as the two sat on the field stretching out their legs.

“No, really, we were that good.”

“You got lucky, just because you’re old.”

“Older, not old.”

Organa got up and left the area, and Gamble had a mischievous smile on her face. Dewey’s crew moved in. “So, anyways, I’ve got her one-upped because we shut them down when we played in the tournament. We made it to the Final, and that’s all we could’ve hoped for,” the corner back said as she continued to stretch. “They didn’t, and we did. Simple as that.”

“That was not one of our finer moments,” Organa said later on to the camera. “We could’ve won that game, but we didn’t finish. Now I just hope that I can make a good play to seal a game and tell Christine that I won the game and not her. No, no competition here.”

“But you don’t even play the same position,” Dewey said off-camera.

“So? Her team beat mine. I want my chance at revenge, even if we play on the same side now. Anything I can do to make her shut off that annoying fight song. She keeps trying to remind all of us that she made it to the Final. I’m glad Hapes clobbered them, really.”

“Christine? Yeah, she won’t let us forget that Team Ord Sabaok make it to the Final,” Leia Adama commented as she was getting stretched out by a training assistant. “She’s a big braggart, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Haters are going to hate,” Christine said, popping in from out of nowhere to photobomb the situation.

“I don’t know what to say. That’s kind of how it’s been,” Adama finished.

“So, your team won third place. Tell us how that felt,” Dewey asked Jayla Leed, the goalie returning from a serious injury that had cost her the 284 season.

“It was nice, especially to win for the home fans. We wanted to win the whole thing, but, you know, those Hapans were too afraid to come after me. I scared them.”

“Uh, they scored 32 points on you.”

“Corvo had the start in that game.”

“No he didn’t.”

“Enough. I’m done here.”

“So, this is the first day of camp. Are you excited for the season?” Dewey asked Laura Cellen, the forward.

“Um . . . sure.”

“You’re just ‘sure’?”

“I guess.”

“But you should be all excited, like it’s your birthday or something.”

“It’s not. That was last week.”

“I should totally get you a present, then! What do you really want?”

“Uh . . .”

“Alright, an autographed Dewey Finn t-shirt it is!”

“Uh . . .”

“You sure say ‘uh’ a lot.”

“Uh . . .”

“There you have it, folks. We’re here live with . . . uh . . . what’s her name again?”

“We’ve caught up with Senator GM Briar Adama. So, tell us what you do here.”

“I run things. It pretty much explains itself,” Adama said.

“Ooh, that must be really neat. What’s it like to run a Limmie team?”

“A lot of work. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that most fans don’t get to see.”

“But, thanks to me, they now do.”

“Not always the best thing,” Adama muttered under her breath.

“So, where can I sign up to try out?”

“You want to try out?” Adama asked.

“Duh. I want to show the galaxy what skills I’ve got.”

Later shots featured Dewey in a practice jersey lining up across from Jamee Meels, the Talz half back. The Talz towered over Dewey, and had a rather ambivalent look on his face. Then again, you couldn’t easily tell what a Talz was thinking, because their facial expressions were almost always the same.

“Alright, here we go! Here I come!” Dewey ran forward, only to bounce right off Meels and fall to the ground. He got up and tried again, but once again failed miserably. Meels didn’t even blink, which was rather impressive given his extra eyes.

“Hey Finn, it looks like you might be good enough to sign with the Mets!” came a cat-call from one of the players out of the frame.

“But they just got demoted!” Dewey yelled back.

“Yeah, and so will you after you tanked the ratings!”

“Cut!” Dewey yelled, trying to kill the situation.

When the footage started again, it was a lot more straightforward. It was the cinematic opening that Dewey wanted to show, the players getting ready for their first game. “There is a feeling of excitement in the air. This team wants to prove that they are better than everyone gives them credit for.”

“It’s been tough, I won’t lie,” Leia Adama said over a shot of her doing drills. “When I was growing up, Coruscant was one of the best teams in the League. I want to get us back to that point. Everyone on Bakura will hate me, but I’m here, and I want to win. Just like my father, be a captain and win a Cup. That’s always been my dream.”

“Last year was tough,” Klay Mettews, the fiery half back, commented. “Tough like a split-end in my perfect hair. But to lose all those close games, it really gets you down. We need to come out firing this year.”

“We just want to get off on the right foot,” Gark S’rily said. The Bothan was back as offensive coordinator. “Last year fell off the rail quickly, so we want to stay on this year. There’s nothing good about being the laughingstock of the league for the last decade. At some point we have to rise up and stake our claim to prominence. I keep telling the players that this team only goes as far as they put in the effort. If the effort isn’t there, we don’t go anywhere.”

“There are always words. We can always sit here and say we’re going to get better, but at some point we just need to make it happen. Action, not words,” Christine Gamble said.

“We want to make this our year. We have the right pieces to make noise. We just have to play hard and do things the right way,” Kyril Lopaki said.

---

The crew had its hands full with the season opener. There was all the pageantry going on in the pregame, and then the game after that. Dewey made sure that the major players were featured, and that their game performance was well-documented. At one point he even took over control of a camera for a little while, and caught Christine Gamble making a bone-crunching play on a Jakku forward. It was the perfect play to put on the reel.

When everything was said and done, the Senators started off their year with a 12-2 win. Their offense struggled mightily, but Jakku had a strong defensive effort. Yet the Junker offense couldn’t get going either, with Jayla Leed shutting them down and picking up her ninth no-goal game in her Senator career. Gamble had an outstanding game, as did the rest of her fellow defenders. It was a thing of beauty to watch, and it hopefully meant good things were coming soon.

“I know it’s just one game, but hopefully we’re on the road to being great,” Leia Adama said as she walked off the field. “All the other teams in the League have had their chance. It’s our turn now to be winners. We’re sick of losing, and we want our shot at a title.”

“Can the Senators make it to the playoffs this year? Stay tuned,” Dewey said before signing off. “And that’s a wrap, people! And boy am I hungry!”

“What will it be today, Mr. Finn?” an assistant asked.

“A sandwich. A victory sandwich,” Dewey said. “Well, and maybe some soda, too.”

 

​

IC: The Rancor Pitt

"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! From downtown Keldabe, on a bright and sunny, 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."

"The ELL season is just underway, and it looks like the Mercs defense of the Galactic Cup title are already under siege."

"Well we knew they would get the best from every opponent this season, and yesterday's season opener certainly proved that."

"Yeah, the Valor showed everyone I think that Kuat is back in the ELL, and that they belong here."

"It was a great performance by them, it really was, especially the moxie they showed in coming back like that."

"When the Mercs jumped out to that early lead..."

"Think the crowd had anything to do with that?"

"Sure, sure. I mean yeah the crowd at Meshla Vhetin is always great, loud, vocal and just enormous, but the enrgy to start otu the game. It just sucked up all the energy in the area and showered it on the Mercs."

"Ring ceremony, banner raising, bringing the Cup out onto the field, it was...it was amazing."

"Yeah it was, and then the players used that, that energy, and just took the game over early."

"Arock was feeling it, Jaing too. On defense, Kol and Bos'a just weren;t letting much past them, though stargazer gave up those early two points it just didn't seem to really take any wind out of the fan's sails."

"No, their energy kept the team going, but give a lot of credit to the Valor. I think their coaching staff and players expected the early run by the Mercs and they weathered the storm."

"Yeah, they weathered it all right, down early 9-2 they just stayed within striking distance, and after the energy died down a bit..."

"No way, no way to sustain that kind of energy over a 60 minute game."

"...they bounced back and started cutting into that lead."

"Yeah and though it started with Kaniyas, the overall first selection in this past draft, and her three pointer past the fingers of Stargazer, it was really Kildaar who did the majority of the damage to the Mercs."

"Yeah he was a beast at midfield, setting people up, nabbing turnovers. He was all over the place"

"I think it helped a lot that Jaxton started making some stops there too."

"That one Arock shot..."

"The one late in the half?"

"...I thought for... Yeah the one late in the first half. I thought he had that one made, but Jaxton recovered and got position on that ball."

"That one could have been the difference really, the Valor were building up momentum and if that shot had gone in..."

"Would have made it 14-9 Mercs, and I think gotten the big M back on their side."

"Instead the Mercs went into the half up only 11-9 with the Valor were feeling pretty good about themselves while the Mercs players just looked drained."

"Yeah, and they came out of the half looking tight."

"Didn't take long for the Valor to take the lead on the Whisperfoot three."

"She flat out beat two Mercs defenders, Riian and Mauntak..."

"Who is one of the better corners in the league."

"...before catching Stargazer out of position there."

"I think she was expecting the ball to go to the other side, that Mauntak especially would shut down that lane, but Whisperfoot just broke him down and the rest was history."

"Yeah, the Mercs never regained the lead after that, though they at least stayed close enough to make the game respectable."

"I thought they had a late run left in them, but they frankly looked exhausted out there after that early run."

"Surprised the Kor'le didn't use the bench more, give the starters more of a breather?"

"Not really. I don't think it was a physical exhaustion anyway, more mental and emotional after the pre game festivities. They just didn't look as sharp out there. I don't think more backups in the game would have helped much in that situation anyway, not with the way the Valor were playing."

"Just hope it doesn't start a trend, last time we won the Cup we had a three year playoff drought afterwards."

"It's only one game, too early to over react now. the team just has to pick itself up. things don;t get any easier next week as the Mercs host Hapes, a team that made the playoffs last season."

"Yup, one in the books, but 10 more to go, lets hope the Mercs put in a better performance and get off the schneid next week."

TAG: A Blind Prophet

OOC: In game action/flow of the game approved of (player mentions of his roster the brainchild of) A Blind Prophet.

 

IC: Trixie Penn
Dac

(Music...but maybe wait for this one at home when the kids aren’t around since there are some no-no words and general concepts in there…)

Trixie was gently shaken awake after precisely four hours, 35 minutes, and 17 seconds of sleep.

It was her husband. He was not in bed, but rather dressed in a suit. This was the standard for Miners players when heading to the stadium for a game, home or away. Most people probably thought that Horst dressed in the dark given the color combinations he went with. However, this was simply a side effect of dressing himself. “See you at the game. You’ll be that tiny little speck way up high surrounded by the other tiny specks.”

The closest approximation to what Trixie uttered in response was “Mumble mumble mumble sleep mumble.”

“I love you too, honey,” Horst said, kissing her on the forehead.

Trixie promptly fell asleep again.

---

The next thing Trixie knew, there was an insistent knocking on her hotel room door. Over and over and over again. She rolled out of bed--and onto the floor. Eventually, she hauled herself into something resembling an upright position. Her hair was a matted mess. She had just barely remembered to remove her makeup before collapsing into bed. She had been working late into the night on her caseload. She’d known that being an associate at Fleetfire Zarmer was going to involve a lot of work, but this was insane. She was pretty sure that Sydney Talon was trying to break her. Law school had tried and failed. He could try too.

Trixie might not care about a lot of things, but she was never going to let anyone break her. Ever.

Except for whoever was knocking. If they didn’t stop she was going to break them. Wasn’t hotel security supposed to prevent this from happening? She would have to steal their personal information and give them to Klatoonian identity thieves for not doing their jobs properly.

Dressed in a t-shirt belonging to her husband (which meant it was about three to four times bigger than she was) and with a look on her face that was probably enough evidence in a court of law to convict her of attempted murder, Trixie slid the door open.

“What,” she asked flatly.

That was when her look went to a desire for actual murder.

“Good morning sleepy head!” her cousin Jane Serena Trieste exclaimed happily. “Don’t tell me you’ve been in bed all this time! I thought you’d already be ready for the game?”

“Why are you even here? You don’t even like the Miners,” Trixie said.

“I can like the Demons and the Miners,” Jane Serena said, swinging through the door with a a dress bag, makeup kit, and a blissful lack of permission. “Good thing I got here early. Can’t have you looking like this for Opening Day! Come on!”

In poured Henrietta Trieste, Elfie Trieste, and, reluctantly pulled along by an exuberant Ginnifer Harlow, Elza and Avie Trieste, Falene’s adopted teenage children descended from the Sith settlers on that world she had discovered--Kinkolame or something like that. In other words, her hotel room had just been invaded by the majority of Trixie’s female cousins.

They were also known as “the last beings in the galaxy she wanted to see now”...or ever, truth be told.

This was going to be a miserable day and the Miners hadn’t even scored a point yet.

---

An hour later, the hotel room looked like a war zone. There was more carnage than when the Death Star exploded. Clothes were strewn onto nearly every surface. Discarded beauty products littered the floor of the bathroom. Limp, damp towels were crumpled against walls like sad hillocks.

Regular limmie fans wore jerseys or team shirts to games. Maybe on Dac they wore Mariner branded swimsuits. However, in the Noble House box the level of attire was usually somewhat higher. It hovered between business formal and business casual depending on one’s taste--but it was always in variations of dark blue and gold.

Trixie had brought a mid-length dark blue dress and flats for today’s game. In Salis D’aar she might have worn heels--she had access privileges at the Gardens that meant she didn’t have to walk far--but here she had no idea where the locals were going to drag her through. It was best to be conservative with her footwear. However, at the moment, she couldn’t find her shoes and it was making her angry.

“I left them right by the bed,” Trixie growled.

“Well they’re shoes. It’s not like they could have walked off,” Ginny called from the bathroom where she was curling her hair.

“Rethink that one, Ginny,” Elfie suggested as she did her makeup in the bedroom mirror (the bathroom was prime real estate for which there were much higher priorities at the moment).

“I don’t even understand why you’re here,” Trixie said to Elfie. “You’re a Patriots fan. Or did you stop rooting for them when they got demoted to the NFL--the No Fun League?”

“One, the Patriots are playing Premier League,” Elfie said, well used to Trixie’s insults. “Two, I am still a fan. Three, they’re just going through a little rough patch.”

“0-11,” Trixie said. “Oh wait, I forgot to cough while I said that.”

Elfie bunched one hand into a fist, but didn’t turn away from the mirror. “We are not talking about that,” Elfie said through clenched teeth.

“Well, the ELL decided not to do us any favors by putting us against the Skywalker Conference regular season champion right out of the gate,” Henrietta ventured, trying to diffuse the tension through a change of subject. She had already finished dressing and was just waiting for the others.

“Are we the HSN Game of the Week?” Jane Serena asked, popping her head out of the bathroom. She had applied a smoky dark blue eyeshadow to one eye, but not the other.

“I don’t think so. I bet it’s Mando’ade vs. Kuati,” Elfie said, still doing her makeup. “They’re at home, raising the banner.”

“So, to be clear, Mando’ade is the team that beat us in the Final, right?” Elza said from the couch. She was looking stiff and uncomfortable in a yellow summer dress and heels. Falene’s adopted kids had all been at the Final last year, but they’d still been learning the finer points of the sport, including most of the teams and which ones to hate and which ones to loathe.

“Yes,” Trixie growled as she continued looking under the bed for her shoes. The memory of her husband being turned inside out by Arock burned again in her cheeks.

“Elza, do you want to do straight hair? We have enough time. I’m going straight today,” Jane Serena called from the bathroom. “I can totally do it for you. Our hair isn’t that different.”

“At least Elza’s got a brain under hers,” Trixie muttered under her breath while still underneath the bed. Luckily no one heard her.

“Speaking of hair, are you sure you want to do yours up, Hen?” Ginny asked, coming out of the bathroom in a robe, her own hair now complete. “Your cheeks look so full when they aren’t being framed.”

Elfie elbowed Ginny in the gut discreetly.

“Really?” Henrietta fretted.

“No, it looks wonderful,” Elfie reassured her cousin in-law. “Right Jane Serena?”

“What?” Jane Serena asked, poking her head out of the bathroom, now with both eyes done up.

“Henrietta’s hair looks nice, doesn’t it?” Elfie prompted.

“It’s great dear. Elza--wait, Avie, are you going like that?” Jane Serena asked, switching tack.

Falene’s youngest adopted child was sitting on the couch--if sitting was the right word for it. She was nearly sliding off it with boredom and disinterest. She was wearing, in marked contrast to everyone else, slacks and a jacket.

“Yeah,” Avie said with an edge of aggressiveness in her voice.

“That’s very...casual,” Jane Serena said. The way she lay the last word out there made it clear that casual was not a good thing.

“How do you expect to run in those shoes?” Avie asked, jutting her chin at Jane Serena’s three inch heels. “Someone starts shooting up the place and you’ll break an ankle.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Ginnifer said. “ELL stadiums have tons of security.”

“Bet they thought that on Euceron,” Avie retorted.

“How do you know about Euceron?” Elfie asked, turning away from the mirror. “You were on Kitokaime when that happened.”

“The HoloNet, duh,” Avie replied. “I’ve been using it for months. I’m not an idiot. But if I wanted to do some major damage in a big way, I’d take out one of these games.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Elfie chided. “Seriously. Someone hears you saying that at The Tank you’ll probably get arrested.”

“Doesn’t help that we’d have to explain she’s a Sith,” Ginnifer mumbled. Trixie, who happened to still be looking under a bed, swiftly kicked Ginnifer in the shin. “Owwwww!”

“What was that?” Jane Serena asked.

“Nothing,” Trixie replied, still half under the bed.

“From what I read, you can bring anything into the Mando’ade stadium. You can bring blasters and stuff,” Avie continued.

“And the Mandalorian culture is clearly the paragon of galactic civilization,” Elfie said sarcastically.

“They beat us for the Cup. Maybe they’re onto something,” Avie asked.

Trixie got up from under the bed. “Look, you might be the second most interesting person in this room, but don’t ever say anything nice about Mando’ade again. I thought you understood tribal loyalties.”

“Excuse me, what do you know about being part of a tribe?” Avie asked getting to her feet.

“What do you think this whole sport is about? It’s all about tribes. We’re the Miners tribe, the Bakura tribe and today we hate the dirty, stinking, lowdown, cheating Mariners tribe. Our warriors are going to go out onto the field of battle and beat the snot out of the other tribe’s warriors while executing coordinated maneuvers that are just this side of warfare. So, now that I’ve got my shoes--” She held them up in her hand before she reached down to put them on. “--I’m going to finish putting on my war paint like everyone else--” She fished into her makeup bag and pulled out a tin of eye black, which she smeared in long streaks on the top of her cheeks like a player might. “--so I can go watch my husband do his warrior thing.

“Now let’s do this,” Trixie said, marching out of the room.

The other women finished their preparations and followed her. The last out was Avie, who hesitated and then walked over to the mirror and grabbed the eye black tin. She popped the lid, put two fingers in, and smeared the grease on her face. She was a warrior too--and this was her tribe now.

---

Trixie loved this game.

The top two defenses of 284 were throwing down against each other and that meant her husband got to shine. He was playing with two first game rookies flanking him at the corner position. As far as Trixie concerned, that was like having no corner backs playing with him at all. When Trixie learned who was matched against her husband, she could only put her head in her hands as she thought about the game prep meetings with Cuth Hulu trying to communicate that to Horst.

“You’re playing against W’ho.”

“Yeah, I’m playing against who?”

There was no confusion now. Trixie used macrobinoculars to watch her husband. It was the only part of the field she cared about anyways. He was locked in. She could see it in his eyes. He was reading plays and making tackles. He’d make contact and bring his opponent down the first time. There were no slipped tackles. The Karkarodon corners with their rows of teeth and that deadly look in their eyes could intimidate the toughest defender. However, Horst didn’t need a bigger boat to haul them to the turf.

What made the game even better was the ineffectual offense at the other end of the field. Despite returning five of six forwards and one of the midfielders, the Miner offense had failed to break double digits against the Mariners. While the Dac-fense might have something to do with that, the perpetual opinion of a Miners fan was that their offense should put up 60 points per game on average. If Trixie enjoyed seeing the defense excel, she loved seeing the offense play poorly even more, if only to hear the agony of her family as the pride of the Miners, their power offense, was stymied.

But the best part of the game was the overtime. There was nothing like overtime. It was the sport at its greatest.

Horst and the defense had to stand tall--and they did. The Mariners scored only two points over the bar in the 15 minutes of overtime. A goal could break a team in overtime and Horst stopped the Mariners cold. W’ho could score against her husband? Certainly not. The Karkarodons looked toothless out there against him.

However, the Miner offense didn’t even have baby teeth in during the overtime period. Not a single point out of the front six as they tried for that winning goal, completely eschewing points over the bar. As the overtime period drew to a close, it became the only path to victory for the Miners--one that I’dongivadarn did not give a darn about.

The disgust apparent in the way that her mother tossed her pen in frustration at the end of overtime across the counter in front of her was delicious. “Last season’s best offense can’t even put up one point in overtime. Disgraceful,” Regan said.

“The wave shows are going to enjoy harping on Valerii’s decision to go for the goal instead of kick points,” Declan said.

“They might not be wrong,” his wife, who thankfully had stayed clear of the morning dressing session in her room, agreed. “But, we played Dac in a close game last season and still turned out all right. It’s early days yet.” Ayn had not joined the other cousins in the morning dressing session, but Trixie had to begrudgingly admit that Ayn was not an idiot. One did not become Deputy Prime Minister at her tender age by being stupid. Even so, she loathed the way that Declan and Ayn took every opportunity to flaunt their connection to the Miners for the voters. Maybe an 0-11 season would end their careers. One could dream.

The season was only in its early days, but Trixie liked the way it had started: her husband playing well and everybody else playing terribly. Ten more games of this and it was going to be the best season ever.

TAG: Bardan_Jusik jcgoble3 since I had no player characters this week, I just had to mention others in my post

 

IC: Richard Vigo

It happened the ball was put into play and most importantly the 285 Elite League Limmie season had begun. Suddenly all the people in my house were background noise. Cormorant of the Demons took control of the ball first. Darkrider opened a hole for him and he made a nice pass to Tsulkalu. You’d think a mere 6’2” human would shy at the sight of a wookiee forward, but not Noah Till. Noah took two steps back then leaped forward and knocked the wookiee off her feet, dislodging the ball. Hamm Leak gave the ball a solid kick up field and it was retrieved by Wylma Sniider.

Wylma passed back to her sister Wylla. Wylla ran around a few offensive Demon players while her sister ran further up field and stood wide open. Wylla didn’t even look up, she shot the ball directly up field and to her sister’s open arms. Wylma wasn’t going backwards this time. She ran forward dodging defenders until she was able to find an open player in her own uniform. That player just happened to be Andres Fortune. Andres took the shot just as soon as the ball was passed to him. It went right through the fingertips of Aryan Twig and into the net.

I leaped off the sofa, “Yes!” I screamed pumping my fist in the air. They showed several replays and it never got old. They showed Justyne’s reaction on the sideline, hugging her fellow dance team members and a quick shot of Kara Sureysh with her newly repaired knee propped up on the end of the bench. Her smile glowing as she gave high fives to coaches and teammates.

I looked back to find the sofa again and took my seat. Our defense continued to hold for several more possessions, unfortunately our offense was not finding any openings. Then it happened, Li Roy Jinkins ran through two blocks and kicked the ball past Cliff Tuff right into our goal. I stifled a curse and punched the cushion. The replays of Jinkins goal were old before they began showing them.

The next highlights were just as ugly, it was Kanangan who scored on Tuff next. Ty motioned for Cliff to come out of the game and Ken Gatras jogged into the goal. Cliff was obviously upset. Ty met him with a smile and cup of Gundarkade. He escorted Cliff to the bench and the picture spanned away as they began to talk. Ty had an amazing personality, it would make him a good coach. He was going to get Cliff’s head back in the game. If only our offense could score again.

Just before halftime the drive finally came. Fortune had the ball and wanted three more points, you could see it in his face. He just couldn’t get a good look at the goal. Instead he found Dunerider. Yolanda’s been the uncelebrated hero of the Starkillers offense for several seasons and she didn’t let us down. With a powerful kick she tied the game.

Fortune sat out the first part of the second half. Billy Bob Pitahaya took the full forward position. Billy Bob, known as B.B. had been playing a great game on Tatooine for years. Last season he had led his team all the way to the LFL Final. He seemed lost out there during the first couple of possessions. He got tackled, he passed to defender Sugnok Umanh leading to a second score by Li Roy Jinkins that put us behind by 3 again.

Finally Dash put Fortune back in the game. To my surprise it wasn’t Fortune or Dunerider that tied the game it was rookie Caffrette McMee on a beautiful assist from Saiada Clarette. The score is now 9-9 and my nerves haven’t ceased to be frazzled all day. The uncertainty continues as Cliff tips a ball over the bar keeping Aryan Twig from scoring a goal, but still allowing her to score a bar point. On the next possession our offense turns the ball over again and again the Demons capitalize this time with a bar point from Tsulkalu. We are now down 11-9. There’s still plenty of time on the clock. Dash calls a time-out and our team huddles up on the sideline. Our full starting line-up is back on the field. Quickly Yolanda puts a point on the board with a kick through the uprights. We’re down by one and several more minutes go by.

Finally Wylma has the ball out of bounds, she passes in to Saiada Clarette who makes a quick clean pass to Zonak and Zonka comes through with a goal. The game would end several agonizing minutes later with a score of 13-11. We won!

I lay back into the sofa and waited for feeling to return to my body. I had been so nervous. I was trying to listen to coach Dash speak to the press on his way off the field. “A road win, week one? What’s not to like?” He said with a grin. “Of course there are things to work on before our game against the Monarchs next week.”

Suddenly I heard T.J.’s loud angry voice, “You did not just invite Ginger Snap to my birthday party!” He yelled at Lucie.

I turned my head just in time to see Jimsey scurry up the stairs and disappear. Ryan ran after him. I found my own feet and raced up as well. I found Ryan knocking on Jimsey’s locked door. “Maybe we should let him come out when he’s ready,” I suggested.

Lucie came up, clearly embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to me. “I’m taking the kids home. I’m sorry, “she said again.

“He’s just a kid,” I reminded Lucie. “Don’t apologize.” She was already down the steps, helping Ezra lace up his dress shoes.

Meanwhile Ryan was lying on the floor talking through the crack under it, trying to coax Jimsey to open the door. I walked down to the bedroom I shared with Ryan and grabbed a master key. “Jimsey daddy’s going to open your door, just to check and make sure you are okay.” I said calmly as I approached.

When I opened the door Jimsey was hiding under his bed. “Your cousins went home,” I assured him. It took a good 20 minutes to assure Jimsey that we weren’t embarrassed or ashamed of him. Ryan told Jimsey that we had gotten teased plenty in school. The three of us bonded over being misfits and had a nice evening.

The next morning our troubles started all over when Jimsey didn’t want to go to school. He wanted to move back to Coruscant where we “fit in.”

He was going to be late for school and I had a lot of work to do myself. “Get over yourself,” I finally screamed. “Every kid at that school wishes they were you. Your father owns the Starkillers. If anyone calls you Ginger Snap today you remind them how important you are. Stop hiding, start standing up for yourself.” I boomed.

He just stood there looking at me. I was about to threaten to ground him if he didn’t get his ass in the speeder when he finally headed out the door. I made it to the stadium 10 minutes after my first meeting started. Ten of the planet’s biggest business owners who were here to reveal their company’s campaign ads that would air at the stadium on game day.

“Sorry I’m late,” it sounded so lame. “I’m honored you have invested your time and funds to advertise at this week’s game.” After approving the campaign ads I had a meeting with the food vendors which was luckily followed by lunch. At lunch I get a call that Jimsey has earned his first ever detention. “Did he get in a fight?” I asked, thinking that he hit someone for calling him Ginger Snap.

“He failed to turn in his homework,” the administrator from the school replied.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” I replied. “I checked the work myself.”

“It’s not on his data pad and he says he didn’t feel like doing it this weekend.”

“What time does detention end?” I asked. Then I called Ryan to tell him to pick up Jimsey an hour late.

It was the week of our home opener. I had so much electronic mail I thought my data pad was going to explode. I sat in my office trying to respond to as much as I could when Ryan called. “Are you coming home tonight?”

“Eventually,” I said looking at the chrono. “Oh, Shavit,” I said seeing the time. “Is Jimsey asleep?”

“Yea,” or at least he’s in his room. I grounded him for getting detention. I can’t believe you left me here by myself tonight.”

“I’m sorry Ryan. Was it rough?”

“Rich, I’m pretty sure that Jimsey deleted his homework and got detention just to fit in with the cool kids.” I put my hands on my temples. “And he totally thinks you’ll be on his side tomorrow morning and lift his grounding. You better not cave on me.”

I shook my head, “You know I’d never do that.” Inside I knew I’d be tempted. Parenting was not easy.

The next morning I did not lift Jimsey’s grounding. Instead I promised him that if he didn’t get in trouble for the rest of the week I’d let him help hand out Gundarkade to the players on the sideline during the Monarchs game.

“I’m going to be the water boy. Just like Uncle Tomas?” He asked.

“You have to behave this week. And you have to listen to the adults on the sidelines. Being a water boy is an important job,” I said.

Of course he promised and he followed through with his grounding and good behavior for the next five days. Jimsey, Ryan and I rode to the stadium early Sunday morning together. When we got there T.J. was in the locker room playing a game on his data pad. As we walked in he put the data pad down. “Hi,” he said almost sheepishly which for T.J. was unusual. He has always been outgoing. He looked at Jimsey, then he looked at the floor. “I’m sorry I called you Ginger Snap,” he said quietly.

Jimsey shrugged. He looked at me and Ryan. Ryan pushed him forward. “Say you forgive him,” he whispered.

“It wasn’t very nice,” Jimsey said angrily.

Ryan cleared his throat.

“But I forgive you,” Jimsey finished.

“So,” T.J. said brightening up. “Do you want to be water boys together?”

Ryan stayed to supervise while I went to find Ty and Dash. They were found in Dash’s office with a pot of caf. I poured myself a cup and immediately spit it out. “I’ll go make some fresh caf,” I said. “How are you drinking this stuff?”

“After you’ve been up all night you don’t taste it anymore,” Dash said.

“No more caf,” I decided aloud. “Both of you go get some sleep before the players start arriving. You can’t coach a team on no sleep.” Two sets of eyes looked at me, confused. “Now,” I said. I pointed towards the apartment I had furnished a few levels up.

I didn’t have to tell Ty twice. He was out the door. Dash hesitated. “I’ll wake you in plenty of time,” I promised.

When the players started showing up I observed the banter in the locker room. Noah Till went into a closet and retrieved the Golden Glove trophy. “Today,” he said holding it over his head. “We give this back to it’s rightful owner.”

Everyone present cheered. Caffrette McMee was given the honor of carrying it out to the sideline. I had T.J. and Jimsey ride the lift upstairs to wake the coaches with their hands full of water cups. I opened the door to the apartment just a crack to see that Dash and Ty were both sound asleep. Ty on a sofa and Dash in a bed. The three of us tip toed in and poured water out of our cups onto Ty first, then Dash.

“Wake-up Daddy!” T.J. said evilly.

Ty jumped off the sofa. “The only problem with being such a prankster is that my own son is always trying to one-up me,” he said smiling.

I let T.J. have the credit. We all rode the lift back down to the field level. I reminded both boys to listen to the adults one more time before I rode up to the family box. The box was different than I remembered it. I kept looking at the empty seat by the bar in the back and my mother wasn’t there. Tomas wasn’t up front banging on the glass.

The Fortune’s were there with Justyne’s children Zoey and Marty. Lucie was there with Ezra and Cammie. I paced in the back as the chrono set for 15 minutes until kick off. Ryan walked in with a huge tray full of nachos. “Now this is a Starkillers game,” he announced as he began passing out individual servings.

I took my flimsy cardboard box off the tray and hoping the cheese wouldn’t leak onto my clothing. As soon as I set it down on the counter I dipped a chip into the gooey substance and lifted it into my mouth. It melted in my mouth, like butter. I grabbed another chip.

Tag: CPL_Macja

 

IC: Lucy Heart
Arcadia Colosseum, O'pahz, Carratos

Lucy wished so much that she could be down on the field, right on the sidelines watching the teams play. Just from the feeling she got in the locker room she knew that the Pirates were going to go all out. They were not going to hold anything back. She'd seen them play before, watched them on the holo but, this felt different. She felt more invested, her figurative heart was more in this game than the others. She felt like she had a stake in the outcome more than pride in her home. It was pride in her friends, and wanting them to do well, to preform to the level she knew they could.

She knew it was going to be rough, the Pirates and the Smugglers always played physically. However she didn't expect things to get started so early. Five minutes in Boutros tumbles to the ground knocked out of the way by Lerouex. The refs swiftly called a penalty as the Scallywags booed. The Crew on the other hand was cheering their player. Looking over the replay it was apparent that Lerouex didn't just use her shoulder to break though the defender. It was hard to see in all the commotion but, it looked like the human delivered a lightning fast punch into the zeltron's abdomen.

The fact that Boutros didn't have possession was why the penalty was called. Not that it really mattered, everyone knew there would be penalties and that they wouldn't be simple ones like too many players on the field. The holo-cameras lingered on the pair going head to head. The magenta skinned defender glared at the tattooed human, the first shot had been fired, the war was now on but, Lucy could feel that peace was never an option between these two. For a moment the two player's eyes were locked, not breaking their gaze for what felt like an eternity, until Boutros nodded her head. As if to say,

"Ok, you want it that way, sure, bring it."

It quickly seemed that this game wasn't about the goals scored, in was the hits given and received. I wasn't just the main match up of Lerouex and Boutros that was drawing the ire of the refs. Cutty came hurrying towards the net, lowering her shoulder into Tomaas though she was smaller she hit at such speed and surprise the defender was taken off his feet. Once again the ball was nowhere near either of them. However it did open up a lane for the forward. Unfortunately the refs ended that play quickly after the hit. That didn't really matter to the fans, they cheered anyway.

Goals were scored, yes but, none of them were pretty, none were going onto highlight reels. They were all chip ins off mishandled passes, light taps that just barely made it over the line, or poorly controlled rebounds that just happened to go out to the wrong team. So far the opportunities were even between the two teams leading to an equally even score. The two penalties early in the game had set the tone though, this wasn't going to be a clean game of finesse and strategy, it was going to be a brawl and only the toughest was going to come out on top.

Lucy had to look away at times as the hits were just too rough, too hard. She worried about the players, and her friends. Even though they weren't playing she worried about them playing in such a physical game, could they handle it? Erza maybe but, Natsu and Grey, could they withstand such punishment? Was this what a real Limmie game was like. It was far from the beautiful game, as the Mandalorians described. It was a game of inches, and each inch seemed paid for with sweat and blood. Lucy wondered if the teams should pay that price, though it seemed the players did so happily.

At the half she could see some of the Pirates moving a little stiffly, a little awkwardly. The holos showed all the goals, and the penalties that had transpired during the first 30. They were not pretty, Leigh had a goal off a blocked shot, Tian from a fumble on the edge of the goal box that just barely slipped past Ripley and Cutty, coming back from a year away managed to sneak one in off a penalty kick after being stuck in the side by Tomaas. Each one seemed more chance than skill, just a lucky shot made at the right time, in the seconds each player had while they were still upright.

The hits were constant, hard and, some might say vicious. Lucy wasn't sure if it was a lack of discipline or just how this game was played but, there had already been several penalties called against both teams. The thing that stuck her was that, the players didn't seem bothered; they just took their cards and got on with the game. No arguing, no admission of guilt, just nothing, like it was just a fact of the game. That in this game, penalties were going to happen and happen often. Part of Lucy knew that this wasn't how the game was played but, another part of her just didn't care, she just wanted to win.

Quietly she slipped out of the box she'd been sitting in, Syrnola seemed distracted with something on her datapad and Mr. Polenta was talking with someone rather forcefully. She didn't have anything to do at that particular moment so she took the opportunity to slink down to the locker room. Just for a little bit, just to see how her friends were doing.

Once she got there she saw beings, players she looked up to as heroes, winded, bruised and some were even bleeding. Though none seemed more battered than Boutros, she and Lerouex had been going at each other like two mastiffs fighting over a bone. The zeltron sat there a welt under her eye and a bag of ice on her shoulder. Her face wore a mask of grim determination, she would finish this game, she would finish Lerouex.

Lucy looked for her friends, finding them sitting together, shoulder to shoulder. They were healthy having not played a single minute in this grinder of a game. Maybe they'll get their chance in the second half. She could only hope. Erza's eyes fell on her friend giving a warm smile. Lucy returned the gesture and quietly moved back to the box. Syrnola spared half a glance in her assistant's direction before returning to her work. The younger woman felt a little embarrassed, she'd hoped her absence would not be noticed.

Taking her seat once again, the match started anew. Lucy had hopes that her friends might get their first chance at playing this time but, no. The same team took the field, despite all the bruises and aches. There was an honor in that, something to be respected. Though she worried if they might be pushing themselves too far. She loved this team and would hate to see any of them injured especially in the first game of the season. There were many more games to be played but, maybe she was looking at it wrong. Maybe this was the only game to them, to take the season one game at a time, to give their all to each game no matter the consequences for the next.

Maybe she was right, or maybe the Pirates just really hate the Smugglers. That dislike was on display right out of the gate with Boutros ripping Lerouex to the ground before she can even get a finger on the ball, a little payback for the hit in the first half, though the pair had exchanged more than a dozen hits throughout the first 30. What was surprising was Tian getting in on the penalties, the former winner of the Duchess award getting into a scrap for a loose ball with Enders. The blue-skinned pantoran looked to almost throw an elbow into Enders' face. In that moment, she didn't seem to be the same cheery being she was most times.

Another penalty came when Else drove her knee into Wlies, ostensibly to strip the ball from her. Though no one would deny that there might have been a bit of revenge tied up in that hit. The two ladies glare at each other as the penalty is called, and as the card is given. It was like the ref wasn't even there, the only beings that existed to them was the other. It was an odd moment of tension in a game full of them, like at any moment a full fight would break out between the two. Most likely starting with Boutros and Lerouex.

As the minutes ticked away the intensity increased, and so did the penalties. Even the disciplined Leigh Cavanagh got into it with Grimes causing a change of possession on a drive that could have scored. Though it could be said that he started it with an unnecessary tackle that put an end to a play that again could have put the Pirates ahead. It seemed everyone had a penalty called against them, and they wore them with pride. It seemed it had become a mark of honor to take a penalty in the Pirates/Smugglers game.

The time was running short and the Pirates were up 17-16 a slim lead yes but enough of one to make it to the end. That was until Kala drew a card for slamming Steele into the dirt in a crushing and, in the ref's estimation, overly brutal hit. Compared to some Lucy had seen this game, that was just a tap. That didn't change the call, a penalty kick, one that could change the game. Arcadia was silent, each fan holding their breath as the Smuggler's captain lined up his shot. Lucy's hand shook as the seconds seemed to stretch on for minutes and hours. Then he took the shot, and it just got past Qazi, putting the team from Nar Shaddaar up by two.

The Pirates rallied, the defense just blowing their way through their zone and into the midfield. Masters and Lucy just ripped through Reaver and Shaw at blinding speed, they all knew this was the last charge, the last shot this team had to win this game, the first game of the season, the game that set the tone. The ball made its way to Leigh, if anyone could set up the goal, it was her, she could save this team.

After planting a stiff palm into Grimes' chest, she put some distance between herself and the defenders, eyes on the goal. Tian was on the inside acting as a buffer between the offensive leader and Enders. Cutty was at the far side of the goal hungry for a pass or a rebound. She looked like a dog hungry for a bone with even a scrap of meat on it. Leigh faked a pass to the far side, then sent a shot to the top corner. The crowd cheered but, for only a second as the shot that held all their hopes was swallowed up by the gloves of the rookie goalkeeper Ripley.

Leigh fell to her knees, not out of anguish at being so close, out of exhaustion from playing such a long, and brutal game. Instantly Else and Seiji were at her side getting her back to her feet. Lucy could see it, that save ended it all, the game was over with a few seconds left on the clock. The throw in was made and the refs called the match, officially ending the game that had taken so much out of the two teams, and racked up more penalties than Lucy thought possible.

It was hard to imagine that all of the handsakes made in the line were genuine, especially the one between Boutros and Lerouex, the holo cameras focused intently on that exchange. No words were spoken, no threats were given, just a silent nod, Lucy got the feeling this was not a 'Good Game' nod, it was a 'I'll see you later' nod. The young woman hoped that later meant the Skywalker final and not the parking lot just outside, though she wouldn't put it past either woman.

In the box the atmosphere was tense, Mr. Polenta's countenance was rather sour and Syrnola was eerily quiet as the pair left. Lucy followed dutifully behind, it was some start to the season, though not the start she knew the GM was looking for.

Lucy made it back home to find her friends already waiting for her. They were a little crestfallen from the loss but, there was a upbeat feeling among them that the next game would be different, next game they could win.

TAG: Vehn

 

​

"Hi I'm Ken Kitterich with your five by five sports update brought to you by Merr-Sonn, Fill you enemies with primal fear, fill their lungs with fire, Merr-Sonn."

"Tiarest starts the post Stonlon era off in a hard way, they lose to UBSD, the team they smoked in last season's regular season finale, to the tune of a 7-4 score in a rain soaked game."

"Number 12 Chadrilla A&M handled number 15 The Ord Sabaok Univeristy 21-16 in their home opener"​

"ugh, we had that game at halftime..."

"Number 22 Garqi State got blown out at home to the number nine KMI Warriors, 22-7."

"Number four Norand University lorded it over Lorrd University 18-5."

"Oh I get it, very cute."

"And Number five VCU took care of business with a 14-8 win over University of Ylesia."

"I'm Ken Kitterich and this has been your five by five sports update. I'll be back with you next hour at five after the hour but until then more of the Rancor Pitt, right here on the Fandalorian!"

TAG: no one/everyone

---

HSN Top 25 after Week 1


1. University of Tatooine, Anchorhead
2. Coruscant Polytechnic Institute
3. UB Salis D'aar
4. Norand University, Carratos
5. Vertical City University, Nar Shaddaa
6. Dac State University
7. Druckenwell Technical University
8. Keldabe Military Institute (Mandalore)
9. Balmorra State University
10. University of Devaron
11. UB Telaan Valley
12. Chandrila A&M University
13. University of Denon
14. Tiarest University
15. Taanab A&M University
16. University of Zeltros
17. Imperial College of Bastion
18. University of Kashyyyk
19. University of Kuat
20. The Ord Sabaok University
21. Ralltiir University
22. Tipoca City College, Kamino
23. Royal College of Hapes
24. University of Agamar
25. Grand Vulptur System University

 

IC: Helen Ripley
Carratos

Zing!

Zang!

Swish!

Poof!

The sounds. The sounds of deflections off the bar, deflections off her hand, the whish of the ball as it graced the net for a score, the sounds of the beautiful game.

The sounds, the speed, the ferocity, the intense action, it was nearly overwhelming for rookiee goalkeeper Helen Ripley. She could not prepare herself for the speed at which the bolo-ball flew in her direction. It was almost as if she had to predict the path of the bolo ball ahead of time just to get a deflection, which was, what she intended to do throughout most of the game.

The Pirate attack was fierce. They were taking no quarter. Hard hits were recieved and delivered by the likes of Zelena Wiles, Jade Enders, Zak Tomaas, and Ric Grimes. It was a dirty game. Lots of questionable hits, but Ripley ignored those, choosing to pick her battles wisely. Occasionally there was a stoppage in play down in the offensive zone as Lerouex and Boutros battled it out once more. Their rivaly had taken on historic proprotions. The Pirates had quickly worked themselves into the lineup of most hated teams the Smugglers played. Right behind the Mando'ade Mercs of course.

It was all Ripley could do to play her part. She had to rely on the young defense in front of her to create an open lane. When one would shut down another would open and as the minutes dragged on she began to wear down. Her muscles were killing her. This was more intense than any practice the Smugglers had ever run. She was close to being gassed and still the most crucial moment of the game was coming. The final minutes.

The Pirates were up 17-16 when Mick Steele scored off a penalty putting Nar Shaddaa up by two. Then the ferocious counterattack began. Ripley settled into her stance as Masters and Lucy tore past Reaver and Shaw.

Focus, Ripley, focus.... she thought as the final act of this great battle began to take shape.

The ball shot to Leigh. Tian spearheaded the Pirates attack by creating a buffer for the offense. Cutty moved out to the side, unblocked, wide open, begging for the ball to come her way. Ripley almost preferred if Cutty had the ball. She wasn't as accurate as Leigh. She wasn't as dangerous.

Leigh started to bring her arm back to throw but it was a fake. Ripley didn't bite. She wasn't about to let her guard down. It was then that Leigh fired a shot to the top corner. Ripley replayed all the times in training camp Meredith Chambers-Vayne had them block this shot. It was hard, it was a stretch, it was physically demanding, but it was doable. This was the shot that earned Limmie goalkeepers their money if they deflected it and the shot that earned them eternal scorn if they did not.

The ball seemed to float in the air. Seemed to hang. The sounds of the crowd, deafening as they were, faded away. Faded away into the nothingness of intense focus. Ripley surged upward, felt her feet leave the grass below, arms outstretched, the ball coming closer, closer, spiraling, its checkered pattern whirring in front of her. She felt the impact against her chest as she fell back down to the pitch.

She threw the ball back in for play and the refs called the match.

Game over.

Ripley held tight onto the ball as she made her way to the sideline. She was hugged tightly by Charlie Blackwood and Lizzie Wilder.

"I knew you could frakking do it!" Charlie yelled in her ear.

"Frak all that was incredible!" Liz yelled as the team took the pitch for the obligatory handshake.

It was all good game and nicely done, small, curteous words exchanged to their bitter foes. The Smugglers had won on the road in Carratos. That was a great feat. It was something to remember.

Now they had to focus on Dac. An entirely different animal. Ripley wouldn't start for that game. Blackwood would get the nod.

For today, however, Ripley felt like a million credits.


What a win.

Tag: galactic-vagabond422

 

GM Post

Bonus potential for Bakura, Carratos, Coruscant, Mando'ade, Nar Shaddaa, and Ralltiir. Let's go!

285 Week 2 Results
Kuati Valor at Denon Demons (3-22)
Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Ralltiir Starkillers (20-16)
Hapes Consortium Buccaneers at Mando’ade Mercs (1-8)
Dac Mariners at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers (21-2)
Bakura Miners at Jakku Junkers (27-26)
Coruscant Senators at Carratos Pirates (41-39)

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

 

IC: Trixie Penn
The Graveyard, Jakku



It was mouth-parching dry. It was blindingly sunny. There was nothing to do here. Food came in portions. There were weird species here that seemingly showed up nowhere else in the galaxy, including on the Junkers roster. The most interesting architectural features were old starships that had crashed. For beings like Miners fans, including the members of the Noble House of Trieste, coming from a wet, prosperous, cultured, developed world like Bakura, Jakku was probably the most boring place to be in the galaxy.

Trixie thought it was the greatest place ever and made sure her family knew it.

“Look at these home prices! You can buy a three bedroom house for 5,000 credits!” she said, shoving the local residential listings in Ginny’s face as they awaited the start of the game.

“They actually have houses with bedrooms here?” Ginny sniffed.

“And did you see what food costs? Your monthly grocery bill on Bakura could pay for a year of food here!”

“In portions...which I’m not sure is actual food,” Jane Serena pointed out.

“It’s a high growth opportunity world, an opportunity to get in on the ground floor in one of the galaxy’s most dynamic, emerging economies,” Trixie read from the local business association flyer.

“And by ‘emerging,’ I think they mean preindustrial,” Antrose pointed out languidly. “It’s a miracle they even have alcohol on this planet.” He held up his own glass to show that was indeed the case.

“Uncle Ronan, convince Falene to sell everything we own and buy Jakku,” Trixie demanded of her uncle, who managed the Noble House’s money. “I think she could seriously do it. We could buy the entire planet. We’d probably have enough left over to buy their moon too.”

“I’ll let you bring that up with her,” Ronan said, declining to take his niece’s bait.

“Haven’t you ever wanted your own world?” Trixie asked, and then realized she was talking to Declan. “Well of course you do. But this is cheaper than an election!”

“That’s enough of that, dear,” her father Atticus said, gently taking the brochure and home listings from her. “I think we’re doing quite fine on Bakura.”

“You know, if you’d wanted to live here, I’m sure you could have talked Horst into it. After all, Jakku did offer him a contract, didn’t they?” Ayn observed.

“Or were they proposing to pay him only in portions?” Declan wryly observed. Trixie hated how he and his wife played off each other so well. It was beyond annoying.

“Are you all going to bicker back there, or are any of you going to watch the game that’s about to start?” Regan called to them all.

Trixie moved to the front of the box to take a seat. She was wearing a gigantic hat to shield herself from the certain case of skin cancer that beings probably contracted simply by watching a Junkers game for an afternoon. She put her macrobinoculars to her eyes and scanned the pale, faded, heat-struck turf until she found Horst. In a reversal of usual practice, the Junkers wore white jerseys today for the day game. That forced the Miners to wear their home darks, which soaked up the sunlight and heat more than their road whites would have. When she found Horst, his hair was already matted against his head. In fact, his jersey and shorts looked wet too. Everything about him looked wet.

“Oh for the love of the Force,” Trixie muttered.

She was pretty sure that after the pregame warmup, her husband had showered with all his clothes on to try to beat the Jakku heat.

She turned her macroniboculars to Horst’s opposing full forward, Inda Vergamis, an Onodone with a mouth trunk so long that it was actually looped around her neck for the least impact to her play. Yeah, that was really going to help her play. More likely she was going to step on it and trip.

---

Trixie impatiently drummed her fingers on her armrest. The game had been pretty miserable. The Miner defense, despite standing up against the best defense in the league last week, was looking more like cheese against the Junkers. Vergamis had outplayed Horst a few times and had a couple of goals to her name as a result. They’d put up 26 points today, which seemed like it shouldn’t happen. Trixie was pretty sure they’d never scored more than 30 points in a game in their entire history in the ELL. Horst and the defense should have smacked them down with authority.

Instead, the only saving grace of the game was that it looked like the Miners were going to lose. They were down 24-26 and the Junkers had the ball. All they had to do was run out the clock. Even if the game had been a defensive disaster, she’d still get to enjoy the despondent look on her relatives’ faces. That was worth something.

It was then that Burrnsbacca, the unruly Wookiee rookie (oh Force, please have no one say that outloud or it would become “a thing” and then there’d be t-shirts and signs in the stands), did some kind of suicide charge with a roar straight at Modon Allow, who had the ball. The dark-gray-skinned humanoid suddenly froze with the monstrous fuzzball heading straight for him. Any competent limmie player (in Trixie’s opinion from the all-knowing ring of seats where Taungsday morning full forwarding was always in effect) would have just stepped to one side and let the Wookiee brush right by in imitation of a Geonosian arena deathmatch. Instead, Allow just tucked the ball and prepared himself for impact.

The force of the Wookiee was too much and the ball went flying out of Allow’s hands. Morgan Alesh jumped on it, kicking it upfield. The Junkers, who’d been playing not to lose for the last five minutes, were completely unprepared for this. Jo Pawvelski caught the ball and centered it to Joff. The sophomore full forward ducked a tackle from Ellanana, the small, but fast, full back for the Junkers. When the Kyuzo had soared over Joff, he stood up straight, planted his feet, and fired for the corner. Rumadum, the hulking Dowutin, wasn’t fast enough to react to the side-to-side pass.

The entire Noble House box jumped up as the score ticked up to 27-26 on the Junkers rickety, likely-cobbled-together-from-spare-parts scoreboard in favor of the Miners.

There were only a few seconds left, not enough for the Junkers to even get the boloball up the field for a decent scoring chance.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Regan said as she gave (what Trixie thought was a very not-Supreme-Court-justicy) high five to her husband. “That’s why you put a player on Cloud City for a season! Who needs an LFL team when you can get Burrnsbacca out of the Premier League for you!”

“Joff was robbed of the Ingbrand, but one day he’s going to win a Salbukk with heroics like that,” Declan said of his fellow alumnus.

“Miners win!” Ayn said to her twin children, tousling their hair enthusiastically with a smile. No doubt the next campaign ads for Ayn and Declan would take credit for today’s victory.

“Looks like it’s going to be the Heart Attack Miners this season,” Ronan said wryly to his wife, giving her a kiss on the cheek in small celebration. “Emergency room visits are going to skyrocket at the end of the second half.”

“First double overtime and now a last second game winner on Jakku!” Ginny gushed. “Can’t miss a Miners game on Jakku!” Trixie didn’t bother pointing out that it wasn’t a last second goal.

“Why does everyone want to go back to Jakku?” was all Trixie groused.

TAG: None

 

Sub GM Post


LFL Week One Results

Bonus Potential for: Drunkenwell (28), Tatooine (28), Thyferra (28), Concorida (28), Atzerri (28)

Byblos Red Wings @ Druckenwell Marksmen (15-1)
Tatooine Sandskimmers @ Thyferra Force (19-18)
Concordia Cursaders @ Atzerri Bandits (3-9)

Tags: CPL_Macja Vehn Jedi Gunny Bardan_Jusik galactic-vagabond422

 

​

IC: The Rancor Pitt

"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! From downtown Keldabe, on a rainy and windy but ot as bad as yesterday..."

"That was crazy..."

"...victory afternoooooon. 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."

"...just crazy."

"Yeah it was crazy. Driving rain, sustained winds of 30 KPH, gusting up to 70, 75 KPH, standing water on the field..."

"Standing? It was being blown all over the field by those winds. There were practically waves!"

"... field was a quagmire of mud on other places, passes were almost impossible, long shots at the net were impossible. Evertone was losing their footing slipping and sliding all over the place..."

"Strill and Nexu living together, mass hysteria!"

"...just a total mess. Wait what?"

"It's a line from a HoloComedy, Force Gho..."

"I know, I know. Just surprised to hear it here."

"Fitting though, it was like the apocalypse out there."

"Yeah...yeah it was. Mercs got the win though neither that or the weather might be the biggest story to come out of yesterday's game."

"You mean the..."

"Yeah, but first let's recap the game just a little before we dive into that."

"Gladly, that's going to take up the majority of the show."

"No doubt, no doubt. OK, so you had the atrocious field conditions yesterday, you surprised they played the game? I hard rumors there were thoughts that the league might step in and cancel or postpone it."

"No not surprised, this is limmie, not shock ball..."

"Almost was shock ball, they delayed the start of the game for 30 minutes due to lightning."

"...these players can play in any..."

"Ha, that was pretty good!"

"I know."

"...but like I was saying, these players can play in anything, and while the conditions really affected the game, both teams were affected so it's not like anyone had an advantage out there. Certainly not something you normally associate with a game in Keldabe."

"Reminded me of travelling to Euceron back in the day."

"Yeah, this game would have fit right in on Euceron, as it was though, both teams looked a little lost out there. Really really slow and sloppy game."

"Well Tendra scored that first point for Hapes after forcing the turnover herself there deep in the Mercs zone..."

"Can't blame Mauntak for that, the wind grabbed that pass from him and carried it right to her. To be honest I was surprised she caught it with how bad it was out there."

"Even then she couldn't get the ball in the net thanks to Stargazer tipping it up and over the bar for a single."

"That was a big near save..."

"A three point lead in a game like that would have been huge."

"Yeah, comebacks in a game like this would be difficult, as it was it took another five minutes before the Mercs could muster their own point, on a situation that basically mirrored the Bucs point, but with Jaing playing the role of Tendra."

"Looked like that point kind of relaxed the Mercs a little because they started to play a little looser out there..."

"Yeah, game like that, once you show you can score it helps free everyone up a little."

"You had the Arock three pointer a few minutes after that which opening things up for them..."

"Like I said, game like that a three point lead is huge."

"...and then they just kept adding on here and there. Hey, I said that!"

"You did?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Oh. Well I was thinking it."

"Whatever."

"Anyway, we had Jaing tacked on another point, Lovenvek got one, and Langdon had two go over the bar on back to back possessions in the second half. All while the Mercs defense..."

"Aided by the weather."

"Kept the Bucs off the scoreboard."

"It was a crazy, crazy game and that might not even be the craziest part."

"Here we go."

"I'm talking of course of the...protest?"

"Yeah I guess it can be called that."

"By Mercs backup midfielder Kaeper'nick Kryze refusing to take part in the Mercs traditional pre-game rendering of the dha werda verda."

"Mercs players have been performing the dha werda verda almost since the team's inception at both home and away games during their pre game warmups and I don't think I've ever seen anyone refuse to participate."

"Nope, me either. Even when non Mandalorian players were added to the roter following the implementation of the draft, they learned the war chant and took part as a team building exercise."

"Well Kryze says he refuses to participate in any ceremony designed to glorify war and violence, which is precisely what he says the dha werda verda represents."

"I'm sure that will endear him to his team mates..."

"Not to mention the fans..."

"Did he do the chant opening day?"

"Various media has looked back at that, and no he did not. With all the pregame ceremony focused on raising the banner and the players and staff getting their rings no one noticed that he was back in the locker room still"

"Well everyone noticed this week, he was right there on the sideline on a knee, the only one."

"Seems no one noticing forced him to take measures to ensure people would notice."

"So it goes beyond something he just doesn't want to participate in, he wants everyone to notice."

"Yeah, it's his own form of protest...Going to be interesting to see where this one goes."

"Hopefully it won't be a distraction on the road, the Mercs travel to Ralltiir next week, but you know the focus will be on him when the Monarchs come to visit in week four."

"Going to be a mad house, and I'm, not sure if he understands what he's started here."

"He's a Mandalorian..."

"A New Mandalorian."

"...he knows just what he's gotten himself into."

TAG: jcgoble3 who approved the in game action as well as weather conditions for the game.

 

IC: Richard Vigo

As if Monday’s didn’t suck enough I was on a conference call with both of my younger brother’s.

"Did you see me score 2 goals this week?” Tomas gloated.

“How about that last minute save by Teaspoon?” Spencer added.

Both of their teams had won last weekend and my team had lost.

---

Thursday Late Evening

I turned off the engines allowing my speeder to idle into the driveway, hoping not to wake anyone up. I’d been at the office late trying to convince one major sponsor not to pull out after one loss. Why did I care so much? There were a hundred other business owners lined up behind him. It would look bad, if one pulled out, more might pulled out.

I just had to hope Starkiller fans were buying resale tickets. More tickets than I wanted to see were being sold on holo sites this week. If the stadium was half full or even one quarter full of Merc fans on Sunday; that would look bad. That would be a valid reason for sponsors to pull out. I had done everything I and the team of people I had working for me could do. Plans included a free single serving nachos to every ticket holder who wore orange and blue to the game, autographs from the dance team in the parking area before the game and we had hired marquee Galactic Cup worthy half time entertainment.

I walked up to the door and pushed my thumbprint into the knob to unlock it. I turned the knob slowly and found Ryan waiting up. “You didn’t have to wait up,” I said.

“I wanted to, I have a surprise for you,” he said with too much excitement.

“It’s almost midnight. You are way too happy. What surprise?” I asked skeptically.

“Tomorrow night is the underclassmen homecoming at the Academy,” he began.

“Jimsey decided to go after all?” I said. “That is good news.”

“Jimsey’s going and so are we,” he added pulling out some tickets from behind his back. “I signed us up as chaperones.”

“That is a bad idea,” I said firmly. “Jimsey is just starting to fit in at this school. Having his parents there will ruin it for him.”

“Says who? We’re cool parents,” Ryan insisted.

“You go,” I said. “I have plenty to do at the stadium tomorrow night.”

Ryan suddenly looked hurt, “I thought you were going to make it a point to have dinner at home tomorrow.”

“Well I can still come home for dinner,” I assured him.

“Richie, remember when we were in high school and you backed out of every single school dance?”

“Yea,” I remembered and I figured that when Ryan had agreed to marry me he’d forgiven me. Apparently not.

“This is your chance to make it up to me,” he pleaded. “We can show the suckers at that school that being us is something to be proud of, not something to be ashamed of.”

I hated this idea. I just knew something would go horribly wrong. I just couldn’t disappoint Ryan, “You twisted my arm.” I relented.

“Yes!” He exclaimed jumping up like a little kid. “You won’t regret this Richard,” he ran towards me and gave me a hug, followed by a passionate kiss.

The next evening I left work early as promised. Ryan had a suit picked out for me in the bedroom and he had set out my best dancing shoes. “I’m 31,” I called out to him. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

“What?” He asked coming to the doorway.

“The dance shoes,” I pointed to their spot on the floor. “I’m a respected business owner I can’t show off like a teenager at a club.”

“But you’re so good at it,” he insisted.

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

“He’s getting a ride with your sister. He wanted to hang out with T.J. after school. I thought we could have dinner alone,” he went on.

This whole evening felt like one big set up. I got my hopes up that we weren’t going to some dumb juvenile homecoming until Ryan pulled the speeder into a parking space at the actual school.

Why the little kids need to have a homecoming I will never understand. Probably because the Academy is a K-12 school and they don’t want the little one’s to feel left out. The real homecoming for the upper classman was still a few weeks away. Tonight was really just a time for the younger kids to socialize.

Ryan and I walked into the loud school auditorium. The lights weren’t dimmed like they would be for a dance, but there were plenty of tables of cookies and fruit punch. A D.J. was set up to start music soon and lots of kids were racing around in fancy clothes. I was surprised to see Ty Allin there with my sister. He waved us over. I grabbed my data pad and took a quick holo of Jimsey.

For a long time it was boring and uneventful. Every once in a while the D.J. would play a song the kids liked and they would make fools of themselves jumping around trying to look cool. Without warning the D.J. said he’d gotten a request and Ryan whisked me into the middle of the room. I could feel little and big eyes on me. Children, teachers, other chaperones, everyone was staring. For Ryan, I told myself. I went to a place I hadn’t been in years and broke out moves I’d learned in dance school. A school I attended to make my mother happy. Waste of my time, I reflected as I wondered where she was.

Truth be told I can dance, and our skeptical audience become very vibrant quickly. I glanced towards Jimsey and he looked a little nervous. My sister Lucie suddenly dragged Ty out on the floor. Leave it to Ty Allin to be the more embarrassing father. He doesn’t really dance well and he added some inappropriate touches to his wife that really got the kids talking.

I was just happy when it was over. We got a wild round of applause, the D.J. announced the dance was over and we scurried back out to our speeder. “Thank you,” Ryan said before I even flipped on the engine.

“Thanks for what?” I asked.

“Well I always felt like I missed out on all my high school dances and just now we got to experience one. Can we chaperone again when Jimsey is in the 9th grade?”

“No.” I said firmly as I began to start up the speeder. We rode in silence for a bit. “You’re welcome,” I finally said as we turned onto the main road. “So Jimsey did you have a good time.”

“I think so,” ugh kids.

Sunday morning and our match up against the Mercs came quickly. I enjoyed a long swim in the pool and made a big breakfast. I was trying to savor it when I heard.

“Are you done eating yet?” It was Jimsey.

I’m still at the table, even though my plate is clear. I take my final sip of caf and reluctantly stand up. After handing my dishes to a droid I walk into the living room and find Jimsey standing at the door, ready to leave. “What’s your hurry?” I ask.

“T.J. is already at the stadium and I want to help set up,” he informs me.

I keep forgetting to thank my sister for whatever she said to T.J. after the incident at our house on opening day. T.J. was all Jimsey talked about lately. He looked to his cousin as a best friend and I was really feeling blessed for the bond they were forming. Jimsey had stood at this same door begging to hurry up so we could leave for school several times this week. A father couldn’t ask for better.

“As soon as your father is ready, we can leave,” I explain.

“Ready and waiting,” Ryan says as he pounds down the stairs in his Noah Till jersey.

When we get to the stadium I part ways with my son and husband to walk the stadium and make sure everything is ready for game day. My favorite part is when I take a seat at the nacho stand and do a taste test. Just as I approve the flavor my data pad begins to vibrate in my pocket. It’s Ty. “Is everything alright?” I ask.

I can hear my son screaming in the background and immediately I’m on my feet racing towards the nearest lift. “Is he hurt?” I ask frantically. “Daddy’s coming Jimsey, hold on!” The lift ride takes an eternity. When I get off Jimsey is still screaming. Ithorians have four mouths when they scream, they scream in stereo. Several beings, Limmie players and trainers mostly are standing outside the locker room with their hands over their ears.

Ty looks frustrated and I take note that both T.J. and Jimsey are stripped of their clothing standing in towels, shivering. “What’s going on?” I scream over Jimsey.

“Get your son to shut up and I’ll tell you,” Ty says angrily.

I bring Jimsey close to me. “Are you cold?” I ask. He nods and as I bring him in for a hug the screaming stops. “What happened?” I whisper in his ear. The most critical thing I’ve learned with Jimsey is to keep my voice calm and quiet. Or the screaming is likely to begin again.

“Uncle Ty forced us to take a cold shower,” Jimsey said angrily.

I looked at Ty, “Tell him why you needed a shower, tell your father what happened to your clothes.” Ty didn’t speak to me he spoke to Jimsey.

Jimsey suddenly looked very afraid. He didn’t scream this time, he clammed up. “You want to tell me or you want your Uncle Ty to tell me?” I asked.

Jimsey shrugged. “You need to make a decision, pal. I’m going to get this story and fast,” I said looking at my chrono. It was less than an hour until game time.

Jimsely just wrapped the towel around him tighter. Finally Ryan showed up. I went for a walk with Ty while Ryan found Jimsey something to wear.

“So what happened?” I asked curiously.

“Well I’m afraid my son got your son in trouble and a speeder cart may have suffered some damage and the visitor’s tunnel might be a little messy.”

“What?” It was the only word I could get out.

Ty was walking me out on the field towards the visitor’s tunnel and locker room. “The head water boy left the key to the speeder cart in the speeder cart and T.J. found it. He talked your son into a joy ride around the field. When I ran after them telling T.J. to stop he sped up and fled into the visitor’s tunnel and he was a little reckless. He crashed into a fire extinguisher.”

The visitor’s tunnel was a mess. Droids were busy cleaning and a smashed up speeder cart was being pulled out. “Wow,” I managed.

“I told the boys that the dust was toxic and they needed to stand in a cold shower for five minutes or their skin would burn off. I rushed them in stripped off their clothes. More than anything I thought it would be a good punishment to make them stand in a freezing shower for 5 minutes, but then your son started to scream.”

I took one last look at the damaged speeder cart as it was pushed towards our own home locker room. The stadium was now half full of fans and the cart was on the jumbo screen. “You worry about coaching the team,” I told Ty. "I’ll take care of my son. And yours,” I added.

Ryan had Jimsey and T.J. dressed in oversized warm-ups. “Let’s go,” I commanded sternly. They all followed me out of the locker room.

I called Lucie and gave her the story from the hallway. She arrived shortly after I had finished with Ezra and Cammie in a double stroller. She pulled T.J. away by the arm and I did my best to mind my own business.

Ryan decided to take one for the team. As in our team as a marriage and he took Jimsey home. I went up to the owner’s box alone to watch the game.

Tag: Bardan_Jusik

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Stewjon Metropolitans file suit against ELL in Coruscant claiming Metropolitans were wrongfully demoted from League during offseason
• Suit alleges that the League had no cause to demote Mets, citing Nar Shaddaa's identical 3-8 overall record and worse conference record
• Suit also claims that the League bent to public pressure to readmit the Kuati Valor and that work of the Membership Committee did not do its due diligence in vetting Valor
• According to court documents, suit is officially Rurra Eshka'mos, Stewjon Metropolitans, et al. v. Fenrir Lokensgaard, though suit does not include personal liability for the Commissioner
  • Rurra Eshka'mos, the galaxy's most famous Mets fan, has joined the suit "on behalf of Mets fans everywhere" and to lend his name to the cause
  • Observers are already calling the suit Eshka'mos v. Lokensgaard
• Commissioner Lokensgaard vehemently denounces the suit in comments to the media
  • "If successful, this suit could undermine the entire promotion/demotion system and undermine the ability of the Board of Governors to bring in the best teams to the ELL."
  • "If the court rules in favor of the Mets, what's not to say that every team we demote can sue us for damages or reinstatement?"
• Eshka'mos during his opening story on the suit on The Nightly Show: "We know absolutely nothing about how the Membership Committee works. Maybe the Mets' suit is groundless. Maybe there's truth in this. We pour billions of credits into ELL as a galaxy every year. I'm not an objective observer--but it's time that we open up the smoke-filled room and we bring in the light."

TAG: Vehn

 

​

"Hi I'm Ken Kitterich with your five by five sports update brought to you by Merr-Sonn, Fill you enemies with primal fear, fill their lungs with fire, Merr-Sonn."

"They say Limmie is a game of inches, that there are time where you need every bounce to go your way. Well whoever they are, they're right. #1 University of Tatooine, Anchorhead, and #6 Dac State were locked in a close one on Dac before an errant pass caused an own goal for the defending champs. UTA falls to Dac. 21-20 in one that neither team will soon forget."

"In another upset, #5 Norand University, Carratos loses to #21 Ralltiir U 18-15, but only after mounting a furious comeback from a 15-3 halftime deficit."

"In the Bak10 #11 UBTV loses 14 to 7 to #14 Tiarest for Tiarest's first win of the season. The start of that game delayed due to an electrical problem that kept half of the stadium dark for 20 minutes."

"A little closer to home, #17 Imperial College of Bastion got smoked by #8 KMI to the tune of a 29-8 score. Warrior's forward Bas Wren took a late hit there though and will be out for at least the next two weeks. Coach Mey'er already facing heat for leaving her in with the game well in hand,"

"And #23 Royal College of Hapes lost to #24 University of Agamar 10-8 in a game where goals were hard to come by. All 18 points were scored over the bar, falling just short of a Rim 10 record."

"I'm Ken Kitterich and this has been your five by five sports update. I'll be back with you next hour at five after the hour but until then more of the Rancor Pitt, right here on the Fandalorian!"

TAG: no one/everyone

---

HSN Top 25 after Week 2

1. Coruscant Polytechnic Institute
2. UB Salis D'aar
3. Vertical City University, Nar Shaddaa
4. University of Tatooine, Anchorhead
5. Dac State University
6. Druckenwell Technical University
7. Keldabe Military Institute (Mandalore)
8. Norand University, Carratos
9. Balmorra State University
10. University of Devaron
11. Chandrila A&M University
12. University of Denon
13. Tiarest University
14. Taanab A&M University
15. University of Zeltros
16. UB Telaan Valley
17. University of Kashyyyk
18. University of Kuat
19. The Ord Sabaok University
20. Ralltiir University
21. Imperial College of Bastion
22. University of Agamar
23. Grand Vulptur System University
24. Kothlis National University
25. Cloud city University, Bespin

 

IC: Dewey Finn
Carratos



The game was a back-and-forth affair, and it made for great footage. When one team scored, the other one came down the field and made a score of their own. Defense was nonexistent in the contest, and the fans were undoubtedly eating it up. Most games weren’t anywhere near this high-scoring, so this was a real treat, especially for casual fans who didn’t like defensive battles. Dewey wasn’t sure where he stood on that spectrum of casual fan to diehard who could find a 1-0 game to be a scintillating experience, but it was a good place for his production to be. He would have way more footage than he needed.

Leia Adama was having an excellent game. She made Pirate defenders look silly every time she touched the ball, and it was like everyone was living in her world. It was the kind of performance a star player like that needed in a game like this; it was something for the rest of the team to rally around. The other forwards were given plenty of space to work, yet they kept feeding it down low to their star full forward. Adama pulled out a variety of moves that kept her defenders at bay, and she opened the space up for her teammates as well as when she kept the rock herself. Hela Montego had a breakout game with her first-career hat trick, the bruising Twi’lek forward making her presence felt. Those two players ground down the Carratos defense little by little, and it showed.

On the other end, the Senator defense, which had been overhauled so many times that there hadn’t been much continuity for years, was getting toasted. Christine Gamble was struggling mightily, as were the rest of her defenders. Jayla Leed, who held Jakku to two points in the opener, was finally pulled from the game after ceding 30 points. Michonne, the reigning Ingbrand winner who had lost the goalkeeper competition in the offseason to a resurgent Leed, came in and still struggled in her first action of the season. The midfielders were either good or bad, depending on which way the ball was going. There was a lot of movement on offense, and complete bewilderment on defense. Sometimes you just had to play the shootout game and hope you could pull it out.

And the Senators managed to do just that, taking the wild contest by a score of 41-39. Adama finished with a career-high six goals on the game, accounting for nearly half of her team’s total on the day. It was a performance that would make a statement to the rest of the league, and a story that Dewey knew he needed.

“That was an amazing game,” he said to Adama when he had a chance to interview the star after the team had cleaned up and gotten into the street clothes. “How does it feel to set a new career high in points scored and goals in one game?”

“It’s a great feeling,” Adama commented. “I had the hot hand today, and it was like I could do no wrong. I hope there are more games like this down the road.”

“Your teammates had a lot of open space to work in today. Do you feel like you’ve arrived at this level?”

“Well, I’ve been good for a while, but today was nice. I helped give everyone a lift, and that’s what a captain needs to do.”

“Not the best game,” Christine Gamble said as she walked to the shuttle. “We let them run loose in our zone. We have to get better zone control next week.”

“It was ugly, but we won, so I’ll take it,” Klay Mettews said. “Now to go home and go to 3-0.”

“But isn’t Dac pretty good?” Dewey asked.

“They are. But we want to win, so we’ll give them everything they can handle,” Mettews replied.

“Not quite the game we wanted to see from the defense, but a win is a win,” Briar Adama said on the team shuttle. “It shows that our offense can score, which was a problem last season.”

“I can’t remember a game like that where everything just clicked so seamlessly,” Gark S’rily said. “I’m proud of my players for getting it done. Adama is an amazing player; she’s one of the best forwards in the league, and she can be deadly every time she touches the ball. That game-winning goal is just one example of her ability. Having her to rely on makes everything easier.”

“How far do you think you can go this season?” was the next question for everyone.

“We will go as far as our talent will take us,” Adama said. “And teamwork as well. It’s a bit of everything.”

“We have proven that we can win when things are rolling, so pretty far if we keep it going,” Mettews said.

“I wouldn’t be so quick to say we will run the table,” Briar commented snidely. “There are still 9 games left. There are many challenges ahead.”

“If the offense can respond like this every game, we have a good chance to win every time out,” S’rily said. “And that’s a good feeling to have.”


TAG: galactic-vagabond422

 

IC: Lucy Heart
Lucy's Apartment

The young woman woke up the morning after the loss to the Smugglers to find her friends passed out on her floor. They all had stayed up late talking, spending time together, and the three limmie players discussing how they could have turned the game around. While most of the conversation went over her head it was still nice to be around them given that they were constantly at practice and she was always at work. Thought she was getting a little tired of them just showing at her place whenever they wanted. She'd have to say something soon about it but, not this morning.

After gingerly making her way around her still sleeping friends she took up a position at her desk. She opened up a drawer at the side of the metal furniture, inside was a stack of flimsi, black ink writing covering both sides. She didn't know what possessed her to start writing in the first place, maybe it was a way to get her ideas out of her head or, just as a way to pass the time, whatever it was it had become her hobby. She knew it would be easier to type this all up on a terminal but, there was something about writing on a physical piece of material that just felt so right.

She heard a bit of stirring behind her, in swift motions she slid the stack back into the drawer and closed it with a flick of her wrist locking the writings away. She may think that it would one day be a masterpiece but, right now, it wasn't ready to be read by anyone. Natsu was the first to wake, his eyes blinking several times as they adjusted to the light. He quickly did a scan looking for a chrono of some kind, finding the alarm chrono on Lucy's dresser. His eyes went wide. It was still a little early, she wondered what caused him to react so.

"Aw, poodoo, come on guys get up." He shouted, his worried cries elicited groans from his friends.

"What, laserbrain."

"Come on, you remember what coach said early practice tomorrow." He took a moment to shake his friend's arm. "It's tomorrow."

"Get off me will ya'." Grey responded wrenching his arm free, "It'll be fine if we're a little late."

"No it won't, we can't show up late, we'll look bad, come on, we don't have time to waste."

"Could you chill out?" Grey nearly shouted getting into a seated position. The two men got face to face growling at each other. Lucy shook her head and started to get out of her chair. From behind her two thunderous smacks rang out.

"No fighting you two." Erza commanded, looking back over Lucy could see Natsu and Grey holding the back of their heads, faces grimaced in pain. "Natsu's right we need to get going, thank you for letting us stay here last night Lucy."

"It's no problem guys." She smiled from the kitchen as her friends got up and shuffled out the door. After a few moments of silence, Lucy started getting ready for her work day as well.

_____
Arcadia Colosseum, O'pahz, Carratos

Lucy sat in her seat looking over her datapad reviewing several invoices and purchase orders. Most of it seemed fine though she had to make sure they got to the right division and had been approved by Schnitt or who he had delegated such a task to. Something caught her eye for just a second. An invoice for a construction company, to the best of her knowledge there were no construction projects being funded by the Pirates. There were still parts of the city and the planet that still needed to be rebuilt but, nothing belonging to the Pirates needed to be repaired. That she knew of at least.

Before she could ponder over the bill any longer an alert popped up, it was her personal holo-net account, another message from her father. She'd given thought to blocking him from messaging her but, always held off doing so, what if it was something important, what if something happened to him. She had thought of every catastrophic outcome that could occur if she ignored her father and decided the risks were too great.

The game had already started but, she opened up the missive. Her father stated plainly that he would be in town soon and would be visiting her home, he left no option for her to say no, typical of him. She'd been protected from him by Makarov but, when she left, he somehow got her contact information and had been trying to see her every now and again. Every time she found a way to get out of it, this time wouldn't be any different.

She shook her head throwing away thoughts of her father, she wasn't ready to deal with that, to deal with him. Every time she thought of him all she could see was his angry face, yelling at her, screaming hurtful words. She still couldn't forgive him for them, she still couldn't put them behind her.

She looked up to see that the score was close with the Sens a little in the lead. The small breaks in the game were filled with highlights, goals and saves. The Pirates were going all out again but, the Senators were hitting back just as hard. Penalties didn't seem like that much of a factor this game as the last. Could it be that the Smugglers got under the teams' skins, or did 'One Eye' clamp down hard on fouls in practice. Whatever happened her team was playing much more controlled today, and the scoreboard showed it.

Leigh put a pass to Cutty and she buried it into the back of the net in a beautiful cross play. Before Lucy could get any more sucked in her datapad chimed again. A message from Accounts Payable, they have yet to receive an invoice from Schnitt regarding repairs required after last week's game. Lucy didn't recall ever hearing about such repairs, and she certainly didn't see any invoice about it. As the game moved on she connected to the local terminal network and accessed were she stored all invoices and purchase orders.

The Sens came roaring back Adama slamming another goal past Qazi, one could start to see the fatigue in the Pirates they were getting sloppy. While one could see this Lucy did not, her head was buried in her tablet, searching furiously for the invoice. Had she misplaced it, deleted it, mislabeled it? She could have made a mistake. The crowd cheered as Ariel popped a shot into the top corner tying the scores. The game was getting heated each team fighting to take back the lead or grow it. The team in black and white was obviously dragging, running out of steam. Maybe fresh legs would help?

Those questions didn't enter Lucy's mind, sweat beaded on her forehead, her face getting warm. Had she made a mistake? She was still new so it could be expected but, she still felt embarrassed and worried. She didn't want to lose this job. She rubbed her eyes tearing them away from the screen for a moment. The invoice wasn't there, that left a few options, one, the contractor hadn't sent it yet, two, someone else along the line misplaced or deleted it, or option three, she misplaced or deleted it. She started to chew on her thumbnail. She didn't remember seeing any invoice like that and she knew not to delete them but, doubt still clung to her mind and she couldn't get it out.

Outside her fortress of uncertainty the Pirates were up 39 to 38, all they had to do was keep possession for a bit and the game would be there's. Bestide moved to pass into the midfield but, her tired hands didn't put enough power on it and the ball fell into the waiting arms of the Sens. The rest of the defense rushed to make up for the mistake but it was already too late. Adama once again slammed the orb into the net, putting the game away for the team from Courscant.

The crowd booed fiercely their displeasure made audible. The team seemed beat, worn out, a few had lowered heads as they walked through the hand shake line. It was still a good game a shoot out to be remembered. Unfortunately Lucy didn't get to see much of it.

She got back home and started settling down until there was a knock at her door. She was still so deep in worry that she barely even noticed.

The knocking continued, "Hey Lucy open up." It was Natsu because it was always him. She opened the door and her three friends stood outside. She let them in without protest, she needed to get her mind off what was going on.

TAG: Jedi Gunny

 

IC: Tendra Nalo
Location: Mesh’la Vhetin, Keldabe, Mandalore
Time: Week 2 match at Mando’ade Mercs

Tendra stood in the shower, letting the hot water stream over her head and body as she pondered the recent weeks and life in general. Minutes earlier, she had spoken at length and privately (or as privately as one could get in the post-game bustle of the visitors’ locker room) with Owen Magnus, the backup goalkeeper for the C-Bucs. Back in 280, Owen was the first Gallinore player to strike over the C-Bucs’ female-only policy; his actions had snowballed into a massive protest that culminated with a fistfight in the war room at the 281 Draft and the resulting historic and unauthorized number-one draft pick by Tendra of the C-Bucs’ first bona fide male player. That player was no longer on the team, having fallen victim to the misandrist roster moves in the most recent offseason, and Owen was concerned about his future as a C-Bucs player, especially since the Bucs no longer operated an LFL team and he was in his contract year, hence his discussion with the team captain. But she didn’t know what she could tell him.

As she allowed the heat of the shower to relax and soothe her sore muscles from playing in some of the worst weather she had experienced in her life, even as someone used to Euceron weather, Tendra considered her actions in response to the recent moves. Were her public statements opposing the misandry appropriate? What was her duty as team captain? Was it to toe the party line, even when she personally disagreed with those decisions? Or at least stay silent when she disagreed? Leota seemed to think so when she had called Tendra in for a meeting at the beginning of training camp to discuss her statements to the media. Or, as captain, did she have a duty to represent and be the voice of the few remaining men on the team, especially when it seemed that the team was attempting to silence them by severely limiting their media availability?

For a moment, she allowed her thoughts to drift back to that meeting with Leota, two months ago…

---

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Tendra faced her head coach and general manager. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t give me that. You know what. I can’t have a team captain that publicly lambasts the team like you’ve been doing.”

“I thought you supported gender equality. What happened to you?”

Leota took a deep breath, then another before responding. “Tendra, let’s both calm down. I shouldn’t have started out like this. The following is between you and me only, understood?”

“Understood.”

“Tendra, I don’t like these moves any better than you do. But it was not my choice to make them.”

“What do you mean? You’re the general manager. Roster issues are your decision, aren’t they?”

“You forget that I don’t have complete autonomy. I have to answer to the Ministry for Sport and Culture, who in turn answers to the Queen Mother, who is the actual owner of the Bucs. Some officials from the Ministry approached me after last season and basically told me that they were getting too much backlash from Hapan citizens over men on the team. I was told to cut all men from the team over the next two years or I would be replaced with someone who would. They left no room for argument.”

“Why would you compromise your morals? If that’s what they want, and you don’t like it, say no, and let them replace you. I hear Euceron may have a team again in a couple of years. I’m sure they’ll need a general manager and a head coach.”

Leota turned toward her desk and picked up a holo of a man and a young girl, both Hapans by the looks of them. “My husband and daughter. I love them more than anything in this galaxy.”

“Hmm?” Tendra said, puzzled by the change of subject.

“You know, Tendra, sometimes I forget that you grew up on Euceron, not here in the Consortium indoctrinated in Hapan culture like I did. So sometimes you can miss the subtleties in what I say. When I said that they would replace me if I didn’t comply, do you understand what I really mean?”

“I assumed you meant you would be fired.”

“No. I was being polite when I called the people that approached me ‘officials’ earlier. To be more blunt, they were really goons.” She studied the holo in her hand. “Tendra, high-profile people on Hapes have to watch out for shifting tides, lest they lose everything they worked their entire life for.”

There was silence in the room for a few seconds as Tendra internalized these words, and realization slowly dawned on her. “They threatened to kill you?”

“Yes. They did. And not just me, but my dear husband as well. Such a threat may be unusual outside the palace, but it can happen. You see, Tendra, men are nothing to them. Your opinion, my opinion, they mean nothing to them. They would leave my daughter orphaned just to get their way. Now do you understand why I complied?”

“I guess. But why not just take your family and run? Get out of the Consortium?”

“Tendra, if what I am about to say ever gets out of this room, I am a dead woman. I fully intend to run. I don’t want to live under a government that makes threats against my family. But I have to bide my time and wait for the right moment. Running right away would be too obvious, and won’t save the men from being cut. I need to wait for a time when my departure will seem natural, lest they try to kill me on my way out.

“Speaking of which, this brings me back to the original subject: your statements. Tendra, the Ministry is after me to shut you up. They want you to fall in line with them. And I’m afraid of what will happen, not just to me, but to you, if you don’t.”

Tendra was already shaking her head. “No. They wouldn’t dare kill me. General managers and head coaches can be replaced much more easily than a star full forward can. Sorry if that sounds callous, but it’s the truth.”

“No, I understand what you’re saying. But you don’t understand the full picture here. Tendra, they can and they will if you keep this up.”

“I don’t believe it for a second.”

Leota sighed. “Fine then. But at least stay silent on the matter. I can’t ask you to publicly support these moves, but please, for your own sake, be a good little captain and don’t oppose the team in public. Please?”

Tendra considered this for a moment, and began moving toward the door. “Alright, you have my silence.” She opened the door and began to step out, then turned around and added, “...for now.”

---

The sound of knocking on the shower door brought Tendra back to the present. “Yeah, I’ll be out in a moment,” she called to the anonymous knocker.

“Press conference in ten,” came the response. “You’re wanted at the mic to start.”

“Got it.”

Tendra considered everything that had been said in that meeting two months ago. She felt that her duty was to speak up and be the voice of her players. But was it worth risking an assassination? She remained mostly confident that the goons wouldn’t dare go after her, the team’s star player, like that, but the thought lingered. She needed to talk to someone, have an open and honest conversation about this. But whom could she trust? Leota had sworn her to total secrecy, and Tendra wasn’t going to get the discussion she wanted with her.

Then it hit her. She had a Jedi brother. If no one else could be trusted, she could certainly trust him. And maybe, if push came to shove, he could… no. Tendra squashed that thought. She didn’t want to think about that possibility right now. As she stepped out of the shower and toweled off, she resolved to keep her silence at least until she could talk to Jado. But at some point, she would have to speak up. Her teammates deserved a voice to support them. And once she did, anything could happen.

TAG: No one in particular

 

IC: Helen Ripley
The Black and Blue Battle
Game Day
Nar Shaddaa

"Wilder," Mylessa McCloud yelled, "You get the start today."

Ripley slapped Wilder on the back as she suited up. "Dominate today!"

Liz Wilder smiled and finished lacing up her cleats. She was ready. This was her first game action for the 285 season. She wanted to prove that she could anchor the Smugglers defense. Ripley couldn't blame her one bit. Her desire was there. Now she just needed to execute.

Ripley looked over at Charlie Blackwood. Her head was lowered and she was putting an icy compress on a bolo ball sized bruise on her leg. She looked depressed. Maybe she was. After last week's shellacking against Dac it wouldn't surprise Ripley if Charlie needed some time away from the game. To make matters worse, 'The Crew', had begun to chant, "We want Ripley! We want Ripley!" late in the second half when the game looked clearly out of reach.

Ripley stood and walked past Charlie. She didn't say a word but she placed a hand on the veteran's shoulder. Some things went without saying. Some experiences were better left in the past. She walked down the tunnel, a few media members took her picture, tried to amp up the classic tilt between Bakura and Nar Shaddaa. She had to shake her head. All of this felt so surreal. She was playing in the Black and Blue Battle. How was this even possible? How did she even get here?

Helen stepped out onto the pitch. The lights of the stadium were absolutely brilliant, the pitch practically glowed green, the menacing Smuggler logo loomed at midfield, and the crowd, the crowd was very, very, loud. She waved as her name was introduced to adoring cheers. The hometown lady playing in the greatest stadium of them all.

"Ladies and gentlebeings, please stand for your regional anthem," the announcer said.

Regional anthem. It was a new concept for Nar Shaddaa. A moon that had once held strong allegiance to the old Roon Trade Organization and now was politically affiliated with its historical protector Nal Hutta and the Hutt clans. The anthem had been unveiled two decades ago but had only recently gotten more popular due to political sensitivities and developments. Ripley stood with the others, arms interlocked, and closed her eyes as the music began.



Ripley knew the words by heart. They were written in Huttese and Basic: the languages of Nar Shaddaa. She began to sing with the anthem that spoke to her soul. The crowd joined in and the stadium soared in song, united in their support of Nar Shaddaa, their team, the Hutts, the Vehn family, and of honoring the peace that held between Roon and Nal Hutta for the last 18 years. The energy in the stadium was electric.

She looked over to her right, saw Erin Windreaver, Mylessa McCloud, and Meredith Chambers-Vayne, belting out the anthem at the top of their lungs. For them, the generation that knew a time when Nar Shaddaa owed its allegiance elsewhere, the song represented all that was good in the universe. They had known a time when there had not been peace between Nal Hutta and Roon and a few of them even had family members who had made the ultimate sacrifice. The anthem brought species together who would normally not cooperate at all.

The anthem ended and the crowd roared.


Game on.

Tag: Trieste

 

GM Post

First off, I did not double check this season's schedule with anyone. As a result, I incorrectly posted that this week's Bakura/Nar Shaddaa game is being played on Nar Shaddaa. In actuality (and in the Word document that I use to store the scores), it is being played on Bakura, consistent with the alternating home-and-away schedule we have, as documented here. Naturally, I make this mistake and Vehn goes and writes a great post prior to the game that takes place on Nar Shaddaa. Figures, right? We'll figure that out between the two of us (or not think too hard about the inconsistency, which is probably easier ). However, I am switching the home and away designations prior to rolling scores this morning for that game.

Secondly, I would never have noticed this inconsistency if the Miners weren't involved since I pay the closest attention to their schedule for obvious reasons. I recommend that you review the 285 schedule to double check the home and aways for Weeks 4 through 11. If there are additional changes that need to be made to the schedule, let me know.

Third, bonus potential for Bakura, Carratos, Coruscant, Hapes, Mando'ade, Nar Shaddaa, and Ralltiir. Almost a full house!

285 Week 3 Results
Mando’ade Mercs at Ralltiir Starkillers (24-13)
Denon Demons at Rydonni Prime Monarchs (17-2)
Kuati Valor at Hapes Consortium Buccaneers (14-33)
Dac Mariners at Coruscant Senators (20-39)
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Bakura Miners (31-37)
Carratos Pirates at Jakku Junkers (21-29)

TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja galactic-vagabond422 jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Runjedirun and especially Vehn who will never believe me that I realized that schedule error before rolling scores.

 

Sub GM Post

Bonus Potential for: Drunkenwell (28), Tatooine (28), Thyferra (28), Concorida (28), Atzerri (28)

LFL Week Two Results

Tatooine Sandskimmers @ Druckenwell Marksmen (24-6)
Concordia Crusaders @ Byblos Red Wings (17-21)
Atzerri Bandits @ Thyferra Force (23-9)

Tags: Vehn Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja galactic-vagabond422 Jedi Gunny

 

IC: Dewey Finn
Coruscant



Dewey found the game to be rather exciting to watch, just like the prior game had been. Both teams were scoring points in bunches, but the Senators were outpacing their opponents in this one instead of it being a true see-saw battle. Leia Adama was once again torching the opposing defense, finding holes in space or making a play to force a defender to choose the option between the star full forward or the safety valve option should she decide to pass. At one point she even made her own hole in the defense, busting into an opposing player and knocking them to the ground. This opened up a lane that Adama took before making a nifty pass to the side to a waiting Woody Wakes, who smashed the ball home for three from the edge. It was like Armageddon raining down on the Dac defense.

On defense, the Senators had found more cohesion than the prior week’s disaster. Defensive coordinator Travers Mercator had worked his defenders hard during the week to play the switches an opposing offense might pull, and it showed. When the Mariners tried to switch defenders on pick plays, a Senator defender got around the pick and stayed on their matchup. Jayla Leed didn’t have a stellar game for the second week in a row, but it was more than enough to earn the ‘W’. The midfielders had a nice game on the overall, with Zeus Syndulla dominating his space in the middle of the field and Grace Organa turning in a decent performance against a staunch matchup. On the overall, it was a very solid game from the Back 6, but there were still things to work on.

“Look at her go! That’s how you can describe a player who is hungry to win!” Dewey yelled as Adama rammed her way into the middle of the defense on her way to her third goal of the game. He was enjoying a taco while he said this, a very delectable taco that was full of all the good stuff. It was like nachos, but served in a shell. He couldn’t say enough about the taco; the Senator concessions stands had done it again. They served great food to the waiting masses; it wasn’t the best in the League, likely, but it didn’t suck. Dewey was going to try something at every stadium he visited this season; that was his goal.

“As hungry as you are?” one of his producers asked snidely.

“Hey, this taco is mine, and I’m going to enjoy it even if it dribbles all over my shirt,” Dewey shot back. “I paid good money for this thing.”

“It’s not that expensive.”

“It’s a sports stadium; all food is expensive here.”

“If you were that hungry, you should have gotten the combo deal.”

“No way. I’m sitting here in absolute heaven with this taco, thank you very much.”

When the game ended, it was 39-20 Senators. They had bullied their way to a third-consecutive win to start the season. There would be plenty to work with again this week. The ratings of the first few episodes were rather lukewarm, but Dewey was still finding his footing at this whole thing. The first episodes were always the test-tube segments to try out different things; it was why on Holo shows the cast usually underwent some changes after the pilot episode aired. Some things couldn’t be determined unless you had tried trial-and-error first.

So this time he wanted to talk to other players. Syndulla was one of the first ones had talked to. He liked Syndulla a lot; the third-year midfielder was a rather boastful individual, but he had an interesting personality. It was always interesting to interview players like this, because they always had something to say.

“How do you feel you did out there today?”

“That was a great effort. I really locked things down, and I pushed the ball up the field a lot. Can’t really ask for a better performance, but hey, that’s why I’m the #1.”

“Do you feel like you’ve made a step forward in your progression this season?”

“No doubt. I want to be an All-Star this year, that’s my goal. All-Pro would be nice, too, but we’ll see about that.”

“I thought you would boast more about yourself, to be honest,” Dewey said off-camera.

“What can I say, man? I’ve got a lot to say, but it’s not what the audience wants to hear.”

“What would that be?”

“Anything that goes longer than thirty seconds,” Syndulla said. “Something like that makes ‘em bored, so you gotta just play it straight and keep it short. No one listens to what you say if you don’t keep it short, you know what I mean?”

“I thought it would be something controversial.”

“Who says I wouldn’t say that?”

“I know it would help my ratings.”

“Nah, man, I’m going to let my play do the talking right now,” Syndulla commented.

“We’re 3-0, and it feels great,” Kelly Vurgess, the Hapan corner back, said. “I feel like it’s all coming together.”

“You think you can run the table?”

“Run the table? Are you joking?”

“I don’t know . . . maybe?”

“Look, there’s no way we run the table. Not in this league. We’re going to try and win 11 times out of 11, but that won’t happen. We just want to win as many as we can.”

“Don’t be absurd, no one goes undefeated,” Briar Adama said. “Winless, yes, but undefeated, no. Too many good teams. We want to win as many as we can.”

“If we keep playing like this, we can win a lot more games,” Leia Adama said. “Now that the juices are really flowing, we can do anything we put our minds to.”

So Dewey tried a different train of thought to get content. “So, what are you going to eat after the game?”

“What I get,” Cannon Mallonn said simply. The Herglic didn’t have a lot to say.

“I wish I could say a never-ending buffet, but probably not. We’ll probably all go home and eat there,” Klay Mettews said.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m going to Dex’s,” Christine said.

“Isn’t that like a legendary spot or something?” Dewey asked.

“Dude, you’ve never been to Dex’s? Drop everything, and you’re coming with us.”

The scene shifted to Dex’s Diner, the longtime haunt of Senator players and fans alike. Dewey’s crew wanted to get as much footage as possible.

“So, what’s good on this menu?” he asked the burly Besalisk who ran the joint, Tex.

“The tacos never fail to surprise,” Tex said, a toothy grin on his face. Dewey found it rather unnerving.

“But I already had a wonderful taco at the game,” Dewey interjected.

“Look, stadium food is stadium food. It’s all the same. You want a real meal, you order a taco here. I promise it that the stadium food will seem real bland.”

So Dewey ordered a taco. And, as Tex said, it made the earlier taco seem like a bland pile of soggy toppings. “This is delicious. How do you do it?” Dewey asked as he munched on his food.

“Secret recipe right there, can’t say,” Tex commented.

“So, how long have you been in business?” Dewey asked later on.

“A long time. My old man handed me the keys to the store, and I’ve kept it running all these years.”

“I hear this is a popular place to watch the games.”

“Popular is an understatement!” shouted someone from further down the counter.

“Oh, on game days, we’re full-up. Nothing screams Senators Limmie like Dex’s Diner,” Tex said with a chuckle. “You should come down here sometime when you aren’t filming. Things get real hectic in here when the games are on. Like today; you should’ve seen the crowd in here. Sometimes I wonder how I keep coming back year after year, but I manage.”

“Nothing beats Dex’s, especially on gameday,” a patron said. “For one day out of the week, the whole community can come together here and see our team play. You name it, executives, retail workers, manufacturing, students . . . they all come here to watch the games.”

“How much memorabilia do you say you have here?” Dewey asked Tex when he saw the viewing area of the Diner.

“A lot. I’ve been collecting stuff for over twenty years, maybe longer. We have pretty much everything you can think of on this wall relating to the Senators.”

“Is it true that you have a game-worn jock strap somewhere on the wall?” Dewey had heard this rumor from somewhere – he didn’t remember where – but he wanted to know if it was true or not. It seemed absurd, but looking at the wall, he didn’t doubt it.

“If you want to try and find it, be my guest. Trade secret.”

“Why do the players come here after games? Couldn’t you go home and have a personal chef cook something up after games?” Dewey asked the Senator players sitting at in the booths near the window.

“Because the food here is always delicious,” Christine said. “When I first came here as a rookie, I didn’t know what to expect. It doesn’t look like the kind of place an athlete would go, but it’s a big deal for us. You play for the Senators, and you come here, simple as that.”

“It feels like we’re part of the group, even if we’re the ones the people rally behind,” Klay Mettews said.

“It’s tradition,” Aaltoides Minte commented.

“If we wanted to just go home after the game, that wouldn’t be much fun. We’ve got three big rivalry games coming up, so we need to celebrate this win while we can,” Leia Adama said.


Sure enough, the next three games on the schedule were Nar Shaddaa, Bakura, and Mandalore. They would be big tests for the undefeated Senator team, and that meant there would be plenty to cover in the next few episodes of the series. Dewey set to work as quickly as he could to prepare, because one could never have enough time to get ready for that kind of onslaught. Things were in full-swing now.

 

IC: Richard Vigo

Even though I wasn’t all alone in the owner’s box. I felt all alone. Andres father promised me a great game before it started. His son was originally drafted by the Mercs before being traded to us a few season’s later. Shortly after the game started he shut up and shut up quick. I remained silent lost in my thoughts of if I had made a mistake bringing Adres back. Andres didn’t score a single point, he fumbled twice, threw passes to the Mercs and nearly scored on our own goal. That’s when Coach Dash finally pulled him out of the game.

If I didn’t think cameras were on me every minute I would have put my head down on the small table in front of me. It was embarrassing. I wasn’t the only one who thought so either. Zoey, Justyne’s older daughter looked right at her younger half-brother and said, “I’m glad he’s not my father.”

It brought an awkward silence to the box. It’s all I can do to keep my mouth shut. Andres is sitting on the bench poised with a frustrated expression on his face. As the owner I’m thankful he’s mature enough not to be acting out. He had a bad game today, but he wasn’t going to let it tear him down. He’d work hard in practice this week and get us a win on Kuat. If he was my son and my son had been there to raise a child, I’d tell her to show some respect.

It brought back the fact that Zoey had never met her real father. A guy who took a paternity test and a settlement from Justyne to stay out of her life. He’d left Ralltiir on the first thing that flew. She was 11 now and it was obvious she was going to start asking questions soon, if she hadn’t already. It also reminded me that whenever this dreadful game ended I had another dreadful task. I had to talk to Jimsey about his behavior before the game.

I can’t really say if our defense got better or if the Mercs just backed off, but at least for the remainder of the game we didn’t get completely walloped. Cliff played a pretty good game back in the goal, it can’t be easy sacrificing your body like that knowing that your offense wasn’t doing their part to win. When Fortune sat Billy Boy came into the game. He was pitiful.

Rookie McMee showed promise. She played nearly the entire game and came away with 5 points. There was so much I wanted to discuss with the Coaching staff when it finally ended. I knew that now wasn’t the time. I wanted to give us all a day to collect our thoughts. I wanted to see proposed roster changes and I wanted to hear their prospective. I hired a speeder to pick me up since Ryan had taken Jimsey home before the game and as I rode home I sent the meeting time to the coaching staff. Tomorrow late afternoon.

I paid the driver and headed down the driveway. I wasn’t thinking about my talk with Jimsey. I was thinking about reuniting with Ryan. I’d missed him so much this afternoon. He would have bought me an ale when the score got out of hand. He would have rubbed my shoulders and assured me everything was going to be okay. Without him I’d been a nervous wreck.

Ryan was there when I opened the door. He had my ale and a hug. Once I’d relaxed I went to speak with Jimsey. “I’m sorry you lost the game, daddy.” He said as I walked in his room.

“We aren’t here to talk about the game,” I reminded him. “We are here to talk about what happened before the game.”

Jimsey didn’t talk much. Ryan had told me he hadn’t gotten much out of Jimsey either. Even though I should have been really upset with him for nearly getting killed and wrecking the team’s best speeder cart, I actually felt sorry for him. I knew he must have taken the ride to impress T.J. Peer pressure could be tough. I grounded him for two weeks and then I made a mistake. “If you stay out of trouble for the rest of the season,” I suggested. “I’ll get you a puppy.”

“I don’t want a puppy,” he said shaking his head. This really surprised me. When we had visited Noah Till and Wylla Sniider before the season started Jimsey loved their pup and he’d been begging for one ever since. “I want a brother,” he stated firmly.

“I can’t promise that,” I told Jimsey. It was complicated. Ryan wanted more children. I just didn’t know how my parents had juggled so many. One was keeping me beyond busy and would I be able to love two beings as much as I loved Jimsey? There were so many unknowns. I liked our family unit the way it was.

The next morning after my run I called Tatooine. Spencer answered. His team had won big on Sunday. The standouts were Kiirt Warner on offense and Tyrone Cason on defense. The other standout was the big banner on the Tatooine sideline that said “Skimmer Ade.” It was on all the drinking bottles and all the coolers. I didn’t know if my brother had gotten permission from Drunkenwell or the LFL or if he’d just set up. Skimmer Ade was Spencer’s own formulated sports drink and he was trying to expand his market beyond Tatooine.

“How about that 18 point win?” My brother asked with a mischievous grin.

“Don’t get cocky,” I told him. “After my meeting later today I might be calling back to have you send a few players up.”

“Well that’s my job,” he said smugly. “To help get these players to the next level.”

“What do you want?” I asked.

“I want you to dump the Gundarkade the league has sent you and accept my shipment of Skimmer Ade. Your players will be better hydrated and be able to play more minutes,” he boasted.

“Spencer I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“The ELL has an agreement with Gundarkade.”

“What has the league done for you lately?”

“Seriously?”

“I’ll let you in on the profits. You have any idea how much I’m pulling in just selling this stuff on Tatooine? Imagine if we sold it Galaxy wide.”

I didn’t need the profits. It wasn’t my style to break the rules, but my team had lost two in a row. What did I have to lose? I’d be helping family, “You know what? Let’s do it.” I said.

“You won’t regret it,” he promised.

“How’s Tomas taking the loss?”

“He didn’t take it too hard at first, but when the rankings came out this morning he was pretty upset,” Spencer admitted.

“There’s one other thing I need to know,” I said. “Is that a wedding ring on your finger?”

“Those kids need a father,” Spencer answered. “I’ll go put in your Skimmer Ade order and have it delivered to Kuat. What hotel is the team staying at?”

My head was spinning at the end of the call. I quickly called Tomas. He was pretty upset about his team falling down to fourth in the rankings. “We lose by one lousy point and drop 3 slots,” he said angrily.

“It’s not a forgiving sport,” I remind him. “How are your classes going?”

He shrugged, “Okay I guess.”

“How’s the roommate? Have you made friends?”

“I only ever see my teammates, but they’re nice enough. Hazing is finally over, I hope,” he finished.

“Did they give the freshmen a rough time?” I asked.

“That’s an understatement. I’m not going to haze any freshmen next season. It’s cruel.”

“Anything you want to tell me?” I asked.

“I’m not a kid. But thanks for calling. It’s good to hear from you. How’s Jimsey? Are they still teasing him at school?”

“Jimsey misses you. He asked me for a brother. He’s been in and out of trouble because he’s trying to fit in. Normal kid stuff,” I said.

“Fall break is in three weeks,” Tomas informed me. “Lots of kids are going home, but we can’t we have a game.”

“The Starkillers will be going to Carratos that week,” I confirmed. “We would be honored to come visit you and we’d love to catch your game.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I have homework.”

“Tomas,” I looked at my brother in the eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you,” he said quietly and signed off.

We only made one roster change. Kiirt Warner got the call up. Billy Bob was sent back to Tatooine. Starkiller fans were excited about the move and so was our media. He was a hometown boy who’d never even gone to University. A kid who’d only played street ball. After high school he’d stocked grocery shelves. It was a risky move in my mind, hopefully the young blood was what our roster needed.

The next Sunday I sat in my living room and watched our sideline staff set up the Skimmer Ade coolers and bottles that Spencer had provided on the sideline. The players greedily took drinks after warm-ups. A banner was hung behind our bench. I waited anxiously for my data pad to ping. I was waiting for Lokensgaard himself to call and demand to know why the Starkillers were not drinking Gundarkade on the sideline. Ryan came out of the kitchen with an ale for me. “You need to calm down,” he said as he opened the bottle and handed it to me.

Tag: Bardan_Jusik

 

​

IC: The Rancor Pitt

"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! From downtown Keldabe, on a cold and rainy, Victooooory 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 feelin'Justin?"

"I'm great, just great. StarBucks are looking good, and finally starting to get some respect by the pollsters."

"Taking on Number one CorTech though next week, though right?"

"You know it! I'm excited. "

"That game is on Ord Sabaok right?"

"Yup, home game for us, I've got my tickets. Mean Green are going down!"

"That would be the second week in a row the number one would lose if it happens after UTA's debacle on Dac."

"Despite Dac being so good, that was a total trap game."

"Everything regarding the Mon Cal's seems to be a trap, but we'll get to that game and the others around college limmie later on in the show..."

"Sure, sure."

"...because first we've got the ELL and the Mercs to talk about and oh what a game they had out on Ralltiir."

"First road test for them this young season and they passed it with flying colors to the tune of a 24-13 score that never seemed all that close."

"I dunno, the Starkillers made a game of it early on, they were only down 17-10 at the half. If they would have made a second half run it could have been a different story."

"Sure, sure, but they didn't. Mercs came out firing and the Ralltiir looked kind of flat..."

"They did, they did...."

"First time this season that the Mercs offense has put up more than 20 points."

"Yeah I saw that, kind of surprising given this offense."

"It is, is really is and we'll get to that later, but first I want to talk about this defense, because this win was really on them."

"Thank you."

"I knew somehow you'd take credit for that."

"Not taking credit, just glad to see the D get some respect."

"Well...they deserve it, they were pretty shabla good out there, especially up the middle with fullback Shaq'ille Oneal and center halfback Jo'ee Bos'a, playing in only his second season of pro limmie."

"They controlled the center of the defensive zone. Bos'a is as physical as they come, and with great speed too. he was able to chase away or jar loose anyting that came near him."

"And Shaq, he was a presence there at fullback."

"He is a very large Fondorian."

"He just clogged all the lanes, swatting balls out of the air and out muscling Fortune..."

"I forgot he was even still playing the game."

"I think maybe he did too."

"...there. Leaving the Starkillers to try to attacked the edges."

"Which didn't seem to work either all that much."

"No, and its not a winning strategy when you've got a talent like Mauntak out there shutting down the left side of the field."

"OK, that's a given, but back to Shaq..."

"Best game he's ever had. Ever. You could tell how frustrated Fortune was."

"He doesn't like this team very much, and I think the way he was getting manhandled out there by us really got to him."

"He got pulled there early in the second half..."

"Yeah, that surprised me, I thought maybe he just needed a blow, but man the Starkillers just stuck with Pitahaya the rest of the way."

"Who did no better..."

"No, Shaq shut him down cold. No points, a few turnovers..."

"He was just overwhelmed by the big man in the middle, couldn't get anything past him, and that helped set up the offense."

"Yeah Arock played well, but I think it was really Jaing, Irvin and Lovnivek that kind of stole the show offensively."

"All those outlet passes from the defense through Irvin..."

"They had Mor'kesh played pretty tight all game long."

"...who just kept feeding Jaing time after time."

"Starkillers backs had no choice, if they collapsed on him it would have freed up Arock."

"Even when they did play Jaing well it tended to leave Lovnivek open and he had his shot working too there late in the game."

"All around great team effort brought home that win, and of course now the Mercs have a tough game against a 2-1 Monarchs team coming off their first loss of the season."

"Denon shut them down, they'll be out for blood at meshla vhetin next week."

"Should be a good match up, so long as no one scores an own goal..."

"Oh so we're going to college now? Because I can talk about these last games all week."

TAG: Runjedirun who approved of (and conceived) the game play of Fortune and Pitahaya

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Bak10 Commissioner Kerry Trieste appears on Late Night with Stefan Colburt on the BBC, discusses college playoff structure for 285
• “What the GCAA has implemented this season is that the rankings are going to be factored into the selection committee’s decisions all the way through the bowl games. This is similar to what I advocated during the offseason, though I would have liked for the rankings to be more than just a factor.”
• “It’s an improvement, absolutely. It’s better than what we had. If I learned anything as Prime Minister and Chancellor, it’s that sometimes you have to take half a loaf.”
• “I’m optimistic that this year is going to be better. I’m going to watch, as will all the other commissioners, to see how this season works out. We’ll revisit the issue during the offseason.”
• On whether the Bak10’s selection problem could be due to the conference not holding a conference championship game due to only having 10 teams: “No, I don’t think that’s been a factor. Frankly, I love that we determine our champion based on round robin play. It’s a great feature of our conference. It makes every week potentially championship week. That’s great for our fans and great for our ratings.”
• On her alma mater, currently ranked second in the galaxy, already taking out the defending champion Tiarest Burgundy: “Oh Stefan, you know I don’t have favorites.”
  • Colburt: “But you did enjoy seeing that, didn’t you?”
  • Trieste: “It proves what I was saying earlier, you can’t miss a week of Bak10 action.”
• HSN analyst: “If Trieste wanted a serious discussion of the college playoff, she probably shouldn’t have made headlines by how she started the interview.”

TAG: Bardan_Jusik and college fans everywhere

 

IC: Trixie Penn
Bakura Gardens, Salis D’aar, Bakura



Once upon a time in 259, the year before Trixie had been born, the Bakura Miners’ great rivalry of the Noble House of Trieste ownership era had culminated in the Galactic Cup Final. That year, the Bakura Miners had defeated the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers by a single goal. It was, without question, their most sublime championship since the Triestes had purchased the team. There was no team that was more satisfying to beat than the other premiere Outer Rim club and no game had ever had as high of stakes as the Final.

That victory had defined the relationship of the teams ever since. To this day, that loss was a canker to the Vertical City. The fact that there had not been a rematch in nearly 30 years in the Final (something that had been impossible during the Smugglers’ Solo Conference membership, but was possible again now that they were integral members of the Skywalker Conference) burned The Crew. It had been a matchup that both teams had wanted in the 270s when they had been at their peak, but had never come. No matter how many times they beat the Miners, the Vertical City would not be satisfied until they went back to the Final and beat them there.

This, however, was ancient history to Trixie. Her lifetime of rivalry fever had been dominated by teams like the Senators, the Monarchs, and, most importantly and recently, the Mercs. She had come of age despising these teams, one aristocrat and two upstarts, that had bedeviled the Miners in recent years.

The hate in her mother’s eyes was not Trixie’s. The thin set of Siona’s lips did not cross her face. The clenched jaw of Ronan did not pull her muscles. It was not a generational difference: Declan and Ayn had been eight years old at the time of that Final. From their grim determination, it was clear that they had not forgotten the storied rivalry of their youth, setting them apart from Trixie and the younger cousins. And yet, for many years the Smugglers had been owned by their cousins by marriage. Limmie was a strange thing.

However, this was not to say that Trixie did not care about today’s game. Quite the contrary--she very much cared about the final score. If ever there was going to be a game that would infuriate her mother to lose, but one that Trixie wouldn’t mind dropping, this was undoubtedly it. The perfect outcome today would be a 1-0 victory by the Smugglers in quintuple overtime. There was a very real chance with such an outcome Trixie would die of joy then and there.

This year was the 40th anniversary of the naming of the Black and Blue Battle. Way back in 246, the Smugglers and the Miners had given this game that name, honoring the colors of each team’s jerseys and the color of each team’s players once the game was over and the bruises emerged in all their glory. Trixie’s parents hadn’t even met when that first Black and Blue Battle was played. None of the players in the game had been alive then, when Dana Roslyn and Rhia Grames were head coaches on opposite ends of the field. Of everyone on the field, only current head coach Gaeriel Valerii, then a fresh-faced midfielder, remembered that day as a participant. Even Trixie had to admit that it was odd to think of Valerii as being in her 60s. That put her on par with some of the greats of the sport--as if her five championships didn’t already do that.

Much had been made of this anniversary game and today Bakura Gardens felt more like Six Boroughs Stadium, the site of the first Black and Blue Battle, than it did the Miners’ home field. Logos for each team were painted at midfield, a rare appearance of the Smugglers’ deathshead on Bakuran turf. In the stands themselves, the Crew had undertaken a massive ticket purchase. When word began to spread about Miner fans who would sell their tickets to Smuggler faithful, the rumor (and possibly a true one) was that the prices being paid in many cases covered the rest of the season ticket price, a bargain that plenty were willing to make, even if it meant missing the Miners’ home opener and ceding valuable territory in the cozy confines of the Gardens to the Smugglers.

Trixie could not remember when she heard so many voices lift the other world’s anthem aloft in Bakura Gardens. She did not speak Huttese and only understood the last verse:

Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom
In Nar Shaddaa our land!

The burgundy and black fans greeted the close of the anthem with a roar, like that of a proud nexu.

Trixie Penn did not care about things like nationalism or patriotism. They were the thin disguises for the ambitions of beings like Declan and Ayn, political and commercial elites who sought power and control. However, Trixie never liked other beings getting the upper hand, even in small matters. So, for one of the few times in her adult life, she joined the Noble House as they sang:

Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever

It was the last beautiful moment of the afternoon.

Everything that followed was carnage. Defense was nearly non-existent. It was a game to make goalkeepers have a nervous breakdown. Luckily, the Smugglers had three to rotate through. No such luck for Lizbit Comstock, who was expected to shoulder the load for the Miners all game long. That was a demoralizing task with the Shady/Steele/Maverick line in front of her.

Horst had Mitchell the Maverick. He was all high flying and showboating. Trixie could tell he must think was the greatest full forward to ever play the game. Every time he scored a goal he’d do a “fly by” in front of the Smuggler fans to bask in their adoration. The way that Mitchell was turning Horst inside out was embarrassing (he might as well be doing barrel rolls and loop-de-loops for all that Horst could stop him), but less so than the way Steele and Lerouex were dominating the corner backs. Trixie was beginning to think that Cundertol’s great idea of replacing both his corner backs in the same season was quite possibly the worst thing he’d ever done.

Not that anyone, especially her family, was going to notice. They were too busy getting caught up in the “entertaining” and “good” limmie that was predicated on apparently not providing any defensive help and blowing up the Smuggler defense like TIE Bombers strafing a space-slug-containing asteroid.

Joff goal.

Pawvelski goal.

Burnsbacca goal.

Beckman circus catch and goal.

Alesh goal.

Deenever goal.

Deenever goal.

Joff goal.

It was so repetitive and b-o-r-i-n-g. Trixie wanted to tear her hair out.

When the Miners took the late lead and held it through to the buzzer, she slumped in her seat while her relatives broke out the celebratory whiskey shots as the Miners retained the Old Whiskey Trophy. (In a shocking display of self-control, hard liquor had been kept locked away from the game in something like superstition, not that the enlightened Noble House would ever admit to such a thing.) At least Horst was going to get a drink for being completely unsupported and schlleacked today (not that he’d see it that way--he’d be too busy celebrating the fact that the team won, which would only annoy Trixie further).

Now the Miners were heading to Carratos, who had allowed the most points in the league through the early games of the season. Joff, Deenever, and company couldn’t get a better matchup if they tried. And the worst part was the Pirates were second in points scored.

This run-and-gun-and-to-Korriban-with-defense Miners squad was going to be death of Trixie.

TAG: galactic-vagabond422 and Vehn who graciously worked with me to retcon his post