Star Wars OPEN Elite League Limmie

GM Post

Second Week of Friendlies
Bakura Miners at Kamino Waves
Balmorra Blasters at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
Concordia Crusaders at Mando'ade Mercs
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Druckenwell Marksmen

Tag: Liam

 

GM Post

Second Week of Friendlies
Bakura Miners at Kamino Waves
Balmorra Blasters at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
Concordia Crusaders at Mando'ade Mercs
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Druckenwell Marksmen
Commenor Gundarks at Euceron Storm

Tag: jc

 

GM Post

--Player Transaction Wire--
Vandelhelm Jets
--Geal Sioxeth (Female, Rodian, Forward, Vandelhelm Jets) becomes a free agent

--Current Free Agents--
--Kaliban Crowne (Human, Male, Center Half Forward, Bakura Miners)
--Winnifred "Windy" Aptos (Human, Female, Full Forward, Bakura Miners)
--Grakrao (Wookiee, Male, Right Corner Back, Euceron Storm, age 35, which is young for a Wookiee)
--Girgedi (Rodian, Male, Center Half Back, Euceron Storm, age 36, known for dirty play)
--Jiin Su-Kol (Rodian, Male, Right Half Back, Euceron Storm, 1 year contract, age 31)
--Geyyrirr (Wookiee, Male, Full Back, Euceron Storm, 1 year contract, age 302, reaching the end of his prime but can still play competitively for another 5?10 years)
--Keln Kutran (Human, Male, Corner Back, Euceron Storm, 1 year contract, age 34, native Bakuran)
--Nauranta (Wookiee, Male, Full Forward, Nar Shaddaa Smugglers, 1 year contract)
--Jalla Tunus (Human, Female, Left Corner Back, Nar Shaddaa Smugglers, 2 year contract)
--Daki Salmoro (Weequay, Male, Right Half Back, Nar Shaddaa Smugglers, 2 year contract)
--Zorv Bogg (Klatoonian, Male, Left Half Forward, Nar Shaddaa Smugglers, 3 year contract)
--Peretti Kopsonen (Human, Male, Midfield, Coruscant Senators)
----Nash Harielly (Human, Female, Midfielder, Rydonni Prime Monarchs, 1 year contract)
--Lorli Bosley (Human, Female, Midfielder, Rydonni Prime Monarchs, 1 year contract)
--Kiek Libby (Human, Male, Forward, Rydonni Prime Monarchs)
--Gage Rango (Human, Male, Defensive Back, Rydonni Prime Monarchs)
--Riv Emerik (Human, Male, Defensive Back, Rydonni Prime Monarchs)
--Inus Socca (Human, Male, Forrward, Rydonni Prime Monarchs)
--Geal Sioxeth (Rodian, Female Forward, Vandelhelm Jets)

Tag: All

 

IC: Alana Glencross
Tipoca City, Kamino

"One player for a reliable defender and a big offensive weapon," Aron Rodders said over a beer in the hotel bar, "High price to pay for one defender."

"One of the best defenders in the League. They don't come away for free," Dorf Landa pointed out. Some of the Miners, decompressing from the flight from Tatooine, had gathered together to discuss the news that had broken on the flight: the three team deal that had been brokered between Bakura, Coruscant, and Euceron. It was mainly the old-timers who were together, the pre-Cundertol signings. It wasn't intentional, but it happened that way.

"You've crushed on Adanna since we came into the League together," Autumn Graves said to Dorf. He didn't reply.

"Well no one can deny we need the help," Alana said. Their poor showing on Tatooine, their first loss in a friendly match since 267, was proof of that. Not much offense and poor defense had combined for a less than stellar outing all around. "We need a true starter on the half back line to hold down for T.K."

"Hey, I don't know about y'all, but I did just fine in the last game. It was those Bison rookies who screwed us over. Should never have put them in against a Premiership Semi team," T.K. insisted.

"All I'm saying is that Cundertol gave up too much. He got Inviere for three years, but that's it? For Jet and Leroy? And the Senators got three young bluechip D-men out of the Storm. I mean Sithspit, S'rily made out like a bandit here," Rodders pressed.

"Don't forget that he had to kick in 2 and a quarter mil for Adanna," Alana pointed out.

"A temporary financial incentive that's gone next year," Rodders said.

"Cundertol wanted her at that salary. He obviously thought the team had room in salary for that," Landa said.

"I think we got fleeced here," Rodders insisted.

"It's still 2.25 million to play with," Nancheka, the lone new player in the room, said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Autumn asked.

"Well...Cundertol now has an extra 2.25 million in his salary that he didn't have--assuming he's got a set amount he can't go over, which is a safe bet," Nancheka said, "He could do a one year deal with someone for that money and not break the bank. Get someone he couldn't afford otherwise. Or he banks the 2.25, spreads it out over the lifetime of another contract to bring in someone good. I mean, we've still got a vacancy, on the half back line, right? He's got salary allocated for that. Let's say 2 million a year. Three year deal seems to be a bit of a standard...so that's 6 million total. Throw in the 2.25 million...that's a 750,000 annual bump in salary. Could push someone to choose the Miners over someone else."

The room looked at Nancheka, and then looked at each other. "But that's if he does it," Alana said.

"But if he does it, that's potentially thinking three steps ahead of S'rily," Landa said, "Imagine that--deny the Senators a free agent they want by using their own money to do it? Brilliant."

"Except I sincerely doubt that Gark S'rily has gotten out maneuvered by a rookie GM," Adanna Inviere said walking up to the table and putting her bag down, "Trust me. I know the Bothan."

Landa broke out in a smile. "The prodigal daughter returns."

"Yeah, and I've got a ring unlike you so you can come here and kiss it," Inviere said with a smile as she showed off her Galactic Cup championship bling.

Dorf settled for a hug. "Good to see you again."

"Good to see Miners management got their heads out of their butt and realized that people play Limmie with more than Humans," Adanna said.

"We're a work in progress," Alana said.

"Ouch, that bad?" Adanna asked.

"Just feels like it. But I got to say...mmmmm mmmm mmm mmmmmmmm," T.K. buzzed as he looked the tall defender up and down. Inviere cocked an eyebrow. "You and I are going to make a great team at half back."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Inviere said with hesitation.

"You just get in?" Alana asked.

"Pretty much. My stuff hasn't. It's all on Coruscant. Proba

 

OOC: All temperatures in this post are in centigrade.

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: Nalo home, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 2046, Wednesday before friendly against Gundarks

Marte threw his hands up in the air. "Fine. You win again."

Tendra grinned. "Wanna make it best 34 out of 67?"

"Not now. I'm tired. I've got the day off tomorrow, so maybe we can play some more then."

"You still haven't told me what you're doing for my birthday Sunday."

"Well, we're finalizing plans for a party for Saturday because unfortunately Dad has to work on your birthday. If this warm weather holds, we may even be able to hold it outside."

"Obviously, you haven't seen the weather forecast, honey." Jaria walked into the room with a broom and dustpan in her hand.

Marte looked up at her. "Oh? What's the forecast?"

"Saturday, they're forecasting a high of minus 10 degrees and 10 to 15 centimeters of snow."

Tendra looked confused. "So why does that mean we can't have my party outside?"

Jaria sighed. "Because they're also forecasting winds of 30 kilometers per hour, which would make the wind chill minus 19. That's too cold to be outside for long periods. You could get frostbite."

Now it was Tendra's turn to sigh. She started to leave the room, but her mother stopped her. "By the way, you still have chores to do." Jaria handed her the broom and dustpan, and Tendra sighed again, exaggerating it as much as she could.

"Tendra Nalo!" Marte stood up as Tendra turned around. "Don't treat your mother like that. A birthday party is a privilege, not an entitlement, and if you're going to behave like that, we can and will take it away. Now apologize to your mother."

"Sorry," she said quickly before taking off to the kitchen to sweep the floor.

"That didn't sound very sincere," called Marte, but he got no response from his daughter.

"I don't see any reason for her to stay up until 2130, do you?" asked Jaria, referring to Tendra's regular bedtime.

"Neither do I. She can go to bed as soon as she's done sweeping the floor."

"Anyway, I thought you'd also like to know the forecast for the friendly game Sunday."

"I hope it's better than Saturday's forecast."

"Not by much. Minus 10 degrees and 10 kilometer per hour winds for a wind chill of about minus 15, with 5 to 8 more centimeters of snow."

Marte shook his head. When Euceron weather turned bad, it turned really bad. The winter so far had been unusually warm, but it appeared that was at an end. "I wonder if the Storm will be able to get any useful information out of the game Sunday with that weather."

"Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to see them reschedule it."

"I highly doubt that. With the calendar shift, home games in the snow may be a regular occurrence in a few seasons. They'll take this opportunity to analyze in advance what they need to compete in these conditions. I just doubt that they'll get any useful data for this season."

Marte was referring to the difference between the galactic standard year, on which the Elite League season was based, and the Euceron local year that determined the meteorological seasons. The local year was 14 days longer than the standard year, so the standard year, and by extension the Elite League season, began two weeks earlier in relation to the planet's meteorological seasons every year. When the Storm had first joined the Elite League in 265, the limmie season had taken place in summer, but this year it would start in early spring. In just a few more years, the whole season would take place in the dead of winter.

"Good point," replied Jaria. "Well, you figure out what you need to do this weekend. Tendra should be just about done in the kitchen, so I'm going to get her to bed."

"OK. I'm going to see if I can find my winter coat. Haven't had the thing out in almost a month, but it looks like I'll need it this weekend."

 

IC: Gark S?rily
Apartment, Coruscant

?We have big-time news regarding the Elite League today,? said the announcer on Sportscenter Coruscant. ?The Coruscant Senators have played a part in a three-team deal that just went live hours ago. This is big-time stuff; there hasn?t been a three-way trade in the ELL in years. Now, to analyze this, we turn to Tann Mandak. Tann??

?Right here,? the human said. ?Now, as you can imagine, this is a pretty big deal. We have all known for the last few weeks that Adanna Inviere of the Senators wanted to return to the Miners. Bakura, under the helm of new GM Quinn Cundertol, is aiming to go in a new direction after a disastrous 269 campaign, and they wanted Inviere really badly. Bad enough to walk right into trade negotiations with the Coruscant Senators. Now, you don?t tread lightly when you want to talk trade with Gark S?rily. This guy knows what he?s doing, and who could imagine that he would be the tough-as-nails GM like he is before the 262 season. But that?s not important; what is important is that S?rily did not want to go quietly and give up a stalwart defender for free. Oh no, he wanted something in return.

Leroy Brown, a solid defender who was currently at the Miner?s development team on Bison, was the main trade bait for Inviere. However, S?rily knew that he deserved more for such a good player as what he was giving up in the deal, so he managed to drag Euceron into the deal. The Storm also have lots of holes to fill in their roster, and were eager to get Brown from the Miners. However, not having much in terms of trading, the Storm seemed out of the equation for Brown, considering how the Senators could offer much higher trade value than a few reserves. So, S?rily masterminded a brilliant trade that gave all sides what they wanted. The Miners have received Inviere and 2.25 million of her first year?s salary in the deal. More on that later. The Storm have received Leroy Brown, which gives them a solid defender who can team up with Wookiee sensation Chalporrin to retool their defensive unit. The Senators received three prospects from the Storm and pure scorer Jet Adama from the Miners in this deal. Now, back to you all in the studio.?

The camera went back to the analysts. ?I say, the Senators came out really hot in this trade,? said a Rodian. ?I mean, you were able to pawn Inviere off and net quite a haul.?

?Let?s grade the teams,? said the human anchor. ?What does Bakura get out of this??

?Well, they get Inviere, which they wanted, and some salary relief. However, they lost Leroy Brown and Adama in the trade. While I would say that if it was just Brown leaving Bakura, that the Miners would have won. But Adama as well? What was Cundertol thinking in letting him go so cheaply? But I guess that the Miners really didn?t want him, so this was a steal. My final grade depends on how Inviere does, because Brown and Adama were both outcasts on the new-look Miners squad, so they probably weren?t going to suit up for them any time soon anyways.?

?The Euceron Storm received Brown in return for three prospects. What?s your grade on this??

?Probably about as favorable as the one I gave Bakura,? the Rodian said. ?Brown is a good player, but in return for three prospects? That is a sign that Zargana is willing to toss some future pieces away in order to get someone now. But I can?t blame her; the Storm?s starting Back 6 is in flux, and she needs some stable defenders to fill it. How the Storm are going to look with all of the former Miners on their squad, I don?t know, but Brown should help. I give them a pass on this one; Brown is good, and the prospects don?t look to factor in for the 270 season.?

?Now for the Senators. I must say, they got quite a haul here.?

?It?s an easy win for the Senators. Although they lost Inviere, and Brown went to Euceron instead of plugging the gap the Hapan defender left in the Back Line, the Senators received Jet Adama from the Miners. I say, how many scoring records will fal

 

GM Post
--Player Transaction Wire--
Vandelhelm Jets
--Rhon Killhings (Weequay, Male, forward) signed to a three year entry level contract, is Ingbrand-eligible as a rookie
--Cortas Mirten (Male, Human) retires
--Girgedi (Rodian, Male, Center Half Back, Euceron Storm, age 36, known for dirty play) signed to a two year contract

---

Bonus rolls for friendlies to Bakura, Euceron, Mando'ade, Nar Shaddaa, and Rydonni Prime...and their Premier League affiliates in a curious twist of fate!

[i]Second Week of Friendlies[/i]
Bakura Miners at Kamino Waves (0-14)
Balmorra Blasters at Rydonni Prime Monarchs (11-27)
Concordia Crusaders at Mando'ade Mercs (0-12)
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Druckenwell Marksmen (35-20)
Commenor Gundarks at Euceron Storm (26-25)

[hr]
From what I've read, it sounds like a [i]date[/i] for the forum move should be coming along soon, which means that the actual move likely won't be happening for a while. Therefore, we will begin the 270 season next weekend as usual. Accordingly, I did up the schedule for 270 last night. Smartly, I did so after a couple drinks so this time I'm blaming any errors that I will undoubtedly be alerted to on the booze. ;)

[i]Week 1[/i]
Coruscant Senators at Vandelhelm Jets
Bakura Miners at Euceron Storm
Mando?ade Mercs at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
Nadiem Chiefs at Rydonni Prime Monarchs

[i]Week 2[/i]
Vandelhelm Jets at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
Coruscant Senators at Bakura Miners
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Nadiem Chiefs
Euceron Storm at Mando?ade Mercs

[i]Week 3[/i]
Euceron Storm at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
Coruscant Senators at Nadiem Chiefs
Mando?ade Mercs at Vandelhelm Jets
Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Bakura Miners

[i]Week 4[/i]
Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Mando?ade Mercs
Euceron Storm at Nadiem Chiefs
Coruscant Senators at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
Bakura Miners at Vandelhelm Jets

[i]Week 5[/i]
Nadiem Chiefs at Mando?ade Mercs
Vandelhelm Jets at Euceron Storm
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Bakura Miners
Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Coruscant Senators

[i]Week 6[/i]
Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Euceron Storm
Vandelhelm Jets at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
Bakura Miners at Nadiem Chiefs
Mando?ade Mercs at Coruscant Senators

[i]Week 7[/i]
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
Euceron Storm at Coruscant Senators
Mando?ade Mercs at Bakura Miners
Nadiem Chiefs at Vandelhelm Jets

[b]Tag: All[/b]

 

OOC: Awesome. I hope the much anticipated "Move" doesn't screw up our limmie season. We might have a riot on our hands.

 

I've been wanting to do this for quite a while, so here it is in all its glory.

IC: Gark S?rily
Senators? Practice Facility

?How bad is it, Doc?? Gark asked. He and several other players were huddled around a makeshift examination table. Syprul Raches, the star Shistavanen forward, was wincing in pain as the Doctor held up his right foot, and then let out a howl.

?Just as I feared, it?s a tear. ACL type. He?s gone for the season,? the doc said. This sent shockwaves through the camp; they had only started training camp, and now one star scorer was down. How would they ever replace Raches on the Front 6?

?Well, there?s nothing we can do,? Gark said. ?We?ll have to move on without him. All right, everyone, back to practice. But we?re going to lower the intensity a bit. I was wrong to start out like this after we haven?t worked out in a while.? Now he felt a huge pang of guilt for having pushed his players to the extreme so early in training camp, because now he was down one good scorer already. There was no need to get anyone else injured. It probably had something to do with Gark wanting to be ready to pop the Vandelhelm Jets on the first week of the season, because they had destroyed the hopes of the Senators twice during the previous season. He wanted revenge, but if the training cost him Raches as a result, perhaps the drive to win was unjustified. What had gotten over him as of late; he used to be a cool GM who never let his emotions win, but now he was starting to fit into the stereotype of a coach who slung mud at everyone else. What was going on in his mind?

The drills started up again, and Gark took a seat on the bench. He grabbed a towel and wiped off his face with it; he had been sweating rather badly since Raches had gone down with the injury after twisting his leg in the wrong direction after finishing a tire drill run.

?Rough day,? Brosh We?kyr, the Bothan strength and conditioning coach, said. He was sitting on the field not too far from the bench. ?I know all about those leg injuries. One of them cost me my career, you know.?

?I remember,? Gark said. ?But mostly about the press conference that followed it.?

?Right, that one,? Brosh said. Both of them knew exactly which one that had been, and didn?t want to bring up old wounds any more than they had to. It had been the conference in which the first attempt at Gark?s life had come, which had sparked all kinds of controversy around the galaxy at who would try and kill a Limmie GM.

?It?s going to be hard to replace Syprul,? Gark said. ?He?s our big man up front, and we just don?t have that kind of size on the bench. I?ve already had to do some shuffling to keep our bench deep; I can?t afford more of these kinds of injuries.?

?But you?ll have to dig deep and beat them,? Brosh commented. ?No other way around it than to play through the pain and make adjustments when necessary.?

?I hate those situations,? Gark said, his voice drifting off into nothingness.

Later in the practice, Helena Forsythe had gone down with a nasty wrist injury, one that would require surgery. That would cost her most to all of the upcoming season. Another casualty on the Front 6, and another forced replacement in the starting lineup. At this rate, the Senators would be playing all of their original offensive backups as starters by Week 2. Forsythe had been having issues with the arm and wrist the season before, and now those lingering issues had led up to this. Now she and Syprul were gone, and Gark couldn?t take it anymore. He cancelled the rest of practice immediately after her diagnosis had come in. It had all been his fault. A wave of guilt washed over him, and he made sure that the other players went home to prevent further injury.

?We?ll resume practice tomorrow,? Gark had said to the players in a team huddle beforehand. ?With this rash of injuries, I want us to take it easy for a while until we are back in tip-top shape. No need to have more injuries.?

?But Coach, the only way we can

 

IC: Carly Fyres
Fyre Storm Studio

?Welcome to another edition of Fyre Storm and tonight we?re going to be discussing the hiring of James Tronnheim as offensive coordinator for the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers. The Smugglers, coming off a 35-20 beat down of Premiere League affiliate Druckenwell, has not lost a step since their disappointing playoff loss to Coruscant late last year. The recent hires from around the league have bolstered an already forward thinking franchise and have contributed to preliminary success and the new offensive coordinator, hired a few days prior to the match with Druckenwell, is eager to tweak his system to enhance the talents of his players.?

[image=http://i39.tinypic.com/18eicl.jpg]

?Mr. Tronheim, tell us about how you plan to implement your,? Fyres looked down at her notes, ?Flow Six Offense??

?Well, I can?t say too much about that, Carly. Needless to say the game will emphasize a more fluidic offensive attack amongst the six players on offense that involves accurate, precise passes. We?re going for chunk yardage, finesse.?

?So the Smugglers are moving away from a power offense??

?I would say that we?ll be turning a few heads this year if all goes to plan,? Tronnheim admitted.

?Your predecessor had a good rapport with the players and was successful in removing locker room cancers, where do you stand on player drama and interaction on and off the pitch??

?You win and lose as a team. If people don?t want to play together then they can watch Limmie from the sidelines or from the couch. Once that nice paycheck stops coming in they will realize their mistake,? Tronnheim said.

?Explain to the galaxy your background. Why did the Smugglers hire you??

?I?ve been around the league for several years. Served as offensive coordinator to the Corellia Rebels, Denon Demons, and most recently, the Tatooine Sandskimmers and I think I know a thing or two about surviving the heat, if you catch my drift.?
Carly smiled a bit and nodded in agreement. ?Are you looking forward to developing some of the players that you coached in PLL??

?I am. Kellie Dupont is an amazingly athletic woman, Mel Rypen brings the experience that we lost with Huntington?s retirement, and on defense we?ve made some smart acquisitions that should give Chambers a bit more help this year,? Tronnheim said.

?What?s your take on naming Chambers team captain??

?She?s earned the distinction. This woman will be in the Limmie Hall of Fame one day, mark my words.?

?Great, well, good luck out there this year. You?ve got a tough test with Mando?ade.?

?Yes, we do. Be interesting to see what develops this year.?

?All the best to you, James, and welcome to the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers family,? Fyres said.

?Thanks, Carly.?

?Tune in next week when we talk about Gark S?rily?s fall from grace on Coruscant. What happens to one of the most important pieces in the Senators organization and will the Senators ever recover? Good night, Nar Shaddaa.?

Tag: No One

 

IC: Alana Glencross
Visitor's Locker Room, Tipoca City, Kamino

Yeah, it was a friendly game, but it was still a shutout.

Alana put a towel over her head in the locker room. Their defense had been relatively solid today, but they'd been frustrated at every turn on the other side of the field. The Waves had hit Stormborn and Tah really hard and their lack of experience had shown. Andersen, with nothing to work with, had been useless today. Alana's five attempts for long points to get something started had all gone wide. The mood in the locker room was not good. But, hey, at least it wasn't an Elite League game. They had time to turn it around.

The door to the locker room opened up and Alana lifted a corner of the towel. It was Cundertol, followed by Talley.

"Well that was certainly not good," Cundertol said bluntly, "I'll leave it to Big John to tell you to learn from your mistakes and all that other inspirational mumbo jumbo. I'm here to tell you of the news that broke during the game.

"First off, the season schedule has been announced. We're starting the season at Euceron. As a result, an executive decision has been made to go straight to Euceron. They are experiencing an unusually cold winter right now. We're probably going to be playing in snow, potentially blizzard conditions. The equipment team has already contacted our suppliers for thermal outfitting for the game. We want to get you as much practice time as you can in these conditions because it's been a long time since this team has had to play in snow."

"You're telling me they couldn't put a frakking roof on their stadium?" T.K. said in disbelief.

"Secondly, Gark S'rily has been fired by the Senators," Cundertol continued, disregarding the half back's comment.

Alana whipped the towel off her head. "WHAT?!"

"He's been accused of embezzlement by the Andromeda corporation," Cundertol said, "They currently have no head coach or GM."

"Have they gone insane?" Dorf Landa said.

"I want quiet right now," Cundertol shouted to be heard. The team complied. "We will deal with Coruscant in Week 3 when they visit Bakura Gardens. Until now, we need to focus on the fact that we have Euceron coming up. Besides, we're talking about Gark S'rily. That wily Bothan might well be rehired by Week 3. And I hope he is, because I want to beat the snot out of him and not some flunky stand in. Shower and get ready to head to Euceron. Give the equipment team any requests for things you need due to the extended trip."

---

[i]Miners team shuttle, en route to Euceron[/i]

"You're wanted in the GM's cabin," Gaeriel Valerii had informed Alana. The redhead had left her seat next to a sleeping Bree Tarth to see what was up. When she got inside she discovered that Talley, Tunross, and Cundertol were all inside.

"This doesn't look good," Alana said as the door slid shut behind her, "Like the meeting where you find out you just blew out your knee for the season."

"Your knee's fine," Tunross assured Alana.

"But there is something we need to discuss. Sit down," Cundertol instructed.

Alana complied.

"We're removing the A from your jersey," Cundertol said.

The bluntness hit like a punch to the gut, but Alana held off from saying anything for a moment. She looked at Cundertol and he looked back with that icy blue gaze that was unblinking and piercing. She held it for a second and a half before nodding. "Okay. We're a different team now. I understand."

"Good, because you're the new captain," Cundertol replied.

"I am?" Alana said before she could stop herself.

"You're the face of this franchise. Dorf is a great Limmie player, but he's not a locker room leader. I've talked it over with John and he agrees that you are. Your work in training camp to bring in the non-Humans didn't go unnoticed and we need someone who's going to bridge the divide," Quinn said.

"We're not asking you to do anything differently," Talley said, "This is recognizing what you already do and acknowledging it to everyone else."

"Thank you. This is an incredible hon

 

IC: Dirxx Horstse
Dex?s Diner, Coruscant

Dirxx took another sip of his beverage, setting it down on the table once he had finished it. He was currently sitting at one of the tables in a very quiet section of Dex?s Diner. The Diner, for quite some time now, had offered free meals once a week to Senators players, so it had thus become a frequent hangout for them. This time, it was just Dirxx, Polis Vayne, Moen Heatly and Tavis Corizyl. Three of them had been through all of the seasons since 262 with Coruscant, and so they almost felt inseparable. Heatly, who had joined the team a few years later, was now a much more respected member of the team than he had been before.

?We?ve got Vandelhelm in a few weeks, yet we don?t have a Coach or GM,? Polis said. He took a big bite out of a pancake.

?Eh, anyone will be better than the one we had,? Moen commented.

?Not true,? Dirxx said. ?We will never have a better coach. Maybe someone with a better track record, but not a better coach. He was good. Real good.?

?But that still doesn?t excuse him for what he did,? Tavis said.

?No its doesn?t,? Dirxx replied. ?But you were asking about who was the best coach, so I answered.?

?Anyways, how are we going to move on without Syprul and Helena?? Polis said. ?That?s really going to hurt us in the long run.?

?I hear that there are some real studs on the bench this season,? Dirxx said, taking another sip of the beverage in front of him. ?We might be able to replace them. OK, maybe not replace them, per se, but at least compensate. So much for the ?Greatest Show on Turf? we were going to have this season.?

?I still don?t trust those rookies to produce,? Moen said. ?We?ll have to shoulder the load, and Adama is still new to the system, so it?ll be a bumpy ride this year.?

?Hey, how?s it going, boys?? asked one of the waiters who usually served the Senators players when they came in. ?You guys look grim.?

?Just thinking about how we don?t have much direction going into the season,? Tavis said glumly.

?Well, I can?t say anything, but hopefully you guys get one hell of a coach,? the waiter said. ?Business when you guys win is booming.?

?Hey, check the HoloNet right now!? shouted someone from the kitchen. The waiter went and turned on the viewscreen that was not too far away from where the players sat. What came on was an interview with Calo Mornd, the owner of Andromeda Corporation.

?I take it that he?s your new GM??

?Probably,? Dirxx said, mostly disinterested. He wanted to know where this was going.

?I am pleased to announce that the new GM of the Coruscant Senators will be yours truly.? This set off a flurry of activity. Mornd as the new General Manager? But he didn?t have any experience as a GM! Of course, neither did that Bothan with no name, and he turned out all right in the grand scheme of things.

?Now, you are probably wondering who the new coach will be. We did an extensive search, and found that there was only one candidate worthy enough for the job. As the new Head Coach of the Senators, come on out, Aileen Wynn.? Dirxx, who had been holding his beverage, dropped it as his eyes bugged out. Aileen Wynn, one of the most hated Limmie coaches in the galaxy, was now going to have the reins to the organization.

?What the hell is he thinking?? Polis yelled. ?Aileen frakkin? Wynn?! Just shoot me now!?

?I can?t believe it,? Moen said. ?I didn?t think she was still coaching.?

?She is now,? Dirxx said. He slammed his head into the table, but not hard enough to cause any damage to it. ?This is going to be a mess of a season.?

The Hapan Wynn came out and sat down at the microphone. ?Yes, I am going to be the next Head coach of the Senators,? she said. But, as the players noted, there was something . . . different . . . about her demeanor.

?Aileen! We thought you had retired!? came one reporter.

?You know what, just keep out of my business!? Wynn snapped coldly. ?It?s none of your business whether I retired or not. I am h

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: Euceron Stadium, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 1300, day of friendly against Gundarks

"Welcome, one and all, to Euceron Stadium for today's friendly match between the Euceron Storm and their Premier League affiliate, the Commenor Gundarks. I'm Cedkin Terron, and I'm here with my partner Marte Nalo. Don't adjust your receiver; that is indeed snow on the field. Fifteen centimeters have fallen in the past 24 hours, and light snow showers are expected to continue throughout the game. Thankfully, at minus 2 degrees, the temperature is much warmer than was forecasted earlier in the week, but it's still cold out there. Marte, what effects will the weather have on this game?"

"The main problem it's going to cause is the lack of sure footing. Players are going to have a difficult time finding purchase in the ground at full sprint, and that's likely to slow down the pace of play. The other thing to watch out for is the fact that neither of these teams have played a game in the snow in 15 years. I think the team that adapts to the snow best will be the winner here."

"Thanks, Marte, as we're set for kickoff here. The Gundarks won the coin toss and have elected to take the ball to start the game. As we take a look at the starting lineups here, any thoughts, Marte?"

"The Storm are doing the same thing they did in last year's friendly; they've mixed up starters and reserves and are going to be experimenting a lot with frequent substitutions. The Gundarks, on the other hand? They're here to win."

"And with that, we're underway. Naykin intercepts the pass and launches it upfield to Allemann, who feeds it to last year's Ingbrand winner, Helkin, who makes a nice recovery after slipping and puts it in the back of the net to give the Storm an early 3?0 lead."

---

[i]25 seconds remaining in game[/i]

Marte took a sip of hot chocolate as Cedkin called the action. "Storm down by 3 as Helkin lines up the penalty kick. Here it comes?GOAL! We're tied at 25."

Marte smiled. "Nothing special about that. The keeper went one way, Helkin went the other, and the result is three points on the board."

"The keeper clears the ball out as the clock ticks down to under twenty seconds. Both teams scramble for it and Nertrayn comes up with it. He launches a kick downfield and... it sails wide right, stopping the clock with nine seconds to go. It appears that a Gundarks player is down on the field, so while we wait on that, Marte, what are your thoughts on the game?"

"I think both teams have done a very good job today of adapting to the snow. The Storm have hopefully learned a lot with their experimenting, and hopefully that will carry over into the upcoming season."

"Anyone in particular on the Gundarks stand out to you?"

"Not really. There's a lot of good players there, but none of them are particularly great. I think the only really good ones they had were given to the Senators in the trade last month."

"Alright, then, as the injured player is up, we have just twelve seconds remaining with the score tied at 25. The ball is kicked downfield. Gundarks come up with it and launch it at the goalposts and it's good as time runs out. Final score, Gundarks 26, Storm 25. For my colleague Marte Nalo, I'm Cedkin Terron, and we now send you out to the Winter X Games. Taru, take it away."

[hr]
[i]Location: HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 1700, three days after friendly against Gundarks[/i]

"Good evening, and welcome to this preseason edition of [i]Elite League Playbook[/i]. I'm Sanzek Prudup, with my colleague Marte Nalo. Shocking news out of Coruscant today: Gark S'rily, head coach and GM of the Senators and winner of numerous awards, has been fired over accusations of money laundering and embezzlement. S'rily is accused of taking over two billion credits from charity. Marte, any idea what would make what was one of the most respected figures in limmie do this?"

"Well, first off, you're jumping to conclusions here like everyone else. Whatever happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'? I know that's a

 

IC Beskaryc Taab
Team offices, Mando'ade Mercs

After what had been a disappointing season, the Mercs off-season had been fairly quiet. Sure Taab had considered sacking the entire staff, but he had decided that the resulting turmoil wouldn't have been beneficial to the team. Likewise the signing of his son to the team had gone almost unnoticed by the media after a day or so. The team had gone over things and almost changed their team colors again, but Taab had rejected the idea. Maybe next season he reasoned, if this one didn't end well than we would do a complete overhaul, but not yet.

He had every reason to believe that this season was going to be better than the previous year. Last year's metrics showed that their missing the playoffs was a fluke. This year's friendly against their developmental team from Concordia confirmed that. Yes the offense still seemed a bit out of tune, but that should right itself with the players in the right place, as they were now. Their defense had been as dominant as ever, a shutout against a good offense that had played its starters throughout the game. Kii really should have won MVP for her performance in goal last season, maybe if they made the playoffs she would get the recognition she deserved.

The Mercs had pulled their own starters at halftime, but still Concordia hadn't managed to score a point. Vau had looked good at the start, but as the game went on he became more and more frustrated and tried to do everything himself. Ayso was right, the lad still had a long way to go to being part of a team. As for Ayso, Taab was surprised to still see him playing, he looked terrible after the game. Taab worried for the clone's health, but he was an adult and knew what he was doing.

So Taab could be pleased now as he looked over this season's schedule. For the second time in three season the Mercs would be wrapping up their season at Bakura. A good rivalry had formed between the two teams and Taab was glad to be ending the season against them again. He wondered briefly if he should petition the commissioner's office to always schedule their matchup for the end of the season. Perhaps create a rivalry week where all of the final games of the season would be against a team's rival?

On second thought, perhaps not. The slight Bothan commissioner had enough on her plate right now. For as calm an off season as the Mercs had enjoyed, there were several teams in turmoil. The Miners themselves had undergone extensive changes under their new GM. Taab found them to be over reactions, but he supposed time would tell. That had precipitated the three way mega trade that had floored much of the league. Taab wasn't sure who had come out on top of all that, it was academic really until results came in from the pitch.

But the real blockbuster had just been announced a few moments ago, the charges against S'rily and his subsequent dismissal from the team was bad enough. But when the ownership group announced their intention to disband the team Taab had been truly stunned. The Senators were one of the flagship franchises of the League. Without them the brand that was the ELL would surely be diminished. All the more reason to try to win it all this year. Against the best competition, and while one of the most storied franchises in League history still existed.

TAG: No one really. Lets play some Limmie!

 

OOC: We're cooking with gas now!

IC: Alana Glencross
HSN studios, Eusebus, Euceron
Friday before gameday

Alana had taken off her navy blue parka when she'd gone into makeup and hair. She had elected to keep the white sweater with the small Miners logo high on the right breast and the blue stocking cap with a yellow band running along the turned up rim. "Brrr," she succinctly observed even inside the studio.

When she'd finished she was ushered into the studio proper for the interview with Marte. She extended a hand. "Pleasure to meet you," she said, "Glad we could make this happen. Good for the sport, good for ratings, good for everybody, right?"

As the newly minted captain of the Miners Alana was determined to be the public face of the team. Not out of vanity, but out of responsibility. The Miners got a lot of attention in the sports media. It was hard to perform when the bright lights turned their unforgiving glare on you. Alana was going to try and take some of the heat for the rest of the team. Given what had been said last season by this very man about the Miners there was going to be a lot made out of this opening tilt.

So that's why Alana had wanted to sit down with Nalo with no preconditions, live, and no agenda. Once she'd sneaked onto Mandalore in a wig. Now she was coming into Euceron in a big way.

Tag: jc

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 1423, Friday before home game against Miners

Marte watched as Glencross walked into the studio. It's not that cold in here, he silently remarked as he took in what the Miners' assistant captain was dressed in. Well, actually that was simply captain now, he reminded himself.

Glencross put her hand out. "Pleasure to meet you. Glad we could make this happen. Good for the sport, good for ratings, good for everybody, right?"

Marte looked at her hand for a moment, then simply nodded, turned to the side, located his chair, and sat down. He had some tough questions for her; whether he'd shake her hand afterward depended on whether she gave the... correct answers. He waited until she sat down, then got right to the point. "One year ago, you were riding high on a Salbukk Award, with multimillion-credit endorsement deals. Then the Miners opened the season 0?5. You began losing endorsement deals. Looking back on it, what went wrong there?"

TAG: Trieste

 

IC: Alana Glencross
HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron

Oh frak were they broadcasting already? Weren?t they supposed to tell her that? And have some fancy schmancy intro segment? HSN Euceron wasn?t the BBC apparently. And Marte Nalo didn?t appear to be a fan of hers.

?Let?s be honest: last season was nothing short of disappointing. We took ourselves out of the playoff race right out of the gate and after a 6-2 season that?s disappointing to say the least. But why? I think we got cocky and we paid for it. I allowed off the field issues to distract me from the get-go. I thought I was focused and it?s clear now, in hindsight, I wasn?t. It?s why I engaged a trainer to work with me during the offseason,? Alana replied, ?I won?t say I neglected physical conditioning before 269, but I certainly didn?t focus on it. We did have a tough road schedule in terms of where we played and four road games in our first five, but that?s no excuse. Last season was a humbling experience, to say the least. I wish I didn?t have to admit it, but that?s the fact of the matter.?

Well, this was going to be a much more interesting interview than she had thought it was going to be.

Tag: jc

 

OOC: Just to clarify, the interview is being recorded and will air during the pregame show Sunday. It is not being broadcast live. And yes, the cameras were already rolling when Alana walked into the room. She should have been told that in the green room, but the producers might have forgotten.

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 1424, Friday before home game against Miners

Marte listened to Glencross's reply as she laid out what went wrong last season. She's taking responsibility, Marte thought. That's good. When she finished, Marte pondered her response for a moment before posing another question. "If you are offered more endorsement deals in the future, would you consider accepting them? What would you do differently to make sure the same situation doesn't repeat itself?"

TAG: Trieste

 

IC: Alana Glencross
HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron

Alana smiled, though not as if she was amused. It was more like she was recalling a memory that was awkward. "Yeah...those. Don't worry, I won't whip out a bottle of New Aroma here and now. I've learned that lesson at least," Alana said, "If I was to do it again, I definitely wouldn't take on as many. They became the story rather than what happened on the field. Now, letting myself get drawn into a PR war with Ryi Kor'le didn't help...but that one wasn't my fault." Now Alana really did smile. "Seriously, though, endorsements aren't a bad thing. They're always going to be in the sport, in every sport. But if I ever sign on the dotted line again, the focus is going to have to be on my game and limiting the number of deals is the best way to do that. And let's be honest: pro Limmie players make enough to get by these days. It's not like I really need the creds."

Tag: jc

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 1426, Friday before home game against Miners

Marte thought about her response. It wasn't exactly the response he was looking for, but it was a good one nonetheless. He shifted positions and changed the subject. "Let's talk about xenophobia. I started the whole deal last year, and significant changes have been made to the Miners since. I want to discuss your personal views here. You may remember that I said last season that I was raised as a speciesist until I was forced to drop those beliefs in college. Have you, personally, ever had speciesist tendencies? If so, what made you realize, 'This is wrong'? Or do you still have them?"

TAG: Trieste

 

IC: Alana Glencross

Oh now. That just took this interview to a new level.

"No, no, I haven't," Alana said, "Though Bakura may not have the same mix of species that other planets do, it wasn't part of my upbringing at all. Ever. My parents were, and are, pretty enlightened beings. Perhaps too much so for their own good when they would get mushy in front of my brother and me, but that's besides the point. At no time was I ever, ever raised with the belief that one species is inherently better than another because it is 'superior' due to a particular aspect, including my own membership of it. Now, let's talk about the general point that your comments last season set off a conversation about species and the Miners. It was a good thing. It wasn't a pleasant conversation to have at times, but those are the important conversations that we often need to have as a society. Look at the Miners now. Four are outright non-Humans. Nancheka's Echani and she'll tell you she's not a Human, so we'll go with five. The Hapans might argue for the same. So in one season we've moved non-Humans in from a third to almost half our starters. That's a pretty radical change for one team to undergo in just a season.

"But I think that your question about my personal views has an undercurrent to it and it's one I'll address. Maybe it didn't, but now that we're knee deep in the subject matter, might as well get it out there. Why didn't I speak up? After all, silence can be complicity. The truth of the matter is that I don't view my role to shake things up as a player. My job is to play midfield and win games. I'm not saying that it's a good excuse, or even something that's acceptable. But when you're a professional Limmie player it's not your place to shake things up. It can disrupt a locker room and tear a team apart when that happens. That being said, when Quinn Cundertol decided to broaden the Miners' recruiting efforts to include non-Humans, I was 100% behind that initiative. That is something that as a player I can do."

Tag: jc

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 1428, Friday before home game against Miners

Well, she already answered my next question, Marte thought. He considered the response, then nodded and posed another question. "How well are the humans and non-humans getting along so far? Have there been any internal problems with speciesism, either real or perceived?"

TAG: Trieste

 

IC: Alana Glencross
HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron

The corners of Alana?s mouth twitched slightly, though not from nervousness. She was trying to fight a smile. As if she?d ever break one of the great, inviolate rules of pro sports: what?s said in the locker room stays in the locker room.

?There have been a few adjustments. As an organization we haven?t had to think about certain things with an all-Human team. For example, we had to give Delphy a double-wide spot in the locker room so she?d have enough room to get ready for the game. So there?s been that, but everyone?s a professional on the team. I played with non-Humans on Cloud City so it?s something I?m used to. As I think fans have seen, our biggest issue thus far has just been getting all the pieces to work together in our friendlies. I know that the coaches have used points from those games as ?teachable moments? to improve our game and they?ve hammered home some of those points in practice. I think we?ll be good to go for the Winter Classic.?

Tag: jc

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 1429, Friday before home game against Miners

It didn't escape Marte that Glencross had dodged the question, but he decided to let sleeping chitliks lie and build off of the last thing she had said. "Speaking of the weather, the current forecast for Sunday is temperatures just below zero with light snow showers throughout the day. What adjustments do not only you, but the team as a whole have to make to compensate for that?"

TAG: Trieste

 

IC: Alana Glencross
HSN studio, Eusebus, Euceron

"The weather's going to be a huge factor tomorrow. The decision was made by management to get here to Euceron as soon as possible so we could get acclimated with the conditions and we have. I think we've done some good work outdoors to get ourselves adjusted but we'll have to see what it's actually like when we hit the field," Alana said, "Additionally, the team has ordered some cold weather sportswear for everyone. I'm going to be using it personally and I've practiced with it. It's a different feel to have leggings and long sleeves. I've never played with them before, but it's just not an option to go with bare arms and legs. That could lead to hypothermia easily. I've also been practicing with gloves as well. That's also something I'm having to adjust to, but I've tried without and I can't last long without them. But that's why we've been practicing outside. Seriously though, is there a reason why they didn't build a roof on the stadium?"

Tag: jc