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

Star Wars OPEN Elite League Limmie

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

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  1. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Cord McKerty
    Beachhead Sea Resort

    Cord wiped off his face with a towel on the sidelines. It was the second scrimmage between the two squads here on Wroona for camp, the Senators and the Force. He had wrapped up his stint out there for the Force, playing with people he still was trying to find chemistry with. The Senators had been whipping their asses up and down the field all scrimmage, their stars really paving the way through the heart of the Force defense. Max Qorbus easily dodged Wack Crollue, the Right Half Back, then stiffarmed Villie Bywash in the face, sending the Amaran down to the field. The Nautolan then passed to a wide-open Riff Persnor, who burned Kurta Thaar easily for three points. Cord looked to Jed Ortmeyer, the Coach for Thyferra; it was obvious that he wasn’t happy with his team’s performance here.


    Finally Pam Korthe blew the whistle, and the scrimmage was over. Cord didn’t even want to ask what the score was; it would have been too embarrassing to know. He instead took a drink of Gundarkade from the cooler and began to walk away.

    “McKerty!” came a yell. Cord turned around and saw Jed walking towards him. “Nice game out there,” the former Senator and Galactic Cup winner in 268 said. “I know it was rough, but you stuck it out, and that’s all I can ask for. You’ve got the guts to make it on my team anyday.”

    “Thanks, Coach,” Cord said.

    “You took a huge hit there from Reena,” Jed remarked. Cord just nodded sheepishly. “But you shook it off and kept going. Nice work out there, and I’ll see you at practice tomorrow.”

    “All right,” Cord said. He then kept walking to the compound. However, he then heard his name. Turning around, he saw Reena coming towards him, her workout clothing just as sweaty as his was.

    “Going to gloat about your hit?” Cord asked.

    “What? No, I just want to know if you’re all right,” the Hapan said quickly. “I didn’t mean to hit you that hard . . . I know it’s scrimmage, and I don’t want to hurt you out there . . .”

    “Nah, I’m fine,” Cord said. The Hapan looked relieved to hear this.

    “Any plans for tonight?” Reena asked.

    “Not really,” Cord said. “I want to watch some footage, of course, and then . . . I don’t know . . . I have nothing in mind. You wanna hang out or something?”

    “Yeah,” Reena said. She then lowered her voice. “Is your roommate going to be in?”

    “Maybe . . .” Cord said, shrugging. “Why?”

    “Just make sure, and then tell me,” Reena said. She winked and then walked away, leaving Cord unsure of what she had meant.

    Thirty minutes later, Cord had finished his shower, and had gone back into the heart of his hotel room. Ganos was sitting on his bed, looking at a datapad. “I thought you wouldn’t quit getting cleaned up,” he said. “It takes you forever to finish showering, I’ve noticed.”

    “Hey, it feels good after a long day of practice,” Cord replied. “You have anything going on tonight?”

    “Well, there’s some stuff going on in town tonight,” his roommate said. “They’ve got some shows going on for the night-time crowd down at the theater, and it would be interesting to go for once before we’re done here at camp. But, then again, I could just stay here and take a swim in the pool. What plans do you have for tonight?”

    “Just looking at film, really,” Cord said, scratching his chin. “I want to break down what I did wrong today and try to work on it.”

    “Understood,” Ganos said. “Not to be an ass or anything, but I’d rather go have fun while I still can in town before we really ratchet up the practices. I just need to shower, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

    “Got it,” Cord said. His roommate went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, leaving Cord alone in the room. He could then hear the rush of water in the shower through the bathroom door and the walls. Sighing, he pulled out his comlink and called up Reena.

    “Hey,” she said when she picked it up. “You hear yet?”

    “Roommate’s not got anything tonight here. We can hang out,” Cord said.

    “Awesome,” Reena said. “Would 1930 work?”

    “Yeah, that should,” Cord said, taking a look at the chrono. It read 1750; she wanted to hang out in an hour and a half.

    “All right,” Reena said. “See you then.”

    As he pulled out his game footage reel, Cord couldn’t help but think of the first date the two of them had had a week and a half earlier. Now he would get his chance once again to talk to her, to make sure that moment wasn’t going to be the last between them. Finally Ganos came out of the bathroom and left, so Cord was able to watch his footage. It was odd to see how slow he looked in comparison to the other forwards; it didn’t feel like he was slow, but compared to Qorbus and Wylega Persnor, he certainly looked like someone had filled his shoes with weights to keep him grounded. It was something he knew he would have to fix in the remaining time here at camp.

    Time seemed to fly past as he watched and learned. Then he felt his datapad buzz with an incoming text message. He picked it up and read. “Knock knock,” was all it said. He had no idea what all this was about, but then he heard a knock at the door. Pausing his footage, he went to the door. Ganos couldn’t be back already, could he? He opened the door to see Reena leaning against the door frame. She was wearing just the simple black swimsuit that she had been in on their last date.

    “Hi,” she said simply.

    “Uh . . . hi,” Cord said. He hadn’t expected her to come up to his room, and definitely not so scantily-clad. So this was why she had asked about Ganos . . . everything made sense now.

    “Can I come in?” the Hapan asked.

    “Yeah, come on in and make yourself at home,” Cord said. Reena went inside and sat down in one of the chairs. Cord then went back and sat on his bed.

    “Watching footage?” Reena asked.

    “Yeah,” Cord replied. “I had no idea I was so slow out there,” he remarked.

    “I’m not trying to be mean, but you do seem a step slower out there,” Reena commented. “I thought you said you liked to cut in mid-stride.”

    “I do . . . but it’s hard when you have pros bearing down on you from all sides,” Cord admitted.

    “Like I’ve said before, try running on the beach. It may hurt a little at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be in better condition. If you can cut on the beach, with all of its little quirks, then you can make a cut on a Limmie field and make defenders lose their balance.”

    “Hm, I might have to try that out,” Cord said. His mind then wandered to Reena’s presence. Why exactly was she not wearing much clothing? “Um . . . what’s with the lack of clothes?” he asked.

    Reena just smirked. “It’s so damn warm out there that I feel more comfortable in this.”

    “So you want to go down to the pool again?” Cord asked. “Or the ocean? I’d be up for a swim . . .”

    “No, this is fine,” Reena said. “Besides, do you think ill of me for doing this? Is it wrong for a woman to wear this in front of a guy who likes her and she likes back?”

    “Um . . . no, not at all,” Cord said quickly, trying not to offend her. He loved looking at her body this way . . . it just seemed like she was trying to prove a point. “I must say, though. You rock that thing.”

    “Thank you,” Reena said. “I happen to like it myself.” She then paused. “Well, if I’m interrupting or anything, I’ll be on my way . . .”

    “No, stay here,” Cord said. Reena, who was motioning to stand up, stopped. “I like your presence. It relaxes me a little,” he lied. In actuality, he was afraid he might screw it up with her, and then she would never talk to him again.

    “You want to go back to watching your footage?” Reena asked.



    “I could . . .” Cord said. He flipped the game footage back on, and his attention snapped back to that. However, Reena then came down at sat next to him on his bed, leaning against him. Cord could feel her breathing and her gentle bare skin against him, and he found it difficult to pay attention to the screen. Limmie was now a detached entity in his mind, replaced by Reena’s presence. It began to consume him, and his mind wandered. How nice that first date had been . . . if only that could happen again . . .

    “So, do you have any other moves that you like to do on the field?” Reena asked.

    “Not really . . . but I have some bedroom moves I really like,” Cord said without thinking rationally.

    Reena smirked. “Oh really? Well, seeing as there is a bed here, and no one around, how about you show me those moves?” She then kissed him on the cheek, and Cord was sent back into lust mode. Within a matter of seconds his shirt and shorts and her bikini hit the floor, and the two of them kissed as they slipped underneath the sheets. Perhaps there was something between the two of them that had been unleashed, and neither wanted it to end.




    Three Days Later, Room #248, Late

    Cord leaned down and kissed Reena lightly on the forehead. This time around, they were in her room and her bed as they prepared themselves to have a session there. Neither wore any clothes; those had been discarded on the floor already. Reena’s roommate, Gayla Renhorn, was not supposed to be in tonight, as she was hanging out around the pool and wasn’t expected to be back until very late.

    “Cord, I know it’s been a long time coming, but . . . I love you,” Reena said.

    “I love you too,” Cord said. He kissed her again, felt her pulse as it raced. His heartbeat was starting to peak as well, the prize in sight once more.

    “Gayla always said that I should get a boyfriend,” Reena said. “I’ve found one.”

    “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been in a relationship with,” Cord said.

    “Oh come off it, you must have had someone else,” the Hapan said.

    “No, I haven’t. None like you,” Cord said. He reached down once again and kissed her, and the Hapan kissed him back. This was their moment.

    “Reena! What the hell are you doing?” came a very familiar voice, a very familiar one, from behind them. It was Gayla, and she wasn’t happy.





    IC: Gayla Renhorn

    Gayla’s first training camp with the Senators had been different than those she had on Onderon. First and foremost, she hadn’t gotten to work out at a resort world with the Crazy Dragons for camp. Second, she didn’t have her best friends there with her. Sure she had made good with Jenna Leed, the Dragon’s captain, early on, but there was nothing like having Reena and Tank around to help ease her into life as a member of the Senator organization.

    She had spent the last few weeks taking reps at the midfield spot, which was her primary position. She had been informed that Ravil We’kyr (formerly Gynordis), the Bothan midfield coach, in accordance with the massive turnover that had occurred in the Senator Front 6 personnel-wise, and the fact that Allie Orchetrada, the famed 262 Senator coach, was now in charge of the offense instead of old stalwart Andrew Mundle, there was more at stake here. Orchetrada had said from Day One that two midfielders would make the starting lineup. However, since there were three standout middies on the roster, herself, captain Alysha Romax, and Demetra Silkins, someone would be left out. In order to give them all minutes, Orchetrada had put in place a system that she had developed during her days with AC Coruscant, an entry-level pro Limmie club. It was called the “Triple Alliance” midfield system; the name sounded stupid, like something from a history textbook, but no matter the name, it made sense given the potential of the three players. The system would utilize two midfielders in their normal capacity, and another one, a “wing” of sorts, would be a rover-type player, assisting the offense and defense depending on the situation while still leaving two midfielders on the field. Gayla liked her autonomy, but didn’t want to not start, either. The rover would come off the bench as necessary; the minutes would be good, but not like starting minutes. She wanted to start, and she would work as hard as it took to get there.

    It had been difficult to mend fences with Max Qorbus, the Nautolan who had led his Chandrila A&M Rovers to a win in their game back in 270 against CorTech and eventually beat Gayla out for the Helmsman Memorial Trophy. Although Qorbus had been somewhat nice to her during and after that game, there was still some animosity between them, which Gayla thought probably stemmed from her rift with Aeron Vos from the Air Fleet Academy and then on Onderon. She had no clue why he had been drafted along with her, and had tried to avoid Vos whenever possible. She also had to deal with Jayla Leed, the Senators’ starting goalie, who probably still had a chip on her shoulder from being passed up by Onderon when they had selected Gayla #2 overall in the first ELL Draft.

    What had really made this camp interesting was getting to finally play on the same field as her younger sister Alex. Alex, after hearing about Gayla’s exploits at CorTech, had transferred there immediately after her sophomore season. The Mean Green had sucked both years she was there, but obviously the Senators had seen enough in her play to sign her to a contract.

    It was on one particular night that she had been invited to hang out by the pool by Tank. She had gone and talked to her teammates for a while, but then she realized that she needed rest. Practice was starting to wear on her, and she knew that sleep would at least give her some temporary relief. So she went back to her room. As she pulled out her key, she thought she could hear voices inside. Nah, she thought, that had to be the players next door. Some of the Thyferra players were next door, and had obviously been playing video games late the last few nights. Gayla had wanted to slam her fist on their door to make them shut up, but she had decided not to. If they got a noise complaint, it was their fault, not hers. But the sounds didn’t seem to be coming from there; what a shock. Instead, they were very faint, almost impossible to hear from outside. Gayla held her breath and slid the keycard into the slot without a sound. She then entered her room. Yes, the voices were in here. Had someone broken in?

    It was at this point that she turned the corner and saw Reena and that McKerty kid both naked in Reena’s bed. Gayla couldn’t believe it; so this was why Reena had seemed somewhat dodgy the last few days around her. She was sleeping with McKerty!

    Her mind filled with rage. “Reena! What the hell are you doing?” she blurted out.




    Reena looked up from her bed, her eyes wide. “Gayla,” she said. “This isn’t what it looks like!”

    “I know exactly what it looks like!” Gayla shouted. She was seeing red now. “Get out of here!” she yelled at McKerty, who looked absolutely terrified that he had been caught in the act. “Go on, get moving!” McKerty got off the bed and tried to put his pants back on, but he was so nervous that they fell down to his ankles after slipping from his grasp. “I said GET MOVING!” Gayla reiterated, and McKerty just scampered away, still trying to keep his pants up and hold his shirt in the other hand. “I never want to see you around here ever again!” she said for good measure.

    Her attention then turned to Reena, who had covered her naked body with the bed sheet. “Reena . . . how could you?!” Gayla said.

    “Gayla, let me explain . . .” Reena said, but her roommate cut her off.

    “I know exactly what you’re up to,” Gayla said, steamed. “You’ve been letting that little punk get in your pants, haven’t you?”

    “I just . . .”

    “Reena, you’re killing me, you really are,” Gayla said, cutting Reena off again. “Don’t you see? You’re letting him exploit you! He’s nothing but some two-bit rookie who sleeps with women just to satiate his youthful desires! All you are is a tool for him, nothing more! I can’t believe that you’ve stooped this low. How many times did you help me get my mind out of the gutter? Hm? Back in college? You were the respectable one . . . and look at you now, sleeping with a college-aged guy who has no sense of decency in his body. Where is that decency now, hm? You make me sick.”

    “Gayla, let me explain,” Reena said.

    “What is there to explain?” Gayla asked. “I understand quite clearly. When are you going to grow up and realize that you were being exploited? You should be thanking me for saving you from that degrading act.”

    “Listen to me,” Reena said. “You keep bothering me about not having a boyfriend. I get one, and then you come and scare him off!”

    Gayla just snorted. “Boyfriend? Since when, Reena? Since when? Just because you were going to sleep with him doesn’t mean that he’s your friend. He’s just using you, nothing more. He doesn’t care for you, he certainly doesn’t love you, and that will never change. That punk is just going to get you in trouble, mark my words. I’ve seen how you seem to think you’re becoming great pals. Well, let me tell you something. He’s a scumbag, and I don’t want you to fall for him. I order you to keep your distance and never let yourself be degraded by his little punk ass!”

    “Ordering?” Reena asked, her voice starting to escalate. “Who do you think you are, my mother? ”

    “I’m your friend!” Gayla shot back. “And I’m being a friend by getting you out of this mess you’ve found yourself in! Shame on you for turning your back on me, after all we’ve gone through. You need to listen to me, as a teammate, as a friend!”

    “A true friend wouldn’t tell someone to stop seeing someone they really like!” Reena retorted. “You’re being overbearing, Gayla, and I can’t stand it anymore! You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do! It’s my life, and I’m going to live it the way I want to. No one can change that, you understand? No one, not even you.”

    “Fine then,” Gayla said. “Since it’s obvious that you’d rather stoop low to that frakkers’ level, and won’t listen to reason, I’m not going to bother to keep pushing you to see the light.” She reached down and quickly packed her stuff in her duffel bag, not even finishing zipping the item before hoisting it over her shoulder. “You’re dead to me,” she said as she walked towards the door. “And don’t come crawling back to me when he’s finished with you, asking for help, because you won’t get it.”

    “Don’t go,” Reena pleaded.

    “I’m out of here. Never show your face to me again.” Gayla then slammed the room door behind her in her frenzy. Outside in the hall were several Force and Senator players, wondering what in the hell was going on. Gayla just walked down the hall to the lift, not saying a word.




    In practice the next day, Gayla watched Reena like a hawk. But when her former roommate tried to look at her, she just looked away. When the teams were running drills, Gayla made sure to keep her distance, still stewing over Reena’s actions and stubbornness. How could Reena betray her like that? It made her want to punch McKerty in the face, which she actually got the chance to. McKerty had the ball in a drill, and Gayle laid the lumber on him, sending him down to the turf. “See that, asswipe?” Gayla said, looking down. “That will teach you not to abuse women at your leisure. That’s all you’re good for, you little piece of . . .”

    Then she felt herself be roughly pushed aside. She looked up at Tank, who was frowning. “Gayla, what the hell are you doing?” the Herglic demanded.

    “None of your damn business,” Gayla shot back.

    “I’m sure it is my business,” Tank said. “You have no right to go and taunt a teammate like that.”

    “You have no idea,” Gayla said. “And I have every reason to kick that little punk down.”

    “Why?” Tank asked, stern. “What Maker-given right do you have to pull something like that? Hm? What the hell has gotten into you today?”

    “Nothing, I’m fine,” Gayla said. “Now let me go.” But Tank held his grip.

    “Not until you tell me what’s going on,” the Herglic said.

    Then the whistle blew, and Pamila Korthe came over. “What’s going on?” she demanded.

    “Something’s gotten into Gayla here,” Tank said. “And she won’t tell me what’s on her mind.”

    “Renhorn, is that true?” Pam asked.

    “Not at all,” Gayla lied, still trying to wriggle free.


    “You’re a terrible liar,” Pam commented. “I saw that taunt on McKerty. You don’t pull crap like that, Renhorn, or you’ll find yourself on the bench. Or, worse yet, we’ll ship you off to Kessel. That would settle you down a bit. Maybe it would push your ego down as well. Hit the showers; you’re done.” Gayla shook free of Tanks’s grasp and walked off the field, not even making eye contact with anyone as she passed by. It was going to be a long, cold shower.

    TAG: No One

    And another cliffhanger brought to you by the Gunny School of Cliffhangers!
     
  2. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post
    --Transaction Wire--
    Bakura Miners
    • Bree Tarth (Human, Female, Right Corner Back) becomes a free agent
    • Ruunron (Trandoshan, Male, Left Half Back, contract year 274) released on waivers
    • Niskat Deenever (Human, Female, Center Half Forward) loaned to Cloud City Sky Captains
    • Nefroq Vubbins (Mon Calamari, Female, Corner Back) loaned to Mon Calamari Mariners
    TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Rebecca_Daniels Runjedirun Tim Battershell Vehn for free agent notices
     
  3. Tim Battershell

    Tim Battershell Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    IC: Tim Dodd - Approaching Memorial Stadium, Agamar.

    Quite a throng, Tim thought, looking at the assembled Media. They'd been arranged in crescent formation in front of the hastily extended, elevated, stage; a position that completely blocked their view of both Players' Tunnels. Also out of their sight was a large Speeder-bus, currently occupying a generous portion of the private parking area at the Stadium's rear. The only non-Media beings to be seen in the entire Stadium were a couple of ground staffers apparently having a discussion about the state of the turf. Despite it still wanting a few minutes to the appointed time, Tim could see several heads turning this way and that, their owners doubtless wondering if he'd got cold feet (well they were slightly cool, at present) and would be a no-show!

    The non-locals could be forgiven (unfamiliar with Agamar, which Tim doubted they'd ever as much as set a ship down on before) but the natives should, at least, have remembered to look up! Almost on the dot, but still in advance of the schedule, Tim brought his Thrust Sailer in to orbit the pitch once, before setting down near the two grounds people. That got noticed! Being almost buzzed at low level by a virtually silent flying-contraption would do that, and Tim saw several Holocams swing rapidly round to capture the (fortunately, almost perfect) landing! Despite having not an iota of Force Sensitivity (as far as he knew - family records suggested that it had manifested itself in certain members well on in their lifetimes, 80 was the oldest hinted at - Tim could almost feel the wave of 'What the Kriff is that' thoughts emanating from the assembly. Hopefully those who weren't in the know would ask the locals; giving them the chance to educate the inner-Galaxy types for once!

    Tim unstrapped himself, retrieved his walking cane from its (specially fitted) clips, doffed his safety helmet and left his 'Sailer and helmet in the care of the two grounds people. Experienced 'Sailer flyers themselves, they'd take good care of his kit.

    Walking to the back of the stage (thank the Force, his knee was behaving itself today, so he had no need to use the walking cane even for its conventional function), Tim ascended the steps and approached the lectern/podium with its bristling security fence of audio-input pickups.

    "Good afternoon, Gentlebeings!"; Tim began; "or as we tend to say on Agamar 'Good post-midarc' - it is, just! My name is Tim Dodd, and less than two fullarcs ago (that's two days) I became the Owner of Agamar Packers. Before I go any further, please let me offer my deepest commiserations to Ryloth Rough Riders, and my best wishes for their rapid return to the Elite League. Is everyone here that should be here, can you tell me? Coming through Tondatha can be very confusing - and no, to our friends from far, far away who don't know our history, it's not an area awaiting redevelopment; it's actually a War Grave! That's the reason for this venue being called the 'Memorial Stadium'!

    Now please allow me to introduce a being who had a great deal to do with Agamar Packers' fine performance last season; which, I understand, was one reason for our elevation into the Elite League: our brilliant General Manager and Head Coach"; Tim turned, indicated the cloaked Bothan who had just come on stage and applauded her forward; "Asyr Kre'fey! I have played a team sport in the past, and even run that particular team, but it was an entirely different sport from Limmie, so I see my role with Agamar Packers as helping Asyr get what she needs to make this team great and put the name of our beautiful planet firmly into the minds of beings in every System on the Galactic Map!

    I mentioned that this Stadium can be difficult to get to. It is also, very sadly - because it has been home to Agamar Packers since the team was formed, now showing its age; principally in its lack of space to expand beyond its present 100,000 seat capacity. I am pleased, though, to announce that the University of Agamar, Agamar Security Force Academy and the Agamarian Council have been working together to find us a new home. All necessary permissions have now been granted for a major 500,000 seat multi-sport complex on the far side of Calna Muun, close to both University and Academy and not so very far from the spaceport. Ground will be broken on the project as soon as the architects finalise their plans, and the complex will include hotels either for normal tourists or Limmie fans who wish to attend multi-day competitions as well as Limmie Teams and their Support Staff! Yes, Sir, I know that there are no multi-day Limmie competitions being run - there's really no infrastructure to allow them to be run as yet; as far as we know, ours will be the first facility to make it a possibility! The Stadium itself will look a somewhat strange design when you see it; the reason is that I hope to introduce my personal favourite sport of 'TenGate' to the Galaxy and playing that will need some extra room (a simple description of 'TenGate' and holos of it being played are in the back of your briefing packs), but that necessary design feature should make following Limmie plays easier and more enjoyable for spectators!

    Please bear with me on this segment about Agamar's College Limmie teams, I promise it will tie into the whole! As part of our restructuring plan and in consultation with the UoA Chancellor and the Dean of ASF Academy, their two teams will be merging into one at the end of this coming Season. The much stronger and deeper team created by this amalgamation will be known as 'Agamar Academicals'; and by kind permission of Chancellor and Dean, I have been allowed to wear the new team's colours today!".

    Tim grabbed a double handful of what looked like his business suit (it wasn't, it was a garment intended for quick-change stage work) and pulled it free, showing him to be dressed in a space-black Limmie Kit with narrow yellow and green stripes down the sides of the shorts, the outer arms of the jersey and around the tops of the socks. He turned in place to let the Media have a good look.

    "Agamar Packers are also getting a new strip, but for 'Away' matches only. For 'Home' games we will remain with the traditional uniform, at least for the next Season or two, and then we'll ask the fans to state a preference, if you please.... Asyr!"

    Asyr shed her cloak. Like the 'Academicals' strip, the new 'Away' uniform was also Space Black, but had much thicker bands of light (almost silver) grey from the bottom of the sleeve holes (under the arms) to the hem of the jersey down each side, from the top of the shoulder to the end of the sleeve on the outside of the arm, the full length of the shorts down both sides and around the tops of the socks. On the left breast of the jersey was the Packers logo,
    [​IMG]
    and, on the right, a white 'GM' (for General Manager) - the outside of each letter picked out with a thin yellow line (outermost) and thin green line (innermost) double border to match the logo. The Shirt number ('0' in this case) and the block-letters in the legend 'AGAMAR PACKERS' were also in white and bordered with the thin yellow and green lines; as Asyr turned around for the cameras, this was seen to be the case with the number and wearer's name on the back of the jersey as well.

    "When the new Stadium is finished, the Academicals and Packers will share facilities and Staff, including the services of Full Professors in such areas as Diet, Physiotherapy etc. There's even a Professor of Limmie History, would you believe, who will be looking through all the old play-books in search of tactics that fell out of fashion decades or centuries ago, but might be usefully revived and updated! Additionally all students at the UoA and the ASF Academy will benefit from access to state-of-the-art training rooms for a number of non-Limmie disciplines; permitting them to repurpose their original facilities as they see fit.

    Asyr has organised a surprise for you, but I'll first say that the subject of player injuries comes close to home for me, I have to carry one of these"; he held up his walking cane; "due to a sports-related knee injury for which there wasn't proper treatment available. Every so often the knee gives way and tries to dump me on the ground! That is why I have instructed that top-of-the-line medical facilities are to be installed in this Stadium, as near the pitch as possible, for both the Home team and for Visitors. Fortunately we have some rooms that we can adapt to that new role in just the right area".

    What he didn't (and wouldn't) tell the Media about this was, in the Visitors' Tunnel only (after all, the Home side would be very familiar with the rooms and their specific purpose and therefore not need directions, would they?), large, bold, double-sided signs were to be hung from the ceiling so that everyone passing could not help but see and read them. Furthest away from the Tunnel mouth would be a pictogram of a half-moon (the Agamarian symbol indicating 'fresher facilities!), closer would be a sign saying 'BACTA WARD' and closest of all to the pitch one reading 'RESUSCITATION'! A little something for the visiting teams to think about on the way to the pitch!

    Tim moved away from the lectern to give Asyr room as she called on-stage and introduced the established team players to the Media one-by-one. Made possible by the return of her Assistant Coach; the Shistavanen, Riv Lup (who had been dealing with a family matter, something or other to do with his sister's cubs) and who had been instructed to 'run the hopefuls ragged, back at training camp - although, given what he knew of some of the 'hopefuls', Tim wondered exactly who would be 'ragged' when the team got back! - this was Aysr's contribution to the pre-Season 'war of nerves' against the established Elite League teams, who probably had as little information about the Packers and their capabilities as his people did about the opposition - quite possibly less, in fact, since Limmie players could be counted on to watch as many of the Big-Name team clashes as they could - especially if they were so-called 'needle matches' (Tim had even watched the Miners/Mercs 'friendly' and had been somewhat disappointed that the Mercs hadn't lived up to their billing).

    Hopefully, the parade of solid bone and muscle in the Defensive lineup would make some opposition Offenses nervous; and the sheer height of Jiva Taskelor would cause some hasty rethinking of opposition Defensive plans (even if they didn't know just how physically powerful Thakwaash actually were!). Introducing the known team might bring the Sports Media a little further on-board (especially those who double-dipped as Commentators or Analysts - who would now, at least, know how the player's names should be pronounced) and he heartily agreed that the players deserved some time to bask in the Galactic spotlight on their own account.

    To Be Continued....

    TAG: Bardan_Jusik, CPL_Macja, jcgoble3, Jedi Gunny, Rebecca_Daniels, Runjedirun, Vehn, Trieste
     
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  4. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Cord McKerty
    Wroona

    For the last two days, Cord had been in complete shock about what had happened. Gayla had been absolutely furious to know that he was sleeping with her best friend, Reena didn’t want to talk to him, and it now seemed like he was having trouble focusing on his game. What progress he had made in camp seemed to disappear, seemingly reverting him back to Square One. It was like a break-up, only one where neither had a choice in the matter. Gayla was such a jerk, Cord thought. Not only had she embarrassed him thoroughly, but then she had laid him out the next day in practice and taunted him. What had he done to deserve such treatment?

    His slipping progress was being noticed by the coaches, who started to drop Cord off the starting reps each practice. He was still getting time out on the field, but was playing with the reserves for the Force, not even the starters there. This was the lowest spot of them all, taking on drills with the “lifers” like Baul Sdent and Lynn Stiles and marginal players like Kurta Thaar. This was an embarrassment for him; how could he drop this far? He was across from Ganos Fama, his camp roommate, in these drills, and Ganos was winning most of the head-to-head battles in simulated games.

    Finally, after one such defeat, Ganos came over. “Hey man, you OK? You haven’t been yourself for the last few days.”

    “I just don’t feel it,” Cord replied, biting his lip.

    “The coaches aren’t liking it, you know,” Ganos said. “You should be taking first-team reps, not hanging out with us here.”

    “I know!” Cord snapped. Ganos looked taken aback by this sudden outburst. “I’m sorry,” Cord said. “I didn’t mean . . .”

    “Rough times?” Ganos asked. Cord nodded. “Life got you down? Come to town with me tonight. I think I’ve found a place you’d like to go. Maybe that would cheer you up a little bit.”

    “Fine,” Cord said. He doubted going to town for one night would help him, but Ganos seemed like a nice guy, so what was he out? But mostly his mind focused on Reena, and how their relationship had been blasted apart. Every time he tried to make eye contact with her out on the field, she quickly looked away, trying not to pay any attention to him. It was like he was invisible to her, and he had a sinking suspicion that Gayla’s actions were behind it all. Man he hated her guts; she had ruined his camp and his relationship, and now his field performance was suffering.

    When practice was over, Cord trudged back to his room and took a shower. Normally this would have felt good, but it just felt hollow this time. When he was finished, he just wanted to sit on his bed and stare at the ceiling. However, all he could see was his comlink blinking; there was a message. He took a look at what it said.

    Meet me in 5 downstairs by the conference center.

    5 minutes later, Cord was at the door to the conference center. Down the hall he could hear footsteps. Turning around, he saw Reena coming towards him. She had a dull expression on her face, one that had little life in it.

    “Hi,” Cord said.

    “Inside,” Reena said without showing off any emotion. She opened the door and stepped inside. Cord followed suit. “Cord . . .” she began. “I’ve been doing some thinking over the past few days, and it’s time that we break off our relationship. A week ago, I thought I might have had something with you, something that I was desperately seeking. A guy who really understood me, and would be there for me. Well, I got all that from you . . . but Gayla reminded me that I was going on the wrong way about it. I jumped in too early because I was naïve. I thought that perhaps you could be that man, but I was just being used . . .”

    “No,” Cord said. “I never used you. Not once.”

    “Gayla seems to think otherwise,” Reena said.

    “You still trust her after all she did to ruin your life?” Cord asked.

    “No, but she has a point,” Reena said. “I jumped in too early with our relationship. I never should have dragged you into that, because I know I wasn’t really ready for a major commitment.”

    “I wouldn’t call sleeping together a few times a serious relationship,” Cord replied.

    “But I stupidly did,” Reena said quickly. “I thought I loved you, Cord, and now I know that it was a hollow feeling. It really meant nothing.”

    “You know, I really do like you,” Cord said. “Every word of what I said was true. You really are beautiful . . . and I thought we maybe had a chance together.”

    “And that’s why I think we need to stay away from each other for a while,” Reena said. “We both need to step back and look at our priorities. Are you the right man for me is what I want to know, and what I need to think about. Given what has gone on these last few days, I think its best that we just call it off and focus on Limmie. That’s why we’re here, and what we need to focus on. I’m sorry I brought you into this mess.”

    “Don’t be,” Cord replied. “I just want you to know that . . . that . . . this was serious for me, and I understand why you are taking this stance. I am at fault as well. I forced you into this corner, and should never have degraded you to that. You’re a great woman, and I respect you. My actions seem to have taken that respect away, and I’m sorry for everything. I jumped in too quickly as well, and I potentially used you. That was never my intent, and I’m sorry for the pain it has caused you.” Nice, safe answer here. But he truly understood what Reena meant. She had lost not just him, but her best friend, in this whole ordeal, and by the look on her face she had been impacted in a major way. “Can we at least be friends? You know, not more than that. Just friends.”

    “I can do that,” Reena said. She stuck out her hand, and Cord shook it. “I’ll see you around, then,” she said before walking out of the room. For Cord, he was of course disappointed, but on the other hand it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Reena still liked him, but just as a friend. They weren’t going any farther than that for the time being, and that was fine with him.

    That night, Ganos took Cord out to a local arcade. The two of them hammed it up for a while playing old video games, and had a blast when they found a couple of fellow rookies hanging out there, Leah Nergbolt and Alex Renhorn. The four of them then hung out at a diner before going back to the compound. When Cord’s head hit the pillow that night, he knew that he had accomplished a lot.



    Next Day

    Cord took the bolo-ball and weaved around the defender, Griff Hakuna. He then beat Kurta Thaar for three points on a nice shot into the makeshift goal.

    “Atta boy, McKerty!” Moen shouted from the sideline.

    Cord then began to do this again and again. His mind, finally cleared of the whole relationship mess, was a lot sharper, and his game was beginning to improve minute by minute. Gone was the lethargy he had felt the last few days, replaced by a joyful enthusiasm that he hadn’t had for a little while. Finally, he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Jed Ortmeyer.

    “McKerty, you’re being called up to first-team,” he said.

    Cord was elated. He was getting out of the gutter and into where he belonged. It wasn’t reps for the Senators, but at least these players would be better. As he walked to the first-team area, Ganos yelled at him.

    “Nice job, man!” he yelled.

    Cord set up at the next area, and instantly began to shine. He took a pass from Dypral, a “lifer” Weequay, and then beat Villie Bywash on a nice cut. He then pump faked a pass to a teammate before taking it himself to the rack. He beat the goalie with a sweet shot for three points. Not bad for his first rep with these players today.

    He then looked over to the Senator reserve rep area. Reena was watching him intently, and when they made eye contact, she gave him a thumbs up before returning to work. Cord smiled; perhaps he had lost a relationship, but he had gained a friend, and that’s what mattered.




    IC: Reena Wyley

    Reena took a swig of her drink at the resort bar. She had finally made things straight with Cord, and now she had another thing on her agenda. Gayla had come in a minute earlier, but noticing that Reena was there, decided to go as far away as possible to drink. They were on exact opposite ends of the bar. Then Tank came in. “What’s up?” he asked the Hapan.

    “Not much,” Reena said.

    “I hear you and Gayla aren’t on speaking terms right now,” Tank said quietly.

    “Unfortunately,” Reena said.

    “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the rift between you two?”

    “It’s of no consequence,” Reena replied.

    “If it’s of no consequence, then go fix this problem,” Tank reminded her. “Come on, go on.”

    “Gayla doesn’t want to talk to me,” Reena said. “She thinks I’ve abandoned her.”

    “You must have done something pretty serious,” Tank remarked. “I know she goes off the hook at times, but to get her to not speak to you, that’s something in itself. Go on and make it right; I’m right here to help out. Remember, I’m your friend. You can count on me.”

    “Thanks,” Reena said. She moved over to where Gayla was sitting. The human didn’t even look at her former roommate, deciding instead to take another sip of her drink.

    “Gayla, I . . . I need to talk to you,” Reena said.

    “There’s nothing to talk about,” Gayla deadpanned, staring off into the distance.

    “Yes there is,” Reena said. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened. You were right; I was at fault.”

    “Oh really?” Gayla asked in a sarcastic tone. She finally turned to look at Reena. “Or are you just sorry that I happened to come in and break up your little fantasy?”

    “What? No, I . . .”

    “You don’t need to tell me anything,” Gayla spat. “I saw everything, Reena, and nothing you can say will change that in my mind. You betrayed me.”

    “What? Look, I . . .”

    “No, shut up,” Gayla said. “I’m out of here.” She slammed her glass down on the bar and got up to leave. However, Tank roughly grabbed her by the shirt, preventing her from leaving.

    “I don’t know what in the hell is going on between the two of you, but I intend to find out,” the Herglic said. “Sit.”

    “Lemme go,” Gayla said.

    “SIT!” Tank roared into her face. Gayla shrunk down back into her seat, a look of disgust still on her face. “Now, what happened between you two? I want to know, and neither of you will leave here until I know exactly what went down.”

    “Reena was fouling herself,” Gayla said. “She was sleeping with that brat McKerty from the d-club.”

    “Reena? Is that true?” Tank asked. He was shocked to hear this, but he didn’t let that on.

    “Yes,” Reena said quietly.

    “And I caught them in the act a few days back,” Gayla said. “It was disgusting, and I let both of them have it. Rightfully so, too.”

    “Do you deny that?” Tank asked. Reena shook her head. “All right, we now have grounds for an issue. Gayla, I have to remind you that Reena here can make her own decisions. If she wants to sleep with someone, she has the right to. You can’t tell her what she can and can’t do.”

    “To hell I can’t!” Gayla stated boldly. Tank gave her a tough look, and Gayla lowered her voice. “I don’t want her to lose her sanity and common sense by fouling herself like that. As a friend, I don’t want to see that.”

    “Gayla, a real friend understands that they are just there for support, not to order someone around,” Tank said calmly. “If you really are her friend, you would let her alone. It’s her life, and even though I’m shocked by this, it’s her choice. I can’t interfere.”

    “I can,” Gayla said. “I don’t appreciate it when my roommate invites a punk into our room and would have slept with him in there if I hadn’t shown up.”

    “Is that true?” Tank asked. Reena nodded. “You do realize that it’s your fault for doing that,” Tank said.

    “I know,” Reena said quietly. “It was a lapse of judgment.”

    “Damn right it was!” Gayla commented.

    “Reena, it’s your problem for doing that, especially when Gayla feels betrayed by you doing so. In this instance, I side with her.”

    “I understand,” Reena said, looking down at the floor.

    “However, Gayla, can we move on from this?” Tank asked.

    “Not until I get what I want,” Gayla said angrily.

    “What you want? What about what Reena wants?” Tank asked. “She made an error in judgment, and definitely feels terrible about it. Why can’t you stop being so pig-headed and just learn to deal with it? That happened in the past. Move on.”

    “I’m not moving back in, if that’s what you mean,” Gayla said. “Reena had her chance, and she blew it. Nothing she or you can say will change that, nor my opinion of what I saw.”

    “Look, I broke up with him yesterday, OK?” Reena said. “Doesn’t that count for something?”

    “Hardly,” Gayla shot back.

    “What do I have to do to prove it, Gayla?” Reena asked, bewildered. “That’s what I thought you wanted.”

    “You know what I want?” Gayla asked. “I want . . . wait, did you say that you broke up with him?”



    “Yeah,” Reena said.

    “Why didn’t you say so before?” Gayla asked. “So, did you kick him to the curb?”

    “No,” Reena said. “I just said that we needed to step back and analyze ourselves a little bit. We rushed into that relationship, and I know that it was wrong. It was my fault for bringing him into it, and I understand that my actions pissed you off, Gayla. I was wrong for sleeping with him in our room; I was being sneaky and dodging you, and a friend never does that. I guess I’m just a bad person.”

    “No,” Gayla said quickly, stopping Reena. “No you aren’t.” It seemed like her anger had melted away. “You may have been misguided, but I think you’ve atoned for your issues. I still have good reason for being disappointed in you for your actions, but Tank is right. I can’t control your life; it’s yours to shape as you will. I never should have overreacted. That is my fault. Can you forgive me for that?”

    “Perhaps . . .” Reena said.

    “Look, I’m a jerk, OK?” Gayla said. “Both of you have known that for a long time. I take things too seriously . . . and I’m sorry. I didn’t want to let your decisions get between us. It’s on me. You know, the next time you bring a guy over to sleep with, just tell me beforehand. I’ll understand . . . really. Actually, if you can, get another guy in there for me to sleep with at the same time.”

    “You serious?” Reena asked, raising an eyebrow.

    “Absolutely,” Gayla said. “Real friends hang out together, eat together, work out together, sleep with men together . . . it’s what friends do.” She then stood up and came over to where Reena was sitting, who also stood up. The two then embraced each other, their negative vibes now gone.

    “So, are you going to move back in?” Reena asked.

    “Yeah, but I still get the window-side bed,” Gayla said.

    “I think my work here is done,” Tank said smugly. “That will be fifteen credits for my help, plus another ten for an appearance fee . . .”

    “Shut up, Tank,” Gayla said.

    “Apparently friends are also ones who try to force others to pay for stuff,” Reena said, winking.


    “Fine, be that way,” Tank said. But they could all tell that he wasn’t being serious. For the first time in a few days, Reena finally felt more comfortable. She had made things right with Cord, and now with Gayla. It was time for Reena Wyley to get back to work on the Limmie field and make up for lost time.

    TAG: No One
     
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  5. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    Great, another double post by me. :oops:

    IC: Cord McKerty
    University Stadium, University of Wroona campus

    Cord looked down at the white jersey he wore, with its blue trim. This was it, his first ever pro game. Of course it was against college kids, but at least he would have a chance to work with his new teammates.

    “Awesome being here, isn’t it?” Ganos asked him.

    “Yeah, this is great,” Cord said, nodding.

    “McKerty, a word!” Jed Ortmeyer shouted. Cord went over to his coach. “You’re starting today. Think you can handle the pressure?”

    “I can, coach,” Cord said.

    “Good. Now get out there and show them what you’re made of!” Jed said.

    Once the team hit the field, Cord settled into his position on the field. It felt odd playing Right Corner Forward, given that he had played mostly Left in college, but if this is what it took to get to the Elite League, he was willing to do it. Across from him was a college kid, a fresh-faced Wroonian. He stared Cord down, but the rookie could tell that he didn’t want to be here. It was intimidating to be playing against a battle-tested pro team, even one with a lot of new players on it fresh out of college themselves.

    When the game began, Cord set a small pick as the Force entered their offensive set. The play call came in from the sideline, and Cord ran to his spot. The ball came in to him from Alex Renhorn, and he made his move. Dodging the full back, Cord ran parallel to the goal. He then timed his shot and fired. The ball hit the ground and spun off towards the corner of the goal. The goalie missed by a wide margin, and the Force were already on the board. Cord celebrated with his teammates; he had scored his first pro goal, even though it didn’t count in the end.

    By the end of the first half, Cord had already notched a hat trick. He had done that quite a few times in college, but this was different. He had been the best forward for the Hawk-bats; now he was trying to prove that he belonged in the highest-ranking pro league in the galaxy with players comparable to himself.

    “Nice job out there,” Cam Veryist, the former Senator and offensive coordinator, said to Cord as the team went in for halftime.

    “Thanks,” Cord said.

    “Keep this up, and you might get your chance at the next level,” Cam said.

    “You think so?” Cord asked excitedly. This was welcome news to his ears.

    “Of course,” Cam said. “Keep up the good work.”

    These words inspired Cord in the rest of the game. He started off the second half with a goal, this time the result of a broken play. Dypral had gotten stuck in a corner trap, and had passed errantly to Alex. The CorTech rookie tried to push her way into the zone, but the college kids were there to stop her. She fell down, but not before shoveling the ball off to Cord. Cord sent off another nice cut and was home free. The goalie couldn’t stop the kick shot, and Cord now had four goals in this one.

    With ten minutes left in the game, Cord was called over to the sideline. “Good job out there,” Jed said as Cord passed. Cord then took a seat on the bench and drank a whole cup of Gundarkade; this was the kind of game he needed to get back into the discussion of making the Senator roster.

    “Not bad,” Malida Worody, another CorTech rookie, said as she wiped her face off with a towel. “You really had them running out there.”

    “Thanks,” Cord said. He and Worody had tangled in college when their teams played, so they were very familiar with each other. “This game is a lot different from college.”

    “Yeah,” Worody replied. “I guess there’s going to be a learning curve, but we have time to figure that out before the games start counting.”

    When the game was over, Cord knew that he had done what he needed to. He had proven his dominance out there, and hopefully the coaches would notice. And they did.

    “McKerty!” Jed shouted. Cord came over.

    “Son, how would you like a chance to play with the Senators tomorrow in practice?” Jed asked.

    “Coach, it’s all I want,” Cord replied.

    “Good, because I’m recommending you to get a promotion,” Jed replied. “I’ll send my message in a few minutes, and if Pam agrees, then you’re headed up to the big club. Congratulations, kid. You did a great job.”


    “Thanks,” Cord said. He smiled. Now was his chance to show the Senators what Cord McKerty was made of.




    IC: Pamila Korthe
    Islander Stadium

    Pam watched as some of her starters came off the field. The Senators, despite losing a lot of their star talent the year before, were working their asses off on the field against the overmatched Wroona Islanders. This was the second time the Zeltron was leading her team into the fight against the Wroonians, but this time it felt a little harder. The Islanders were playing better; they had finished second in the Inner Rim Limmie League the last season, and were intent on winning this game. It was Pam’s job to make sure their bid was turned aside.

    Out of the gate went the Senators, scoring at will. A goal by Demetra Silkins, one by Riff Persnor, another bar point from Zadd. The Wroonians looked lost and confused, and it appeared that the game would coast to a finish. However, the Islanders came back, beating a rusty-looking Jayla Leed for several points. Pam had to talk sense into Leed, who then locked it down afterwards. What had been a close game early then became a rout, as the Senators poured on point after point. The Islanders were helpless to stop this onslaught, just as it should be.

    The reserves finished off the game, which finally ended. Both teams lined up for the post-game pleasantries, the crowd on its feet after watching another tremendous performance from the team in gray, but also for their hometown squad.

    As the team went back to the locker room, Pam caught up with Polis and Moen, the two offensive positional coaches. “So, how was your first real game as a coach?” she asked them.

    “Different,” Moen replied. “It’s hard to not jump out there and try to score.”

    “I thought we did a solid job for our first time,” Polis said. “Obviously there is stuff to work on, but we still have time in camp to get those things ironed out.”

    “I hope so,” Pam said. “We need to keep this offense seamless.”

    “Roger that,” Moen said. “I guess my mind is a little elsewhere at the moment, though, so that probably has something to do with it. Laryssa has been having a rough time with it.” He was talking about his wife, Laryssa Heatly (formerly Oneida), who was about ready to deliver their first child. Moen was surprised that he was able to be here this long, given her maternity schedule.

    “You need to get out of here?” Pam asked.

    “Probably should head back tomorrow and try to catch her before she gives birth,” Moen said. “I want to be there for that.”

    “Understood,” Polis said. His thoughts travelled to Meredith, who was very pregnant herself with twins. “You want me to watch over your guys in camp?”

    “That would be great,” Moen said, taking off his headset. “I trust you.”

    “After all those years playing together, you’d better,” Polis replied.

    “Good luck, Moen, and tell Laryssa that we said hi,” Pam finally said. Moen nodded.

    In the locker room, Pam gave her team a post-game overview of their performance. The offense had looked good for the most part, and the things that weren’t good, like setting screens, were going to be worked on extra hard in the remainder of camp. The midfielders had also looked solid, despite Demetra still looking a little unsure of her position as the “rover”. The task to fix that fell to Ravil, who knew that she had to keep working with the former first-round pick to make sure she was comfortable in that spot. The defense needed some work, as did the goalie spot. But Pam knew that Jerek hadn’t played in the game, so that had thrown the corner backs off a little. Jerek had returned to Coruscant to be with his wife, Decha Deter (formerly Wynas), who had given birth the previous day. Pam had no idea why her coaches and players were all having children around the same time, but there was nothing she could do about it. It was their life, and they could do what they wanted. Without Jerek, Reid Livingstone and Pasla Tesh were the starting corners, and that wasn’t pretty no matter how you looked at it. Both were inexperienced, and it showed out there. The half backs and full backs had covered that weakness, but positional coach Shayt Contar would have a lot to work on in the rest of camp.


    When the players left the stadium, Pam texted Jed to see how his team had done. Jed replied that the Force had easily won their game as well, and had been led by Cord McKerty. The first-round pick was playing out of his mind, and Jed recommended that he get a chance to play with the Senators in practice the next few days to test his mettle. That was interesting, Pam thought. She wanted to see what this kid could do. He had been partially her pick on Draft night, so seeing that he was good enough to deserve a chance to crack her roster seemed like vindication of their faith in taking him.

    TAG: No One

    NOTE: And the posts keep on a-rollin'!
     
  6. Tim Battershell

    Tim Battershell Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    OOG: Saving you from a triple, Gunny!

    IC: Tim Dodd - Memorial Stadium Media Conference - Question and Answer session.

    "Mr Dodd; Myk Songsteel, HSN Sports:- How would describe the style of play that you would like to see the Packers bring to the Elite League?"

    "Mr Songsteel:- I wish the Packers to play their marches hard, to play them with controlled aggression and focus, to play to win, but, above all, to play fair!"

    "Mr Dodd; Vertical City News:- Do you feel the Agamar Packers can play competitive games against some of the more well known teams in the Skywalker Conference?"

    "Sir, every team in the Elite League has been where Agamar Packers are today; they all played competitive games against the 'more well known teams' of their newbie Season in order to become the 'more well known teams' they are now! I see no reason at all why Agamar Packers cannot follow their example! The recipe is actually very well known, a mixture of Professionalism and Willpower! We Agamarians are renowned for having strong wills; although that trait usually gets described as 'Eopie-stubbornness' by outsiders! The players and our Head Coach, Asyr Kre'fey, are all of them highly professional; that's why they returned to training camp during the refreshment break; to continue preparing for the Season ahead!"

    Tim was about to indicate the local Limmie journalist when 'Vertical City News' spoke again;

    "A follow-up, if I may, Mr Dodd:- What do you see as being the biggest area of improvement needed for the team?"

    "Sir, I'm pleased you asked that! Despite the team (as you have seen today) being composed of hard, tough, beings who have all demonstrated exceptional stamina, we have identified a need for a strong reserve lineup, to suit Elite League conditions. I am pleased to say that we have one being, Miles Abrams - formerly an ASF Physical Training Instructor - already signed; and nine other former ASF members we have been looking at have been approved. They will sign later today and be announced in the normal manner!

    To pre-empt an obvious additional follow-up, certain sections of the ASF consider Limmie to be a highly valuable, physical and mental, conditioning tool - so this measure's not as out-of-the-box as it seems at first sight. Officers will almost certainly find themselves trying to separate two violently brawling factions at some point in their careers, and playing Limmie (the ASF version gets played far harder than even Pro-ball) has been found to help them 'keep their cool' in highly volatile and/or provocative situations; as well as getting them accustomed to shrugging-off blows - whether deliberately aimed or accidentally intercepted!

    Those former ASF personnel have come to us largely pre-prepared, all the Coaching Staff need to do, so they tell me, is give their Limmie skills a final polish and teach them the Agamar Packers play-book."


    "Mr Dodd"; the local Network reporter wasn't going to be queue-jumped again; by anyone! "Vima Moondancer, Agamar Sports Roundup:- You mentioned the founding of the 'Academicals' from next Season, is that intended to form a recruiting pool for the Packers?"

    "Ms. Moondancer, the specific answer is no, however any member of the 'Academicals' that wants to try-out for the Packers when they are legally permitted to do so; may. The main reason for the merger was to make one 'Powerhouse' team out of two teams that have found difficulty in finishing Seasons anywhere but the middle their College League for years. Additionally, we want to have the University become known as a centre of real excellence for something additional to Xenoarchaeology, despite its outstanding reputation for the practical side of that vocation. We feel that a reputation for producing superb College-level Limmie players who already know and understand what it takes to join the Pro-Limmie circuit; and with minimal 'culture-shock'; will do that. When our new Stadium is completed, the entire 'Academicals' squad will have free seating for all Home games; seats that will be the next-best thing to actually being on the Reserve Bench, so they can soak-up the big-occasion atmosphere!

    Next to ask a question was probably the most beautiful humanoid female Tim had ever seen; "Mr Dodd; Trista Khal, Hapes Consortium Network"; she purred in a delightful contralto; "As you said, finding the route through the ruins is difficult; my driver took several wrong turns getting here today! How are you planning to address that difficulty for visiting teams and spectators, particularly since our team, the Hapes Consortium Buccaneers, opens the Season with you?"

    "Ma'am, ASF personnel with expert knowledge of the area have volunteered to guide the team transportation here safely for all our Home games. It's an all-female escort for the Consortium Buccaneers, too! There will be Speeder-busses and Speeder-cabs available at the Spaceport, and publishers of Calna Muun Datapad route-guide applications have been told in no uncertain terms to get them right and get them updated to all subscribers immediately. It will happen; no one wants to get on the wrong side of the ASF or the Council! However, if all else fails, visitors will find Agamarians are friendly and helpful!

    Does anyone have anything further?

    Then all that remains is for me to thank you for coming and wish you all safe travel home! Thank you!



    TAG: Bardan_Jusik, CPL_Macja, jcgoble3, Jedi Gunny, Rebecca_Daniels, Runjedirun, Vehn, Trieste
     
    Trieste likes this.
  7. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post
    --Transaction Wire--
    Agamar Packers
    • Ziggy Fost (Human, Male, Utility Defender, ASF Academy Class of 270 ABY) signed to an entry-level contract
    • Tad Laite (Human, Male, Utility Forward, ASF Academy Class of 268 ABY) signed to an entry-level contract
    • Nova Aimes (Human, Female, Midfielder, ASF Academy Class of 269 ABY) signed to an entry-level contract
    • Keira Aimes (Human, Female, Utility Defender, ASF Academy Class of 270 ABY) signed to an entry-level contract
    • Fynn Hume (Human, Male, Utility Forward, ASF Academy Class of 265 ABY) signed to an entry-level contract
    • 'Scooter' Laine (Human, Female, Utility Forward, ASF Academy Class of 272 ABY) signed to an entry-level contract
    • Kerry Riven (Human, Male, Utility Defender, ASF Academy Class of 267 ABY) signed to an entry-level contract
    • Frank 'Flash' Mann (Human, Male, Midfielder, ASF Academy Class of 269 ABY) signed to an entry-level contract
    • Gordy Last (Human, Male, Utility Defender, ASF Academy Class of 266 ABY) signed to an entry-level contract
    TAG: Tim Battershell
     
  8. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Cord McKerty
    Wroona

    Here it was, the last day of training camp. This was when he and everyone else would find out their fates for the beginning of the season. However, that would wait until the end of the day. First, there was going to be conditioning, and lots of drills. Basically, it was a last day that promised to be as grinding as each and every other one they had spent out here on Wroona. Cord’s senses had been dulled to the ocean and its smell over time, mostly because he hadn’t gotten to enjoy it recently. However, his Limmie senses had only gotten stronger, more attuned to the professional game despite only playing in one official “game” here against a college squad. He had come in as a greenhorn, and no matter what happened here, would definitely be better off for it.

    The day started with line sprints. Cord knew that he was getting better at these; it seemed like all of the work he had put in on them was finally paying off. He was nailing his stride easier, and could have touched the lines in his sleep because of the number of reps he had performed. Everyone lined up, then waited for the whistle. When it sounded, Cord was off like a shot, trying to stay in stride as he bolted down the field. His hand finally touched the dirt, and then he was going back the other way just as fast, trying to keep pace in his head. It seemed like an eternity ago when he was trying to hold back on the sprints, but now he put all of his effort in them. This was his last chance to prove why he belonged on the Senators, and he didn’t want to blow it.

    Back and forth the players went, sweating but in much better condition than they had been to begin camp. Even the slower players were getting faster; reps certainly did that. As you were less fatigued, you put more effort in, and that would serve them well in the longer season that awaited them. Cord wondered as he ran why the League had extended its season to 9 games; that hadn’t ever happened before. He remembered 8-game seasons, but 9 games? What were they trying to do, pull a college season out of it? But he wasn’t filled in on things going on at the League; the team staff had to worry about that. All he needed to worry about was himself and his performance here on the last day.

    Finally the whistle sounded, and everyone stopped sprinting. “Good job!” Pamila Korthe yelled to them. “Take a quick break, and then we’re on to positional drills!” Cord went over and drank his water quickly before reporting to the Force camp. No longer were the starters and reserves separated for both teams; now the players were splitting up, starters and reserves, for all drills with their presumed teammates. Cord knew that he was stuck here with the Force; it was likely that he would end up with them for this season, so at least he was getting in some reps with them.

    The drills began, and Cord started off at screens. He charged forward at his roommate, Ganos Fama, as Alex Renhorn carried the bolo-ball. Ganos closed in fast, and Cord picked his spot. He stopped mid-stride and held his arms close to his body. Ganos, not expecting Cord to take this spot, slammed right into Cord and caused both of them to fall over. The whistle blew, and Jed yelled out. “Great job, McKerty! That’s how you do it! Take that hit!”

    “You OK?” Cord asked Ganos.

    “Yeah, I’m fine,” his roommate said. “Nice screen. You had me fooled there.”

    “Now I just need to bulk up a little, and I’ll be golden,” Cord said. “But that will come with time, I suppose.”

    “McKerty, run another one!” Jed yelled. Cord nodded and joined Crell Van Derven at the starting line. Ganos switched out, so now Cord was facing off against Leah Nergbolt. The second-round pick had become a good friend of Cord’s recently; she and her roommate, who happened to be Alex, had gotten to know Cord and Ganos rather well, and had become great pals. Cord was ready to knock Leah onto her ass. The whistle blew again, and the two forwards charged towards the “goal area”, as marked by cones. Leah came forward to make the play, angling in on Crell as he tried to loop around Cord to make a play. Cord, realizing that Leah knew what he was doing, made sure to cut. It was a difficult play to make given where he was in his stride and how far he needed to change direction, but here was where he had been working on it the most. He had taken Reena’s advice and spent some of his off-time running and cutting in the sand. His reflexes had gotten more attuned to the ever-shifting landscape of the beach and the nearby dunes, so now grass or turf was nothing in comparison.

    Cord changed directions, faking out Leah. Out of nowhere came Cord, throwing his body into Leah’s side as she came around. She tumbled over onto her backside as Cord took the glancing blow to his side, but was able to stay up. The whistle blew again. “Great job!” Jed yelled. “McKerty, switch out!”

    “Did I do well?” Cord asked Alex as he cycled out.

    “Pretty good,” Alex said. “You do need to bulk up a bit, but other than that, you’ve improved a lot. I’m glad you’ve added this, because if I ever need a screen, I know who to run behind.”

    “No problem,” Cord said. “Yeah, I’ll bulk up some more. Just give it time.”

    Next up was the gauntlet drill. Cord took the ball and tucked it into his arm, next to his body. Up came the first tackling dummy, trying to knock him off course. However, Cord was better than that, He stiff-armed the first dummy, cut around the second one entirely, and then smashed through the third. His lower frame allowed him to drive through it. He came out of the gauntlet with the ball still firmly tucked in his arm. The second time through was a similar story; he was able to keep the ball from even moving as he wove around the dummies and made his moves. As he ran, he knew that he was putting his best effort into it.

    After the drill, there was another quick break. Cord wiped off his face with a towel, trying to get all of the sweat off of his face. He then felt someone come up near him, so he pulled the towel off his face. Reena was standing there, a smile on her face. “You’re looking good out there,” she remarked.

    “Thanks,” Cord said. He no longer felt jittery around the Hapan; it was like them breaking off their relationship cleared him of his issues trying to speak to her. He now felt fine conversing, and was not embarrassed in the slightest. “I haven’t been watching you. I’m sorry . . . I just have to focus on my game.”

    “That’s all I can ask for,” Reena said, shrugging. “But you’re looking good.”

    “Did you ever make it up with Gayla?”

    “Yeah, we’re seeing eye-to-eye again. I have to thank Tank for facilitating it. Without him, we’d probably still be on the outs,” Reena said. “But I’ve taken up too much of your time. You’re busy . . .”

    “Don’t go,” Cord said. “I’ve been thinking a lot the last few weeks about what you said. I’m glad we’re just friends. I’ve been able to get over that relationship issue, and my mind is as sharp as ever. Thanks for everything.”

    “Don’t mention it,” Reena said, nodding. “It’s what friends do. You watch out for each other.” She stuck out her hand, and Cord shook it. “Remember, call me if you need someone to talk to,” she said before walking off. Cord smiled; he wasn’t getting into serious relationship territory with her anymore, but he felt more at peace with himself now because of it. Yes he still wanted to be with her, but if that never happened, at least he wouldn’t be bitterly disappointed.

    Next came cone drill. Cord stood at attention as he waited his turn. Up now was Tonga Rute, the Twi’lek midfielder. He was working his ass off trying to make the cones, the sweat flying from his body in droves as he went. When it was Cord’s turn, he bent over and awaited the whistle. It sounded, and Cord was off. He nailed the cut and put his hand down, then returning to the other side. After another touch there, he ran around the first cone, hitting the cut perfectly. He made his way around the two side cones and then burst to the finish line. The clock was stopped, and Cord knew that he had done well.

    Now he had to take on the sled of tackling dummies with some of his other teammates. When the time came, he slammed his hands into the fabric of the dummies, pushing them back slowly but surely with his hands. The sled began to slide backwards as the players pushed on it, and after ten or so seconds, they hit the designated line. “Good! Switch out!” came the voice of Polix Ghan, the Fondorian defensive coordinator who was presiding over the drill.

    The next attempt was even better. Cord slammed into the sled, and with the help of Ganos, Crell, Alex, and Leah, pushed the sled over the line in eight seconds. Cord took a breath and then stepped out of line to cycle. He was sweating profusely, but he knew that he was putting it all out there. He wasn’t going to hold back.

    Next was the 40-yard dash. Cord lined up in a sprinter stance, and when the whistle blew, he was off. He could feel the wind rushing through his hair as he ran, trying to keep his body as aerodynamic as possible. Finally he ran over the finish line and slowed down, panting hard but still OK. “4.3,” Dirxx Horstse said, looking down at the stopwatch. “Great time, McKerty. Cycle out.”

    Cord’s next try also clocked in at 4.3, so he knew that he was getting faster. Those sprints must be helping, he theorized. He wasn’t the fastest player there, but he was certainly doing his best to lower his times. He had started out as a 4.45, so getting 4.3 now was a real jump. He had no idea why he was getting faster, but maybe the extra conditioning and focus were helping?

    Next up were bench presses. Since there was no real weight room at the resort, the players used the shuttle’s weight room. Cord placed his back on the bench and then placed his hands on the bench bar. They had loaded it up with the requisite 200 pounds of weights for this exercise; this workout reminded him of the various pre-Draft combines he had gone to. But instead of trying to boost his draft stock, he was trying to increase the likelihood of making the team. Next to him was Ganos, who was going to spot, and Shayt Contar. “All right, rook. Start when you’re ready,” the Feeorin said.

    Cord grunted and lifted the weight off its blocks. He then started to push the weight bar up and down. Time and again it went up and then descended, his hands in total control. He grunted like crazy as his muscles screamed for mercy, but he wasn’t going to give in. 5 . . . 10 . . . 15 . . . 20 . . . 25 . . . up his count went, until he finally could take no more. “Take it!” he said. Ganos grabbed a hold of the bar and helped set it back on the blocks. Cord took several deep breaths as he stared at the ceiling.

    “27,” Shayt said. “Not bad, rook. That’s a camp high for you. Nice job.”

    Cord yelled out “Yes!” after hearing this news. He clenched his hands into fists and then struck them out behind him in celebration with his back still on the bench.

    “Nice job,” Ganos said. “My turn.” Ganos was only able to do 15 reps before Cord had to help him re-rack the weight. Contar marked it down, and then it was on to the Long Jump. Cord didn’t do well on his first, but he had tripped on the way, and that had thrown him off. The next two tests were much better, and Cord was done with that. Ganos did his work, and then they had another break.

    “Almost done,” Ganos said, wiping his brow.

    “We’re only beginning,” Cord said, grinning.

    “I hate it when you say that,” Ganos commented.

    Cord slapped Ganos on the shoulder. “Come on, man. We’re Limmie players. Buck up a little.”

    The standing jump was also good, and then it was off the shuttle back to the field for loose ball drills. Cord grabbed almost every ball thrown his way, and then tossed them to the target. Although it was difficult to hit on the run, Cord was able to get his throws near the target, which was a repurposed trash can. Ganos stuggled, but Cord was shining.

    “Good arm out there,” Polis remarked to the rookie as he passed by.

    Next up was tackling drill. Cord slammed his weight into Crell, driving the other forward into the ground. He then went for the legs against Lynn Stiles, bringing the Hapan half forward down without taking himself out as well. Then he hit Ganos, and although a grudge match ensued, Cord finally won out. Then it was his turn to be hit, and he was able to avoid Ganos before being wiped out by Baul Sdent. Then again, not many players could take a direct hit from a Herglic, so Cord knew he hadn’t done wrong there. When you were staring down a mountain like that, it was difficult to do much of anything but just submit and be taken down roughly. Lastly, he was able to get away from Leah as she dived to stop him after a cut.

    After this drill, there was a break, followed by team conditioning. The players stood out on the field in neat rows, doing jumping jacks. Cord was doing it along with everyone else, his body tired and aching but the adrenaline flowing. He felt good . . . no, he felt great. So this was how to put everything on the line and just work towards your goal. Fifty or so jacks later, they switched back to sprints. Cord was tiring, but he still did well anyways, despite everyone else around him being tired. This late-game conditioning was critical, especially for the Senator vets who had played the lion’s share of minutes in the double-overtime game against Onderon the previous year.

    Finally, the whistle blew, and everyone stopped sprinting. Pam came forwards, a datapad in her hands. “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a wrap on camp. Thank you for coming out, and I can say that this has been a good camp. Final rosters will be posted after dinner tonight, so get cleaned up and down there within two hours. After that, you have a couple of free days to do what you want, and then we’re headed back to Coruscant. If there’s anything you’ve wanted to do while you’ve been here but haven’t gotten to you, I suggest you think about getting that done. But remember, no drunkenness or rowdy behavior. I won’t tolerate that, so keep it in mind. Dismissed.”

    Cord found Ganos in the crowd and then headed back to their room. “Have any ideas on what you want to do in our free time?” Ganos asked.

    “I could beat you at Super Mash Bros. again,” Cord said, smirking.

    “I’m letting you win,” Ganos said, frowning.

    “Riiight,” Cord said. Now he felt thirsty. “I’m gonna go grab a drink at the cooler. I’ll see you back at the room.”

    “Cool. I call dibs on the first shower,” Ganos replied before walking off towards the compound. Cord made his way over to the cooler. Only Evis Kunat was here, and he was finishing his cup when Cord arrived. Cord then grabbed a cup and let the cool, refreshing water trickle down his throat. It felt amazingly good, so he went and grabbed another. As he was drinking, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see who it was to come face-to-face with Gayla Renhorn. Cord, his eyes shooting open wide, choked on the water he had just tried to drink, and began to cough. Gayla just stood there, witnessing this and smirking.

    “What do you want?” Cord asked nervously. It seemed like every time Gayla was near him, she was going to chew him out for something. That was why he had purposefully avoided her recently.

    “You were looking good out there, rook,” Gayla said.

    “Um . . . thanks?” Cord said, still wary of this situation. Was Gayla actually being nice to him?

    “I have to say, you were a complete beast out there,” the midfielder said. “You’ve got a good motor, and you never give up. I respect that.”

    “You’re saying . . .”

    “Look, I’m sorry I was so rude to you earlier,” Gayla said. “When I first saw you, I thought you were a punk. And I still think so, at least to an extent. But you’ve really been working your ass off out here, and I want you to know that I’ve reconsidered what I think about you. You’ve got real guts out there, and I respect that. Guts have gotten me where I am at, and they will for you as well.”

    “Thank you,” Cord said.

    “What I’m trying to say is . . . I’m sorry for going berserk on you a month ago,” Gayla said. “I overreacted because I thought I was being a friend and helping Reena out of a bad situation. But I see now that you’re a diligent worker, and it’s changed my opinion about you. A tough conversation with Tank also helps,” she said, chuckling a little. “I figured out that as a friend, I have to let my buddies do what they think is best for them, and then be there to help support them when they need it. I overreacted because I was being too protective.”

    “I don’t blame you for being mad. I was uninvited,” Cord remarked.

    “Yes, I was mad about that then, and I still am. But I’ve realized that you’re a cool dude. You’ve worked so hard to get here, and I want you to know that . . . that . . . I think you should make the team.”

    “Really?”

    “Yeah. If you put out even a tenth of the effort in your games as you have here, then you’ll be good to go,” Gayla said.

    “Thank you,” Cord said. He finished his water and turned to walk away. But Gayla put her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

    “Look . . .” she said. “If you want to get back together with Reena . . . I won’t interfere.”

    This definitely shocked Cord to hear. Gayla was backing off from interfering with his life?

    “That’s if she wants me back in that capacity,” Cord muttered.

    “Why don’t you go ask her?” Gayla asked.

    “We’re just friends,” Cord said, shrugging. “I think it’s better for both of us. I don’t want to be a burden . . .”

    “Rook, do you find her attractive?” Gayla asked. Cord nodded. “Do you want to hold her, keep her close?” Again Cord nodded. “Do you want to sleep with her?” Cord nodded a third time. “Do you really love her?”

    Cord had to think about it. Yes, he found Reena attractive, he wanted to hold her, and definitely sleep with her again. But love . . . did he love her? He wanted to be near her, feel her presence, kiss her on her black hole-like lips, be told that he was wanted. He felt comfortable around her . . . yes, this was an affection he couldn’t say in words. He loved Reena.

    “Yes,” Cord said simply.

    “Well, I think that answers my questions,” Gayla finally said after a pause. “Go after her. I won’t be in the way.”

    “Really?” Cord asked. Gayla nodded. Cord could have leapt to the compound in a few strides, because he felt like he was flying high. A major roadblock had been cleared, and he felt amazing. His shower seemed to fly by, and it felt good to get cleaned up. Then he went down to dinner with Ganos, not interested in the food but wanting to tell Reena his feelings for her.

    Dinner was uneventful, despite most of the younger players eating nervously as they awaited the final rosters to be posted. Cord wasn’t thinking about the rosters; he thought of the one thing that he wanted more. He wolfed down quite a bit of food, and then just waited. He could see Reena on the other side of the mess hall, but he couldn’t talk to her here. He would have to wait.

    Finally, Pamila came into the hall. “Final rosters are posted!” she announced. Immediately, the younger players rushed to see if they had made the cut for the Senators. Ganos was one of them, hoping that he would make it this season. Cord just sighed and followed them slowly; he didn’t really care if he stuck with the big club or was sent down for seasoning. He had found peace with himself, and that was what mattered.

    Alex was holding the roster in her hand, several other players trying to get a look in as well. She frowned, and then passed it off to Brancko. “Pfft, didn’t make it,” she said.

    “Bummer,” Malida said to her college teammate. Brancko looked at the roster and found his name. He let out a roar and passed the list on, fist pumping as he returned to the hall. The list then passed from Leah to a few others, who all walked away with frowns. Ganos finally got the list and scanned the names.

    “Figures,” he finally said. “Didn’t make it.”

    “Too bad, man,” Cord replied.

    “But you did.”

    “Wait, what?” Cord asked. What had Ganos said?

    “You made the team!” Ganos exclaimed.

    “I did?” Cord asked. He reached out for the list and then scanned the names. Sure enough, there at Right Corner Forward, was listed “Cord McKerty”. He began to breathe faster now, his pulse surging through his body. He had done it; he had made the team out of camp.

    “Yes!” he shouted, lifting his arms into the air in triumph.

    Ganos slapped his roommate on the back. “You deserved it,” he said, obviously downcast.

    “Hey man, you did a great job,” Cord said. “I’ll see you on Coruscant in a year or two, mark my words. You’ll make it.”

    “Really?”

    “Yeah,” Cord said confidently.

    “Thanks,” Ganos said before walking back into the hall.

    Cord finished his meal at the table, dumped his waste, and then waited near the exit. Reena finally finished with her meal, and then said goodbye to her friends as she stood up to leave. Gayla, who was sitting across the table from her roommate, looked in Cord’s direction, and their eyes met. Gayla nodded and made a slight gesture in Reena’s direction to him; this was Cord’s chance. Reena dumped her food scraps in the bin and then made her way out of the hall. But Cord was there to stop her.

    “Hi,” he said.

    “Hey there,” Reena said. “You make the team?”

    “Well . . .” Cord said, trying to bluff. Reena frowned.

    “You know what, you did your best, and that’s all that matters here.”

    “You don’t fully understand,” Cord said. “I made the team!”

    Reena’s expression lightened up a lot. “Congratulations!” she said. “I knew you could do it.”

    “You make it?”

    “Yep, found out last week,” the Hapan replied.

    “Well, I’ll be right out there with you,” Cord said.

    “Yep, guess so,” Reena replied. But Cord didn’t walk off.

    “Can we . . . go out in the hall and talk? There’s something I need to say.”

    “OK, sure,” Reena said. The two stepped out in the hall.

    “Reena, I . . . I’ve been thinking about what you said about being friends,” Cord began. “And I like having you there to help me. You’re a great person.”

    “Thanks,” Reena said.

    “But I’ve heard something from a little birdie that’s changed my mind. It told me something that I now need to say to you.” He paused. “I love you, Reena. I have ever since we first met, but I never really thought about it until we stepped back from our relationship. I thought that getting our fake love off my chest would make me weak, but instead it helped me set my priorities straight, and made me stronger for it. And I’ve found out that I truly, deeply, want to be more than just friends with you.”

    Reena looked shocked at this news. Cord’s stomach wanted to churn like crazy; he was probably closer to churning butter in his gut than being successful here. But then her expression changed. She smiled back at him. “Cord . . .” she said. “I love you too. I was able to watch you out on that field go from a scrawny punk who I thought I loved to someone who has pride in themselves and is secure in knowing that they are worth it, even when others say otherwise. You’ve had to deal with a lot of crap to get here, and I really like that. But you’ve also helped me through a tough time by being there when I’ve needed support. Now I know you’re a man I can love, and not in a fake way, either. I really love you.”

    Cord could see Gayla and Tank stick their heads around the corner of the hall’s door. Gayla motioned her head to tell Cord to get to the point. “Um . . . Reena?” he asked.

    “Yes?”

    “I know it’s a little premature, and that I’m probably an ass for asking this, but . . .” He got down on one knee. “Will you marry me?”

    Reena looked absolutely stunned by this move. She had not been expecting it at all, and Cord wondered if he had indeed been too early on this. He should have waited . . .

    “Yes,” Reena said, now crying. “Yes.”

    Cord got off his one knee and then came in close to Reena. The Hapan was still crying, but she looked happy. The two then kissed each other for a long time, trying to seal the proposal with this gesture.

    Gayla and Tank watched as all this went down. “You think you did the right thing?” Tank asked.

    “I know I did,” Gayla said. “Reena’s truly happy with him, and we need to let her make her own decisions.”

    “Good, you learned,” Tank said.

    “Learn?” Gayla scoffed. “Hardly. I had a little cajoling to get me this far.”

    “Right,” Tank said.

    Cord and Reena finished their kiss, and they looked at each other longingly. “Not a bad camp for you, was it?” Reena asked.

    “I’d say that it was worth it,” Cord said, smiling. He looked at Gayla, who nodded back at him. Then the two separated from each other, Cord reaching out his hand and Reena taking it tightly in hers. They then walked towards the lift, but not before Gayla caught up to them.

    “Hey, congrats on the engagement,” she said.

    “What?” Reena asked. “How did you know?”

    “Oh, a little birdie named Gayla may have said something,” Gayla said, smirking.

    “Thank you,” Cord said.

    “No problem,” Gayla said. “Good luck, you two. She then walked back towards where Tank was standing. “Well, looks like she’s off the market,” she said to the Herglic.

    “Jealous much?” Tank asked.

    “Kinda,” Gayla said. “Reena’s got it good. Now it’s my turn to find that elusive other half.”

    “Did I just hear you putting yourself on the romance market?” Tank asked. “This is definitely a day I couldn’t have imagined going down already, and then you surprise me with that.”

    “Maybe,” Gayla said. “If there’s something I learned today, it’s that opinions can change really fast. If I cast my net out . . . eh, I’ll worry about that later. Come on; there may still be some dessert left.” The two walked back into the hall and finished their meal, not worried about Reena’s absence. She deserved some time with Cord, and neither would stand in their way this time.


    TAG: No One



    Yay, happy ending!

    Or is it? [face_mischief]
     
    jcgoble3 likes this.
  9. Vehn

    Vehn Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 14, 2009
    IC: Kaitlyn Vehn
    New Vertica, Smugglers HQ

    Kaitlyn hadn’t gone to the friendly game between the Druckenwell Marksmen and the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers. Her office had put out a team memo saying that she had her hands full with important team matters but the harsh, cold reality was that Kaitlyn hadn’t been invited because she was on the black list within the governing body of the RTO. The Board of Tribunes hated her guts, wanted nothing to do with her, and were incredibly jealous of the political and economic clout she could command that could potentially challenge their rule of the economic organization that was started by the Vehn family 24 years ago. She was persona non grata to them, dead, like old memories that are best left forgotten.

    Reports from the friendly game were overall quite positive despite the Smugglers losing their only pre-season game. Everyone on the coaching staff saw a lot of potential with this young squad. A squad that would be hard pressed to squeeze a victory at home against the veteran Bakura Miners but there was always the potential to surprise. On paper, the Smugglers looked weak compared to the Miners but where they held the advantage was in their coaching staff. A staff Kaitlyn knew from personal experience that could motivate the weakest link of the chain into playing as the strongest link.

    It had helped acquiring Gargova Brousard and Beck Thornton from the Mercs. Add in Asha Martell and Sasha Luy’kin in free agency and the Smuggler field on both sides of the ball had some veteran presence to keep the rookies focused and ready for when the seasonal grind to the post-season really started. All in all, Kaitlyn had found little reason to complain. Personally, she wasn’t expecting much from her team this year. They’d wiped the slate clean and she knew it would take some time before all the parts fit together. The nice thing about being owner of the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers, however, unlike running the RTO was that nobody could fire you. You were your own boss. Having said that, she did want the Smugglers to play competitively in all their games and whether or not that would happen remained to be seen.

    She thought about the word competitive as she stared at the artificial skyline of the Vertical City. She’d been incredibly competitive to climb into pole position for her run at being leader of the Roon Trade Organization. She’d out maneuvered a lot of people to become the Chairwoman of the RTO. And, apparently, she’d made a lot of enemies along the way. Enemies with powerful connections and enemies who might’ve wanted her dead but settled for a resignation.

    The Board of Tribunes had placed sanctions on her after she had been removed from power. She could never return to Druckenwell. Never see her family again. And that final blow had really shaken her to her core. That had beaten her down. Fortunately, coming to Nar Shaddaa had been a smart political move. The RTO, under Vehn’s supervision, had relinquished its rights over Nar Shaddaa and the moon was back under the control of the Hutts. As a result, the Vertical City had a non-extradition treaty with the RTO and that meant that Kaitlyn was safe from potential trial and incarceration by the Tribunes. Safe, that is, from the more legal ways one could go about acquiring a target. That didn’t protect her from bounty hunters or assassins.

    She kept a small holdout blaster tucked away at the small of her back. Easily accessible, light, while still packing a punch, the SoruSuub weapon did everything she needed it to do. The blaster brought her peace of mind in this paranoid age she was living. It also brought her back around to the harsh reality of how much her world had changed. Her fall from grace had been hard, painful, but she’d survived. She would battle the Board of Tribunes one day but on her terms.

    Now, as the Elite League Limmie season approached, Kaitlyn had a new battle ahead of her. A battle for the hearts and minds of the Smugglers Moon, a battle for a winning record, a battle for the one thing she had grown to covet since taking ownership of the team: the Galactic Cup.

    Miss you guys, Vehn thought as she waved a hand through a holographic display of her family.

    One day she would be able to return to Druckenwell with her head held high. One day she would be able to hug her son Jack, tell her husband how sorry she was for making things so difficult, and try and fix her family life.

    But that day wasn’t going to happen yet no matter how hard she tried.

    Tag: No One
     
  10. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Polis Vayne
    Senators Team Shuttle, en route to Coruscant

    Polis sighed as he toyed with his comlink in one of the small coach offices on the team shuttle. He had just spent a month and a half on Wroona with the team for training camp, and was ready to return to Coruscant for some time off before the beginning of the season. He wanted to get out and about back on his homeworld . . . or at least as much as he could given the state of affairs. Meredith was due to deliver their children any day now, and she had returned to Coruscant for it because it would be closer to Wroona than Nar Shaddaa. Polis had kept a close eye on the proceedings from camp, ready to drop everything and return home ASAP if necessary. However, he had been able to finish camp, so he hadn’t needed to worry too badly.

    He wanted to call Meredith up on the comlink and ask how she was doing. Of course, he already knew what she would say; immobile and feeling slightly under the weather, most likely. So he decided not to do anything but keep weaving the comlink through his fingers. He missed being home; even though Wroona was a nice planet, it wasn’t the same without Meredith there now. Being a married man now, he felt like being separated from his wife was too much to bear for an extended time. How he was going to survive the season, he had no idea, especially given the two small children he would also have to account for. Add in the travel aspect, and things were going to be difficult to deal with.

    Then his mind shifted to Limmie. Was he really up to the challenge of being a coach in this league? Many people had been named coaches before him, but many had flamed out. How would he do, even though he didn’t have as many responsibilities as a coordinator would? He had played on the same team with most, if not all, of his charges for the last two seasons, but would that carry over to the coaching realm?

    Finally he stood up and walked out of the office, placing the communicator in his pocket. He wanted to go and grab a drink from the bar; he wasn’t usually one for drinking, but he felt like a little bit of alcohol would settle his nerves. Hopefully the supply of booze hadn’t been rifled through already, but if it had, he would just have to make do without it.

    Polis walked to the bar and sidled up to the counter. He scanned the shelves, and sure enough, only a few bottles were still there. Most of the glasses had also disappeared. Polis just sighed; apparently luck was not on his side today. He turned to leave, but was stopped by Gayla Renhorn. The midfielder had just come in, and then noticed that Polis was standing there. “Uh . . . you looking for the bar stock?” she asked.

    “Basically,” Polis replied. “You see it?”

    “Yeah, I probably have,” Gayla said. “Just need to take the last few bottles, and we’ll be set.”

    “Set for what?” Polis asked. What was going on that he didn’t know about? Were the players throwing a party or something? Why couldn’t this wait until they returned to Coruscant?

    “The reception, of course,” Gayla said.

    “What reception?” Polis asked, bewildered. He had no idea what was going on.

    “Just follow me,” Gayla said. She grabbed the remaining bottles off the shelf and then left the bar area, Polis in tow. What was the new acquisition up to, Polis wondered. Probably getting drunk with her friends; not cool. He was going to have to mention this to Pam, given the alcohol limits that had been handed out before they left for camp.

    The two of them walked into the practice field area. What Polis saw next was not what he expected. The half-sized field had been converted into a ceremonial hall, complete with what scraps of flimsy the players could find. Polis thought he could see some toilet paper hanging from the walls; it wasn’t flashy by any means, but since when had they had time to go to the party store? On the goalpost that was set up in the near vicinity were several colorful streamers, and a banner hung below the crossbar that read “Congratulations” on it. That had come from a party store; it was too nice and stylized to be hand-made. Most of the team looked up at the newcomers.

    “I brought the rest of it!” Gayla announced, holding the bottles aloft. “Let’s get this thing started!” There were some cheers from the crowd of players, who Polis figured was about ¾ of the combined teams. Then he picked out Pam, Artie, Dirxx, Shayt, and Polix sitting together in the far corner, and Pam waved. Polis joined them by going around the back side of the mass of players. He sat down next to them.

    “Can I ask what in the hell is going on?” he asked the Zeltron.

    “Don’t you know?” Pam asked.

    “No,” Polis stated. “I have no idea what’s going down here. All I see is TP hanging on the walls . . .”

    “It’s the wedding. I think it’s quite clever, really,” Pam said.

    “Wait, what wedding?” Polis asked. He was completely confused now.

    “Cord McKerty and Reena Wyley are tying the knot,” Pam said. “I think we can blame Ms. Renhorn for staging this whole thing. I thought she was kidding at first, but I guess not.”

    “How can this be official?” Polis asked. He was confused; his wedding with Meredith many months earlier had been presided over by a chaplain. To his knowledge, there was no such person on board the ship, so this seemed more like a party than anything. A party with most, if not all, of the stock of alcohol presiding on the back table.

    “We’ll find out,” Pam replied. “Sh, we’re starting.”

    The music started up, and everyone quieted down. All eyes were turned to the goalpost. Finally, Cord and Reena appeared from the shadows, Cord wearing just a very snappy looking suit (it looked a little worn, but that didn’t matter), and Reena was wearing a nice white strapless dress. But something looked . . . odd . . . compared to what Meredith had worn at their wedding. Hers had at least been a nice pearly white; this was too bleached.

    “Is that toilet paper?” he finally asked.

    “I think so,” Pam said, taking a look at Reena’s dress as well. “Ingenious!”

    “How in the hell did they pull that off?” Polis asked.

    “My guess says Gayla had a hand in it,” Pam said.

    “Does she run this show or something?” Polis asked.

    “I think she’d like to think so,” Pam replied. “But let’s just wait and see.”

    Gayla then stood up by the two lovebirds, microphone in hand. “I want to thank you all for coming out here today. I know it was a bit rushed, but hey, I think it’s something new to finish training camp off with. Anyways, the booze is in the back, but don’t drink it all until we’re done with the proceedings, OK?” There was some laughter from the crowd. “So, I’d like to welcome you to the wedding between Cord McKerty, and my roommate, and best friend in the galaxy, Reena Wyley. And I really mean that, if any of you were wondering. Presiding over the proceedings is . . . well, OK, we don’t have a chaplain or anything . . . so we found the next best thing. Come on out!”

    Alysha Romax, the team captain and Gayla’s fellow starting midfielder, came up into view. Gayla handed her the microphone. “Thank you,” she said. “Anyways, I know I’m no chaplain or anything, so let’s make that straight now before you question me. However, I still can, and will, play my part in this. It is tradition that marriages like this can be conducted by the ship’s captain. Well, he couldn’t make it down here to help us, since we’re kinda en route back to Coruscant right now. He thanked me for the offer, though, so first off let’s thank him for getting us this far.” Some applause came from the crowd. “But now to why I’m here. I may not be the ship’s captain, but I’m the captain of this damn team. These two both made the squad for this upcoming season, so they are under my jurisdiction. Therefore, I reserve the right to use my captaincy for this event. Any objections to this?” No one said anything. “Good, because had any of you said anything, I would have hunted you down and stolen your booze.” Some more laughs from the crowd. “Anyways, let’s get started.”

    She moved over to the crossbar where the lovebirds were standing. “Let’s see . . .” Alysha said, scratching her chin. “Ah, got it. We are here today to witness the union of our two teammates here in the bonds of . . . yeah yeah yeah, I’m skipping the boring part.” More laughter, even from Polis. “Why don’t we just get to the fun part?” she asked. “Reena? I can see that you are looking stylish there in your DIY get-up. Not a bad idea, and certainly not that expensive. Anyways, do you take this man, your teammate, Cord McKerty, to be your lawfully wedded husband, under the laws of the captaincy that I hold?”

    “I do,” Reena said, smiling.

    “Now, Cord,” Alysha said, turning to him. “Do you take this woman, Reena Wyley, your teammate and friend, as your lawfully wedded wife, under the same laws of captaincy that I hold?”

    Everyone looked at Cord. Somehow it felt odd that they could pull off this service without the parents being here, but no matter; it still counted. Alysha had the right to do this, even though her captaincy was a bit obscure compared to the normal captain.

    “I do,” Cord said, grinning from ear to ear.

    “Well, I guess that wraps up my part. With the powers invested in me as the captain of this Limmie team, and fill-in chaplain in this case, I now pronounce you married. Now, if you don’t mind, I call dibs on the booze in the back. Oh, and you may now kiss the bride.” She moved off towards the table to be first in line. The lovers kissed each other at this point, bringing a ton of cheers from the crowd of players and staff members.

    “Didn’t think I’d get to see something like this,” Polis remarked.

    “You mind?” Pam asked. “I think it adds a bit of flavor to the whole camp experience.”

    “No, it’s just . . . never mind,” Polis said. “Wanna grab a drink?”

    “Sure,” the Zeltron said. “I think Alysha’s got a point in calling dibs.” The two of them made sure to beeline it to the front of the line, where there was a couple of small trays of food (obviously purchased before leaving town), to then be washed down with some alcohol. Not a bad party, really.

    “Here’s to the new couple!” Gayla said, raising her ale-filled glass when everyone had their chance to go through the reception line. “Oh, and to me, for getting this whole thing organized, and to me again . . .”

    “Shut up, Gayla,” Reena said in a tongue-in-cheek manner. She then took a sip of her drink.

    “Oh, right, a toast to you,” Gayla said, smirking. “Anyways, here’s to the new couple, and to the many children they will bear in the future! Because I know Reena loves it when I bring that up!” She drank her ale quickly, basically chugging it. However, Reena, who hadn’t been expecting that statement, choked on her drink, and Cord had to smack her in the back to clear up her throat once more.

    “Gayla!” she shouted. “Dammit!”

    “I think my work here is done,” Gayla said, the smirk still on her face.

    After a little while, everyone who wanted to was drinking and eating, talking with their friends and laughing it up. It was one big party, and for the first time, Polis was glad to see this. It certainly was different. He congratulated the new couple as they came around, and then decided that it was time to leave. This whole ceremony reminded him that he needed to contact Meredith and check in on her.

    As soon as he made his way out of the practice area, he punched up her number. Her response was that she was doing fine; Polis hoped she was. He was almost back to Coruscant, back to his homeworld, and back to her. He just would have to wait until the shuttle got back.




    Two Nights Later
    It was the upcoming exhibition game, and Polis could hear the roar of the Empress Teta crowd as the Pikemen and Senators tangled on the field. First Riff Persnor went down with a vicious shot to the head from a Merc defender, and he was done for the game. A minute later, down went Zadd, followed by Dauza Chary, then Rayel Edare. What in the hell were the refs doing, turning their backs on these shots? The opposing team was scoring at will, and Polis was tearing his hair out.

    “Polis!”

    Hm? He turned to look at Pam on the sidelines, but the Zeltron wasn’t saying anything. In fact, she wasn’t even looking at him. What was going on?

    “Polis!”

    Really, who was saying that? No one around him seemed to be talking to him. Wait, that voice wasn’t one of theirs . . . it was someone else . . .

    Polis awoke from his dream to the sound of his name being said in his general vicinity. His tired eyes looked over to Meredith in the dark as the two lay in bed; she was propping her body up with an elbow, a look of extreme pain on her face. “Honey, they’re coming!” she said, gasping after she said this.

    Polis’ eyes shot open, and his mind instantly cleared. The nine months or so were up; his life was about to change, for better or for worse. He looked at the chrono on the wall; it read 0130. He never liked being out late, but he had no choice.

    The next half hour was a complete blur. All he remembered was helping Meredith out to the speeder, her contractions getting worse with every passing second, and then hopping behind the wheel, barely finished dressing in proper day attire. He didn’t want to show up at the hospital in his pajamas, but he didn’t want to take the time to get fully dressed, either. This was a serious situation, and he needed to get Meredith to the hospital immediately.

    When they reached the hospital, Meredith was immediately admitted into the ward, and Polis was told to wait outside. Oddly enough, the closest hospital to their home was the same hospital where Meredith had been admitted to in their infamous punch Polis had doled out in the 273 Rim War game that had come very close to ending Meredith’s career. How fitting. Now was the moment of truth. His mind shifted to the grim fate that had almost consumed Me’lin S’rily in this instance a year earlier. She had come too close to dying while in labor, and Polis didn’t want to think about that one bit. Meredith would be all right, he told himself. The doctors here were good; they were going to make sure everything went as planned.

    Two hours passed before Polis was allowed to enter the ward. He saw the delivery occur soon after, and was glad to see that Meredith, despite being completely exhausted, was all right. He was then able to hold both of his new children, each of them looking so tiny in his hands. As soon as one adventure ended, another one began for the Vaynes.

    Then the children were taken to a separate ward, leaving the two new parents alone. “You feeling all right?” Polis asked.

    “Enough,” Meredith said. “I’m tired as hell, though. Like I’ve gone through about five overtimes and been facing a shooting machine.”

    “I’ll leave you alone then,” Polis said, nodding. He reached out and took hold of Meredith’s hand, even though she was too weak to lift it off her body.

    “Guess we’re in for quite the ride,” his wife said quietly.

    “That we are,” Polis said. “That we are.”


    Meredith’s eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep. Polis left the room as quietly as possible. Things were definitely going to change.

    TAG: No One for Most of it, Vehn for the last bit
     
    jcgoble3, Vehn and Tim Battershell like this.
  11. Vehn

    Vehn Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 14, 2009

    IC: Kaitlyn Vehn
    Season Opener, Six Boroughs Stadium, Nar Shaddaa

    “You guys packing some heat tonight?” Kaitlyn asked her bodyguards as her stretch limo speeder zoomed through the congested streets of Nar Shaddaa en route to Six Boroughs.

    “Always, boss,” one of the men replied.

    Kaitlyn’s lip curled in a smile. Nobody was going to ruin her season opener. Nobody was going to ruin her grand entrance. Not rumors of bounty hunters following her every move or the presence of the Bakura Miners who were undoubtedly warming up on her field. As the lights of Nar Shaddaa flew by Vehn realized just how much power she could wield in this crime infested dump of a city. She could really make her mark here and by some means she already had with her purchase of the Smugglers. But she wanted more. The Smugglers weren’t enough but for now they’d have to do.

    “We’re here. Perimeter looks clear. All yours, boss,” one of the bodyguards said.

    Kaitlyn adjusted her dress and took a deep breath. Show time girl she thought as she took one last look at herself in a portable mirror. She had a lot of pressure riding on her for this coming game. The Smugglers owner wanted to impress the Limmie world with the new toys she bought for her team. Not only that, but she wanted to see those new uniforms in action. Tonight was more than about tradition it was about setting a trend for the Smugglers that would establish a solid foundation for decades to come.

    Tover Micjaa had done that once years ago and Kaitlyn privately hoped he could do so again. But the Limmie world was fickle and teams that cleaned up in the regular season also seemed to stumble in the playoffs.

    Just ask the Bakura Miners. They know all about blowing a wad in the playoffs Vehn thought.

    Maybe she’d catch the Miners on a bad night, tonight. Maybe.

    “Okay, I’m ready,” Vehn said to her bodyguards.

    One of the security personnel discreetly radioed to a ground unit that had been placed at the VIP entrance to the stadium ahead of time. The reply was all clear.

    “See you after the game,” Vehn said as she stepped out beyond the limo and onto the red carpet.

    [​IMG]

    Thousands of flash-bulbs from holocameras engulfed her as she smiled and waved to thousands of adoring fans and media. The people of Nar Shaddaa really liked Kaitlyn. She had the fire and pizzazz that they expected of an owner and they had approved wholeheartedly the changes she’d made to the organization. Everyone wanted a winner. Everyone wanted the Smugglers to be the first franchise to take home that record breaking tenth Galactic Cup. That could only start with a solid win against Bakura.
    What a statement a win would make over a traditionally strong team. For such a young squad a win would go very far indeed to bolstering their confidence.

    "Looking good, Kaitlyn!" Yelled one of the reporters.

    "Turn a little more this way!" Asked another.

    "You single?" Cried out a fan.

    "We love you, Kaitlyn!" A few guys called from behind the barrier.

    Kaitlyn smiled and posed for the media. A little bit of positive media attention never hurt anyone. She strode along the security barrier, shaking hands with fans, giving high-fives, and for the lucky fan or two standing still for a quick photo. She wanted to win the PR campaign on the Vertical City. The Board of Tribunes be damned. This was going to be her town one day. She could feel it.

    Kaitlyn made her way across the red carpet and took a private elevator to the luxury suites. She knew the Triestes were close. She could almost feel their collective energy. They seemed to exude a sort of positive charm that signaled decades of political dominance. She liked the family, had gotten to know some of them better as a result of intimate talks with the Supreme Chancellor during her time as leader of the RTO. She hoped that her public fall from grace hadn’t tarnished the Vehn family image. She hoped that she could enter their box before the game and extend her best wishes in the spirit of good sportsmanship and familial peace. She hoped for a lot of things as she exited the lift and found the appropriate suite.

    She found the Trieste suite easily enough as the security detachment outside the door made the location a dead giveaway. She slipped inside the suite and for a brief moment she was back home. She was nearly overcome with tears as she embraced
    Verity Vehn and Oisin Trieste who were stopping by to visit the Trieste clan before moving on to Kaitlyn’s suite. She wanted to ask Verity so many things, wanted to see if she’d seen her boy Jack in recent weeks, see how Liam was doing, but she didn’t, she
    hesitated, made polite conversation and moved on to the other members of the Trieste clan.

    It was good to see them all.




    Vehn was in her suite now. She stared down at the pitch of Six Boroughs pleased at how nice the field looked after she had dumped a bunch of money into installing new turf. She wanted the best for her players and she also wanted fewer injuries. Medical costs had skyrocketed in the last few years and Kaitlyn didn’t want to have to foot the bill for lawsuits that may potentially come her way down the pipeline because the old grass wasn’t up to snuff.

    She looked over at the gigantic holographic display that dominated one end of the stadium to help fans in the nose bleed section see what was going on at field level. Her eyes enjoyed watching the new presentation of the Smugglers on the holovid-screen as Burgundy and Black lights swept over the cheering crowd. She hadn’t seen a preview of this and quietly marveled at the spectacle as the stadium went pitch dark and the screen lit up showcasing the haunting, rippling, logo of the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers.

    The announcer’s voice piped through the PA system.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,get on your feet, make some noise, and welcome your Narrrrrrrrrr Shaaaaaaadddddaaaaaaaaaaa Smuuuuuuggggggggggleeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrsssssssss!”



    One by one the Smugglers poured out of the tunnel to the raucous roaring of the Six Boroughs faithful as the lights came back on illuminating the team in their new threads. Her eyes returned to the holovid-screen as the starting lineup introduced themselves to ‘The Crew.’ Each player had been filmed several days prior to the season opener for an opening montage that was unlike anything Kaitlyn had ever seen in a Limmie broadcast.

    “Roz Cartel, Goalkeeper, UCBV.”

    [​IMG]

    “Ken Zetter, Right Corner Back, Druckenwell Technical University.”

    [​IMG]
    “Ike Tullo, Full Back, College of Fondordelphia.”

    “Sasha Luy’kin, Left Half Back, Vertical City University.”

    Kaitlyn found it interesting that the veteran players who had been on the team before the ELL draft was installed had also hailed from schools. She didn’t know why she found that surprising but she did.


    [​IMG]
    “Wilhulf Nexrus, Right Half Back, Verpine Technical University.”

    “George Edwards, Center Half Back, the Ord Sabaok University.”

    Kaitlyn giggled at that one. She knew some of the players really ribbed those draftees that emphasized their actual university name.

    “Asha Martell, Left Half Back, University of Kuat.”

    [​IMG]

    “Xander Darkrider, Midfielder, the Ord Sabaok University.”

    [​IMG]

    “Ruunjaa, Midfielder, University of Kashyyyk.”

    “Julius Winifred, Right Half Forward, Druckenwell Technical University.”

    “Arkan Matsoto, Center Half Forward, University of Evenvale.”

    [​IMG]

    “Gargova Brousard, Left Half Forward, Coruscant Air Fleet Academy.”

    “Vick McTodd, Right Corner Forward, GVSU.”

    “Sorcha Styles, Full Forward, UC Bella Vistal.”

    “Beck Thornton, Left Corner Forward, undrafted.”

    The crowd roared its approval. They were fully on board with the 274 Smugglers. The energy in Six Boroughs was absolutely intense. Everyone was ready for yet another Black and Blue Battle.

    Vehn smiled and thrust her hands into her pockets.

    Nothing like selling the people a product they like.

    Tag: Trieste
     
  12. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post
    --Transaction Wire--
    Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
    • Bree Tarth (Human, Female, Right Corner Back, Bakura Miners) signed
    TAG: Vehn
     
  13. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    IC: Falene Trieste
    Visitor’s locker room, Six Boroughs Stadium, Nar Shaddaa

    Gaeriel Valerii held up an envelope. “Cundertol gave me this at training camp,” Valerii said. She opened the envelope with one finger and took out the flimsi inside. She reviewed it in silence for thirty seconds and then turned it so the room could see. It was too far away for Falene to read it.

    “Every one of you is on this list,” Valerii said, saving her the effort, “Every single one of you. No matter what happens this season, remember that Cundertol believed in you from the start and I believe in you too.”

    Valerii took a vibroknife from her pocket and stabbed the paper into the wall of the locker room—much to Falene’s surprise.

    “I’m pretty sure it’s going to blend in with all the other holes in the wall,” Valerii said dismissively, “Now, a few final thoughts before we get out there…”



    Visiting owner’s box

    “Smell that?” Ronan asked.

    “Let me guess,” his wife Mandy said.

    “Credits,” Ronan said with relish.

    Yes, these days Nar Shaddaa reeked of credits, of opportunity. Under Hutt control, things were looser here. It got the banker’s blood hot with excitement. The return on investment could be huge…but that’s because the risk was too. It wouldn’t be prudent to be investing on the Smuggler’s Moon, but it was oh-so tempting.

    “Speak of the devil,” Mandy said, “Kaitlyn Vehn is here.”

    Kaitlyn was related to the Triestes by way of two marriages, which made it rather tricky to figure out exactly what she was to the family. A double in-law? No one worried themselves too much about it and it was only really an academic point anyways.

    “Kaitlyn, ghastly business with the Tribunes,” Siona said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, “I sympathize greatly.” She should—Siona had been stripped of her position as Republican Ambassador to the RTO by Kerry years ago after certain comments had become public. She was quite familiar with sudden reverses in one’s political fortunes. Siona had made her peace over what had happened…at least outwardly. What the former diplomat was smart enough not to say these days was a matter of anyone’s conjecture.

    “The RTO is certainly worse off for it,” Kerry said, coming over to take Kaitlyn’s hands, “How nice of you to stop by. How unfortunate that realignment should keep the Smugglers from Bakura two years in a row. And no game either next year.”

    “That’s not so bad. We all discovered there’s lots of credits in a good friendly, didn’t we?” Regan said pleasantly.

    “Ronan, what was the cut on the Mercs game?” Kerry called out.

    “Our cut after the split with the Mercs? Let’s just say that the Miners’ media revenues are going to look very, very nice for 274,” Ronan replied.

    “You know, Kaitlyn,” Kerry said, looping one arm into Vehn’s and leading her to look out on the fied, “You’ve inherited a very nice gem and you’ve proven yourself more than foresightful when it comes to the affairs of the League. Voting for realignment wasn’t pretty, but it was necessary. It’s good to know that there are beings who will do the necessary things, don’t you agree?”



    Field level



    Falene stood at the end of the line of Miners, once again it was her choice. She’d wished Niskat was there, to go out with her, to share this first Elite League game, first for real. A game at Six Boroughs, no less. What a way to start a career.

    “All right, here we go!” Glencross shouted way up at the front of the line back to her teammates. She turned around, bounced up and down a couple of times, and then ran out of the tunnel onto the field.

    As the rest of the team started running, Falene slapped herself in the face. “Don’t frak this one up Trieste,” she muttered to herself before she started running.

    The tsunami of boos rained down on the Miners as they entered the pitch. Welcome to Nar Shaddaa all right, Falene thought. The few brave Miner fans who made the trip cheered where they were scattered through the stadium, but they couldn’t be heard over the din of the Crew.

    Valerii called the Miners to the sideline after they’d taken their brief warm up run.

    “Bring it in!” Valerii shouted, “Starters, line up on the sideline. We’ve got to wait for them to do their thing.”

    Falene took her place between Wizmark and T.K. on the sideline as the Smugglers’ starters were introduced by name.

    “Arkan Matsoto, Center Half Forward, University of Evenvale,” the speakers boomed eventually.

    Falene knew Matsoto. She’d played against him for two years in the Bak10. Evenvale had not been a powerhouse in Falene’s time, but Matsoto had been one of their bright spots. What’s more, he had been the rare non-human in the Bak10. The schools were attracting more and more non-human talent, but Matsoto had been one of the trailblazers. Falene had to give him respect for that.

    Matsoto and Falene had squared off against each other in her sophomore and junior years. Sophomore year he’d gotten the better of her, but junior year she’d schooled him. He had a year of work in the Smugglers’ development system under his belt. Falene wondered how much better Matsoto was going to be. This would be his first Elite League start too. They were both going to have a lot to prove today.

    Valerii prowled the sideline as the introductions were being made and as she went back and forth in front of her team her eyes were fixed across the field. They kept one object in their gaze. Falene followed her look and she found it with ease: Tover Micjaa. The Hall of Famer, the legend. Second only to Rhia Grames in Smugglers folklore—and now he had an opportunity to surpass the great one of the Vertical City. Falene was sure that was part of what had brought him back. It certainly wasn’t the credits. Micjaa had done it all—player, coach. Since 246 he pretty much was Smugglers’ limmie. He was the master dejarik player. Valerii had warned them about this.

    “Make no mistake—Micjaa’s teams play hard, physical, and more often than not dirty too,” Valerii had told them in the locker room, “but you will see sophisticated schemes out there like you have never played against. That’s because nobody’s run them since Micjaa retired. And you know what?

    “I played against them. And I beat them” Valerii said, “We have had the offseason to prepare for this game. Micjaa has a lot of vid on us. He thinks he knows us. And I know him. He is beatable and this team has the talent to do it. We have experience on our side, up and down the field. They have home field advantage—so what. We’ve won here before and we’ll do it again.

    “Just think about one thing.” Valerii held up her index finger. “Just think about the end of the season. We’re sitting on Rydonni Prime after the game. I don’t want us to be sitting there with our head in our hands and saying, ‘Frak, I wish we’d played Nar Shaddaa harder.’”

    With the introductions done, the Miners jogged out to their starting positions and Falene took up position across from Matsoto. “Good to see you Arkan,” Falene said with a smile, “How about we twist again like we did last summer?”

    She gave him a salute. It was game on.

    TAG: Vehn
     
    Vehn and Tim Battershell like this.
  14. Tim Battershell

    Tim Battershell Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    IC: Tim Dodd

    At long last the time for his Agamar Packers to face-off the against Hapes Consortium Buccaneers had come! Tim couldn't believe how many decisions (most of them due to the team now being in the Elite League) he had had to make over the last few weeks. Even if he had not been trained (by his 'TenGate' experiences, where Managers and Coaches had no option but to trust the Captain - and even; during the 'receiving' half of each encounter; the pair of 'Clubbers' actually 'at the gate') to leave the running of the team in the hands of the Professionals; he doubted that he would have had time to 'interfere' (his word for it), in any case.

    The news from the Ticket Office was overwhelmingly good - the Home seats allocation had been a sell out for all the Season's matches as soon as the Elite League news had made the rounds. Not mere reserved options, either, they were all actual Credits-in-the-account sales! There would probably be quite a pre-game scrimmage to snap up any unsold tickets for spare places in the Visitors' Areas (once the number available became known) as rumour had it that very large sums, offered by latecomers, had been turned down flat, even for the cheapest seating!

    Team news was also good, the new signings had integrated well (there was a great deal to be said for signing beings that had already learned the value of discipline) into the team structure. The official warm-up matches against the University and Academy Collegiate sides had produced two landslide wins, without conceding a point, much less a goal. An unofficial final-hardening game against the 'Animals' of the ASF's elite Tactical Assault Unit had likewise resulted in a comfortable win; although the 'Animals' having been put on their best behaviour to avoid player injury among the Packers might have influenced that! Still, Asyr and Riv now understood something of what the ASF brand of Limmie was like!

    HNN had aired, Galaxy-wide, Tim's Thrust-Sailer arrival at the Media Conference; and one of the 'Newshour' programmes had then decided to do a detailed follow-up piece on the history and uses of the craft. The lead reporter had even gone up with an Instructor in a tandem-rig and had waxed lyrical about the experience on her (safe) return to the ground. The manufacturers were currently extremely busy fielding inquiries, even from worlds as far away as Tatooine!

    There had not appeared to have been much, if any, progress regarding the recent high-profile kidnapping case, but Tim knew that the Agamar Watch were keeping a close eye on empty buildings and off-worlders' holiday retreats, just in case the kidnappers believed that the stereotype of Agamar's inhabitants as 'dumb hicks' or 'Galactic dimwits' made the planet a safer place to hide out. They'd be in for a shock if so, as the old stereotype (although eagerly played-up-to by the locals while off-world) was altogether false, as 'old Palpy' and the 'Scarheads' would have been mortified to learn! In both cases, what they had so much wanted to destroy had been ingeniously hidden away; partly due to Xenoarchaeologists being well used to digging large holes, and also not too squeamish about rooting around in 'fresher pits - notwithstanding that the ones they normally dealt with were centuries old! To a Xenoarchaeologist, the phrase 'where there's muck, there's aurodium' was pretty much a mantra! The 'muck' was always literal, the 'aurodium' (almost) always metaphorical; it was the information and understanding that could be gleaned from examining and analysing the 'muck' that was precious - although one could never discount finding a lost coin or trinket!

    At least Tim had been spared the task of selecting the children to act as Colour-bearers for each team, or rather, being seen as responsible for bitterly disappointing those not selected! The Agamarian Council had, much to his relief, taken that off his hands. Tonight, the C-Bucs would be escorted by the 10 year old, and heart-achingly beautiful, female star of the most popular of Agamar's children's drama-programmes, while her 11 year old (male) co-lead would escort the Packers.

    The Council had also decked the route to the Stadium with both team's colours, thus making it hopefully impossible for even the dimmest of visiting pedestrians to get themselves lost en-route, and uniformed ASF personnel (in Parade dress) were out in force tonight as well, to take care of any of those.

    Blaring from the Stadium, and repeated at lesser volume at intervals along the route, was the instrumental version of a brand new composition by Trev Popp, widely regarded as currently the best of Agamar's singer-songwriters. Simply entitled 'Welcome!', it also sported the secondary title of 'We've waited so long!'. The lyrics continued '....but now it's the final countdown'! Both versions had been flooding the local airwaves for nearly two weeks.


    'Welcome' was faded out as the teams came out onto the pitch and lined up next to their Colour-bearers for the playing of the anthems. The Hapan anthem first, then the haunting, but somehow uplifting, fanfare 'Star of Agamar'.



    TAG: Anyone for the C-Bucs.
     
  15. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Dirxx Horstse
    Empress Teta

    The trip into the Deep Core was not exactly a long one, but it was definitely a new experience for all involved. It had been a long time since the Senators had travelled this far into the Core, ever since the days of old when their upcoming opponent, the Empress Teta Pikemen, were still in the Elite League. That had been a long time ago, and no current Senator had ever played that far in before unless they had been in the Premier League early enough to somehow catch the Pikemen before they had folded years earlier. Somehow the team had been reborn and was now playing in the Premier League once again; like the Senators, they had risen from the ashes and rebuilt.

    It was only three weeks until the season began; this game had been arranged at the last minute to give the Senators a friendly game to work with any new players they had from camp, but also for the added revenue it would bring. It just so happened that Cord McKerty, the first-round draft pick this year, hadn’t practiced much with the Senators in camp, and thus needed some time out on the field with less pressure than a regular game. The season opener would be tough enough, heading out to Mandalore; no need to throw him into the fire too soon. The gate receipts would be split 50-50, and the game had sold out in two hours, so there was a guaranteed profit to be made here for the Senators.

    When the shuttle landed on its pad, the Senator players were informed that there was mandatory team call for the game early the next day. The game had been scheduled for the early afternoon so that they could roll back into Coruscant late that night. However, they would have the rest of today to do what they wanted. Dirxx had never been here before, so he knew exactly where he wanted to go. The Limmie Hall of Fame was located here; he had wanted to go for years, but hadn’t gotten around to it. Now he had no excuse; he had to go.

    Dirxx and Shayt Contar, his fellow Senator Hall-of-Famer and third of “The Wall” that used to be the backbone of the Coruscant defense, had decided to go with any of the players who were interested. Moen Heatly and Polis Vayne were back on Coruscant, tending to their newborn children for a while. Laryssa Heatly had given birth about a month earlier, so Moen had taken an extended leave of absence before the season began, and Meredith Chambers-Vayne, who oddly enough was a positional coach for the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers, had just delivered twins about a week and half earlier. So both of the positional coaches for the Senators were not here, meaning that the offense would have to run through Allie Orchetrada, the new offensive coordinator.

    As they approached the Hall of Fame, Dirxx just took it all in. “Look at the size of that thing!” he said. “It’s huge!”

    “You expected less?” Shayt asked snidely.

    “No . . . I expected it to be large, but not this,” Dirxx commented. “Can’t wait to spend the rest of the day here.” He, Shayt, and five Senators players, Max Qorbus, Gayla Renhorn, Tank Bratter, Evis Kunat, and Dauza Chary, entered the building. Dirxx sidled up to the ticket window.

    “Um . . . tickets, please,” he asked.

    “For how many?” asked a bored-looking Drall who sat at the counter.

    “A group of . . . seven,” Dirxx said, looking back to count how many he had in tow.

    “You want General Admission, Special Admission, VIP, VIP Plus, VIP Premium . . .”

    “What?” Dirxx asked. This was a museum, not some show. How could they possibly sell higher packages than just GA tickets?

    “I asked, do you want general admission . . .”

    “Yes, seven general admission tickets,” Dirxx said. “How much?”

    “115 credits,” the Drall said, reaching out a hand.

    “What? Are you kidding me?” Dirxx asked. That was expensive! He had tons of credits, but this was a museum for the sport! Anyone should be able to come here and see it, not just those with money. If 7 tickets for general admission cost that much, he hated to know what they charged for the other tickets.

    “115 credits,” the Drall repeated.

    “Fine,” Dirxx said angrily. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the requisite number of credits, the plopping them onto the counter. The Drall quickly counted them and then printed their tickets.

    “Here you go,” he said, still bored as all get out. “Now go. I have a lot of things to get done.”

    Dirxx raised an eyebrow; this guy wasn’t very friendly. How could the museum ever hire such a stiff? The Besalisk took the tickets and then wandered back to the group. Each person got their ticket, and thus they went into the museum.

    The first section of the museum was dedicated to the history of the sport. Relics from bygone eras were in their cases, not having been out in hundreds of years to feel the breeze or see the sun shine in the sky. Tales of early Limmie, from around five hundred years earlier, were scribed on the wall, long-faded holos showing these early pioneers as they tried to create something that now had the galaxy revved up for game season. It was quite the tale; what began more as a fight or scrum, with some rules added in, had become the galaxy’s favorite field sport. Who would have thought?

    Next, they got to the theater, and watched a short film on the origins of the sport. It was interesting to see the old footage that had been archived for so long, players long dead going at it with each other, trying to lead their team to victory. The film then progressed into the origins of the Elite League, when teams were no longer just planetary in nature. Anyone could sign with any team, which was a landmark move for all involved.

    Next was the section dedicated to the Hall of Fame inductees. Hundreds of names were inscribed on the displays and walls, relics and memorabilia in their cases for all to see. Dirxx took a look at the Mon Calamari Mariners display; the Mariners had been one hell of a team at one point, but had since hit hard times. But they were still the pride of the water-logged planet, and the Mariners looked to get back to respectability once more. Having tangled with their now-famous 260 and 261 teams back in the day, Dirxx could attest to how loud it was at the place known as “The Tank”, the Mariners’ home stadium. Venus had been smaller then; none of these ridiculously-oversized and cramped million-fan stadiums had been around then. Places were smaller, but the noise level was still amped up.

    “Over here!” Dauza said. “The Senator display case!”

    Dirxx rushed over. He wanted to see what had been placed in the case. Here, the seven players looked at the story of Lysander Perkins, the grizzled veteran who had finally won a title in the 180s after almost a two-decade career. It was the crowning achievement of the most decorated Senator captain of all time. Even Dirxx hadn’t gotten to that level of fame, despite winning two titles and having helmed the ship of the amazing Senator reign of the last decade.

    “He must have been quite the man,” Tank commented. “Sounds like he was a real tough one.”

    “Yeah,” Gayla commented, moving down the line. “I couldn’t hold a candle to him in terms of guts. If I got injured like that in a game, I wouldn’t keep playing. He had a lot of heart to get back out there when his team needed him.”

    Shayt moved down as well, but then her face darkened. She looked back to Dirxx, who was moving along the row. “Don’t,” she warned. “Don’t come any further.”

    “Why not?” Dirxx asked. Then he and Shayt looked down at the next case, and Shayt knew that she had been too late in saying something. Dirxx’s expression changed immediately; he had gone from being carefree to saddened in a hurry after seeing the glove. The one glove that he knew could still haunt him. The Besalisk, now in a panic, hurried off to the nearest refresher, almost bowling over a family of Duros in the process.



    “What’s gotten into him?” Gayla asked, confused.

    “Look,” Shayt said. She motioned to the glove. The Senators followed her gaze to the display.

    “It’s just a glove,” Max commented. “What could he possibly . . .”

    “The crash,” Tank said blankly, finally realizing what was going on.

    “What?” Max asked.

    “That glove, and the jersey next to it, or the remains of it anyways, are the only relics that were retrieved from the site of the shuttle crash that killed the entire 246 Senators team and staff,” Tank explained. “Including Dirxx’s father, Dain. He was team captain back then, and was well-loved by the fans and his teammates . . . I’ve seen the holos of the crash myself. I was real young then, and I didn’t see them first-run, obviously, since I wasn’t born yet. But I take it that he’s still haunted by that?” Shayt nodded.

    “Dirxx has always been in pain every time that gets brought up,” Shayt replied quietly. “I made sure that we never mentioned in in practice, at games, or anytime when we were around him. We were good at keeping our mouths shut about it, because he will never forget that day. And I don’t blame him. He lost a lot, and he’ll never recover.”

    The younger players looked down at the holo. The 246 Senators team smiled back at them, including the Besalisk off to the far right with the faux-hawk haircut. It was an eerie sight, knowing what had happened to that team not too long after this was taken.

    “Perhaps you should go talk to him,” Gayla said.

    “Don’t worry; I will,” Shayt said. She wandered off to the refresher where Dirxx had run after seeing that sight. Even though it was the men’s room, and she wasn’t, it didn’t matter. As soon as she entered the ‘fresher, she knew where to find the former team captain. There, next to one of the walls, was Dirxx, his back to the door, crying into his arm as it propped up his head on the cold metallic wall. This was a sight that Shayt had never seen before; Dirxx had always kept his composure, but nothing he could do obviously helped in this instance. It was too much for him to bear.

    “You all right?” the Feeorin asked as she touched Dirxx on the shoulder.

    “Of course not,” Dirxx mumbled back, choking back tears of emotion.

    “Look, I should have said something earlier,” Shayt replied. “I knew that was there . . . and I forgot to tell you to stay away. It’s my fault for not saying so sooner.”

    “It’s been 28 years, but I haven’t been able to forget it,” Dirxx said. “That day . . . it destroyed me.”

    “But it also made you stronger,” Shayt said, putting her hand on her former teammate’ shoulder. “You grew a lot after that, and you did your best to represent him out on the field. I’d say that you’ve done a lot since then.”

    “I always wanted to grow up to be like him,” Dirxx said. He was no longer sobbing, but still was depressed. “But I’ll never be like him. Never.”

    “You’ve won two titles,” Shayt said. “Isn’t that enough?”

    “No. I can never do enough to be even half the man he was,” Dirxx replied solemnly. “Don’t you see? I’m never going to be as good as he was.”

    “But you are,” Shayt said in a reassuring tone. Given that she typically was calculating and not very warm to be around, this was new territory for her. But she had played with Dirxx for so many years in a Senator uniform; they were best friends. This was something she needed to do as a friend. “You’ve done so much for this team, for this fanbase, for this planet, for this game. You dragged our team out of the mud with your winning smile, your play, and your passion for the game. Your father was like that too, and I think you’ve done more than enough to at least be his equal. You may never see it as such, but I do. You are as great as your father was, and never forget that. Surely, wherever he is now, he’s smiling down on you, because you accomplished so damn much with the team in your career. You were the best captain we ever could have asked for and more.”

    “Really?” Dirxx asked. The Feeorin nodded.

    “I know you can’t outrun your past. If that’s what you’re still trying to do all these years later, stop, because you’re only hurting yourself,” Shayt said. “But know that you accomplished a lot in your playing career; you took the franchise on your shoulders when no one else was willing to, and we had a good run. Sure it didn’t end like we wanted it to, and there were some bumpy patches in there, but you did all we could have ever asked of you and more. You’ve meant so much to the team, so don’t look back on the last few years as a waste.

    Look, I don’t know if this is getting to you or not, but you’ve achieved so much. So, are you going to let that keep you down? Are you going to let something in your past haunt you, or will you power through as you always did when the going got tough? Where’s that Dirxx I played with, got bloodied with playing alongside, and generally carried the team with? Hm? Right here,” she said, poking the Besalisk in his nearest shoulder. “Now stop feeling sorry for yourself, because you look like a mess when you do that. Keep your chin up and fight through it. You can do it.”

    Dirxx slowly moved his arm from the wall, and then turned to look at Shayt. “You’re right,” he said after a pause. “You’re right about everything. I should be past this, but . . . I just can’t forget about that.”

    “I never said you had to forget,” the Feeorin reminded him. “But you have to let that make you stronger. You have to rise up and make sure that you use that as inspiration, and not let it ruin your life. Now come on. We have a museum to see.”

    “Thanks,” Dirxx said weakly.

    “That’s what friends do,” Shayt said. “We look out for each other.”

    The two of them left the refresher and headed back to the rest of the team. They wanted to know what had occurred, but Shayt had shook off any questions, trying to get them to forget it. Finally they stopped pestering both of the retired players and moved on. However, Dirxx stood by the display case that held the glove. Shayt could tell that he was visibly shaken by it, but he was keeping his composure this time. The Besalisk finally put a hand on the case, leaving a smudge on it. The maintenance crew wouldn’t like that, but who was going to stop the former captain from doing this? It meant so much to him. He then muttered a few things before turning his back on the case and walking away; hopefully he had dispelled his inner demons there and made up for his weakness in that regard.

    The rest of the trip was uneventful. Dirxx, having now gotten that crap off his chest, returned to his old self. It was amazing to see the rest of the museum, and how Limmie had changed over the ages. In the final room were the twelve banners of the current Elite League teams. There was the Senator flag, the focused-looking Senator wearing the orange helmet and black trim staring at them with the same kind of rugged determination that had become attributed to the team itself: focused, poised, and ready to take on any challenge. It certainly fit, the current and former players theorized.

    “We probably should get back to the hotel,” Dirxx finally said.

    “You think this was a worthwhile trip?” Shayt asked as the group left the museum.

    “Yeah,” the Besalisk said. “I may not agree with everything, but I think coming here allowed me to deal with a few personal issues. I think I’ve finally moved on from my Dad’s death; I’ll never forget, but you were right. I can’t let get in my way. I’ve gotten through it for this long, so why change it?”

    “Good,” Shayt said as the group hit the parking lot. “Now use that motivation to go and help us kick some ass out there on the field tomorrow.” The Besalisk nodded; Shayt was right. Tomorrow was a new day.


    TAG: No One
     
  16. Bardan_Jusik

    Bardan_Jusik Former Manager star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 14, 2009
    IC: Beskaryc Taab
    Meshla Vhetin, manda'yaim, Prior to the Senators/Mercs game

    The deep thrum of Mandalorian gunships pounded overhead as the teams prepared for the opening day ceremonies at the Meshla Vhetin. Their presence was not unusual, oft time many teams had a "military flyover" to help inagurate a new season. But these vessels were not here to impress the crowds. They were full of Mandalorian protectors, and they were here to augment security at the gargantuan stadium.

    Taab breathed a sigh of relief at their presence, and at the placement of so many obvious (and not so obvious) security personnel both inside and around the Meshla Vhetin. It would not do to have another terrorist attack (as the bombing of MandalMotor's Hall was currently being called) mar the beginning to the 274 season.

    Still security was not so tight as when the Chancellor of the Republic had visited for the Miners "friendly" visit. As Taab had anticipated her appearance on manda'yaim had helped to settle down the clans slightly. Especially after it had been allowed to sink in somewhat with their leaders.

    The role of mand'alor was in so many ways a ceremonial one, and while the Mandalorian's Supreme Leader was to be respected by all mando'ade, he simply didn't hold much sway in their day to day lives. Mandalorians were far too headstrong and unruly for that. They would do as they would do, and barring extreme circumstances there wasn't much that could be done about that. But the mand'alor was a face of their people to the aruetiise, and as such any respect afforded to him by foreign leaders was respect that was also (rightfully) paid to the mando'ade as a people. The official state visit of the Chancellor of the Republic was seen as a symbol of pride to them all. Her use of mando'a in offering her friendship (or at least a truce) to Taab had enhanced that feeling even further. For now that had kept the clans off his back regarding any progress made in the investigations of the bombing. Progress that even to Taab was far too slow in coming...




    IC: Ryi Kor'le/ Kote Taab
    Satine Kryze watse management facility, manda'yaim. The night before the Senators/Mercs game

    Ryi Kor'le was glad for the air filters in her buy'ce as she covered her husband deep in the bowels of the "osik factory" as he had so colorfully termed it. She suspected that he was feeling much the same thing, but he didn;t voice his opinion over their encrypted comm circuit. He was too busy watching and recording the secret meeting that was going on above them, on the surface level.

    It had taken them months of com slicing, back alley trading and out right threats to finally discover the location of the secret meeting place used by the remnants of the kyr'tsad, the Death Watch, here on manda'yaim. Now they stood several levels below the meeting, ankle deep in waste water, listening in. Their theory that the group might have been responsible for the assassination of Ordo though was quickly unraveling before their eyes however. The numbers here didn't add up.

    The meeting was quite small and even if this was just a meeting of their leadership (which judging by comments made there didn't seem likely), the group was far too small to affect real change and accomplish a takeover of Mandalorian society. To Kote it looked more like a small cadre of hardened individuals who shared ideals more than any sort of terrorist group. Still they took note of the individuals present, any information gathered here could prove useful later on.

    The area seemed secure for the moment so Kor'le listened in on them via the hidden recording devices they had laid earlier. "...don't care about whatever support Taab has from the tsad droten (Republic). The opinions of the aruetii leader mean as little to me as to any of you." There were murmurs of agreement from the dozen or so others there. "But we must be ready to enact vengeance for our people against those who have stained our honor." Ryi wasn't sure what to make of that just yet, fortunately he continued on.

    "When the hut'uune that did this are revealed, we must be at the forefront of the battle, regardless of whether Taab asks for it or not. We will show our people that we will defend them no matter the cost, and we will ensure that no one will dare strike at us like this again..."

    Knowing that Kote was recording it all for further analysis, Ryi stopped listening in as she thought over what had just been said. If she was reading things right, it sounded like the kyr'tsad was willing to use the situation to their advantage, but had no part in either planning or carrying out the attack. She was sure the meeting would be of some interest to the mand'alor, but it brought them no closer to the identity of the terrorists.

    Still the pair stayed hidden until the meeting began to break up an hour later. After the kyr'tsad had left they slowly made their way out of the waste tunnels. "That was less than useful," came from her husband, "they certainly weren't behind anything, though their disdain for Taab is pretty clear." Ryi nodded in agreement as something she didn't want to identify floated past her. "Who they like or don't like is immaterial, we just need to find the bomber."

    Kote tilted his head to one side as they emerged from the tunnels. "Well at least we have eliminated these folks from the list."




    IC: Aay'han Vhett
    Meshla Vhetin, manda'yaim, Prior to the Senators/Mercs game

    Vhett looked to her husband as everyone took to their place before the start of the first match of the season. She knew security had gone over the box several times beforehand and pronounced it clean. She also knew that they would make several more sweeps through the game to ensure the couple's continued safety. She knew these were all things that she should be concerned about herself, but improving the Mercs was commanding her full attention right now. She would leave security to the Protectors and the affairs of state to her husband.

    After all looking after the Mercs was no easy task. The off season had started well, the draft and free agency periods had seen them bring all of their targeted players into the fold. They had been forced to trade away Gargova Broussard though. The promising young forward had started out well for the Crusaders last season before slumping late. She still could have figured into the Mercs plans going forward, but the haul they had been able to bring in more than outweighed her value. Sadly some of that promise would not benefit the Mercs this season.

    The injury bug had struck the Mercs, both before and after the draft. Flarn and Kellie Dupont, both forwards and potential reserves on the offense had been injured in separate incidents. At least Dupont's injury had happened on the field, towards the end of the horrendous friendly against the Miners. That injury she saw had helped to galvanize the team, who came together in defense of their fallen team mate, despite her newness to the Mercs.

    Flarn's injury though had occurred during unsanctioned off season activities and had played a role in forcing Vhett to trade Broussar for toher assets in the first place. The Yuzzem would be a free agent at the end of the season (along with a good portion of the team) and Vhett had already let his agent know that the forwards lack of "sound decision making abilities" would adversely affect his chances of staying with the team.

    Of course the off season had bottomed out during the loss to the hated Miners. While Taab had no doubt made a small fortune on the game and had bolstered his own political career with the state visit of Kerry Trieste, the team itself had taken a huge step backward. Vhett knew that Taab was using the Mercs as a way to distract the people from the bombings, but if the team failed to perform his strategy wouldn't last long, and neither would he. This only added to the pressure she felt to ensure that this team was a winner this season.

    The late friendly with the Crusaders had at least helped to salvage something of the off season, though that too was a double edged sword. The game, held on Concordia, had been a blowout for the Mercs. To many it simply followed the script. An ELL team should be able to dominate their own development team. But to others it showed a lack of depth in the Mercs development system. Their highly touted star forward, Kad Mereel, had been held scoreless despite playing much of the match. The Crusaders only point had come late in the first half off of a rather unlikely shot from rookie Melia Soker. Many fans had their doubts as to the sustainability of the Mercs, and the showing from the Crusaders seemed to back them up on that. Worst of all they were doubts that Vhett had trouble dispelling, because they were doubts that Vhett herself shared.


    But she had to sweep these concerns aside as the team came out onto the field, their first appearance of the 274 season, to the raucous applause and battering of armored plates by the sold out crowd. Music blared from the overhead sound system, doing it's part to drown out any conversation in the stadium. Only the announcer could be heard over the the noise as he announced, "Mando'ade, welcome to the 274 Elite League Meshgeroya season!" Even substituting their own name for the beautiful game for the rather pedestrian aruetii word, the announcement was met with even louder cheering that did its best to overcome the noise from the sound system.

    "And now the starting lineup for your Mando'ade Mercs, owned and operated by our mand'alor Beskaryc Taab" Smoke began to pour out of the players tunnel


    "At Goalkeeper, from the Keldabe Military Institute right here on manda'yaim: Mij Katan!" Katan came bounding out of the tunnel as fireworks went off over his head in sync with the music.

    "At Right Corner Back, Jai Skirata!" More fireworks accompanied the long time defensive backs entrance, as they would for every player

    "At Fullback, Former All Star, Kyr Raaaaam'ser!" The announcer cried out, drawing out the start of Ram'ser's surname.

    "At Left Corner Back, Jii Skirata." The crowd cheered just as loudly for Jii as they had for his brother


    "At the Half Back positions, the brothers Hanson!" The three brothers, Jett, Jase and Steen ran out onto the field together before headbutting one another hard as they took their spots on the sideline. Blood could be seen running down their faces and into their eyes, much to the delight of the fans who had embraced the crazy aruetiise as their own.

    "At Midfielder, MVP finalist Argo Mor'kesh!" If possible the crowd became even louder at Mor'kesh's emergence from the tunnel. He was seen by many as the future of the franchise, and one of the few players that could stand up to someone like a Glencross and come out on top.

    "At the other Midfielder position, Jor'tag Ro'val." Like the Skirata's, Ro'val had been with the team from the beginning, and his contract would be up at the end of the season.

    "Starting at Center Half Forward, also from the Keldabe Military Institute, Jeem Daryc!" Daryc had been a coup of a signing a few season ago, forgoing the draft in order to sign with his home world's team. Since then he had done extremely well, though his season last year had ended with an injury that had kept him from the playoffs.

    "At Full Forward, from UC Bella Vistal, Andres Fortune!" Fortune had been the first aruetii player added to the Mercs organization after the institution of the draft. His strong play though had also been embraced by the Mercs fans, and had paved the way for all areutiise players after him. But now the crowd reached new heights in their applause, shrieks and noise making. they knew what was coming next.

    "And now for the rest of your starting offensive unit." The Nulls had traditionally foregone individual introductions for themselves, they played as brothers and to each other none was more important or deserving of praise than another. The crowd responded to this with an earth rattling noise as all 4.5 million fans in the stadium rose as one and beat on their armored plates. To those on the field it felt as if there was a slight seismic tremor as the Nulls ran out onto the field to take their place with their team mates, before they went out to perform the traditional Dha Werda Verda.

    Vhett had to smile behind her T-Visor at it all. For just a moment, everyone had forgotten the problems facing them as a people. They were united behind their team, they were united with each other. It was a powerful moment for her, and she realized that whenever they did discover who had attacked them, there would be a terrible judgement headed their way. Until then though, it was time for meshgeroya.




    IC: IC: Ryi Kor'le/ Kote Taab
    enroute to Coruscant

    Ryi wished she could have been at the game. It still called to her from time to time, and it was especially galling to her that Glencross had won herself a galactic Cup while she and her husband never would. Still she found mercenary work to be even more rewarding, both personally and financially, but it would have been nice to touch the Cup at least one time.

    She looked over to her husband now as he piloted the Rogue, (an old Firespray-31 that had been in her family for generations) on it's way to Coruscant for the next phase of their investigation. She knew he wasn't quite as sorry to see himself let go of his meshgeroya career as she was. He was bred as a soldier, and now he was doing the work he had been born for. She did know that it bothered him that his brothers still didn't know where they were, or even that she was alive. But that was the price they paid for the work they were currently doing. Maybe when this crisis was over they could reveal themselves to his brother.

    And right now the crisis was taking up all of their time. They had presented their finding to Taab who had laughed at the Death Watch meeting in a place named for a former leader of the New Mandalorians. He had asked if any of the workers there knew what their facility was being used for, but Kote and Ryi had ruled that out already. The facility was being run by followers of it's namesake, they wouldn't have thrown in with Death Watch in any matter. Nor were the current generation of New Mandalorians responsible for the attack on Ordo. So far this wasn't looking like a domestic incident at all.

    That both complicated and simplified matters for Taab they both knew, but that wasn't their concern either. Instead they had gone back to the protectors and the forensic evidence collected. It had taken some time, but the bomb had been fully reconstructed. It was a professional job, that much was to be sure. The weapon had been small and compact, and the explosives themselves had been shielded from normal scanners. That had helped to determine how it had gotten by the security in place at MandalMotors Hall that day. they had been assured that the protectors had added new protocols to ensure such a device did not get past them again.

    That hadn't interested the pair of investigators, but the explosive used did. E-4, was an explosive in fairly common use throughout the galaxy. It was powerful stuff and had many applications. Better yet, it's exact formula and explosive power could be tailor made to the customer's needs. According to the Protectors forensic units this particular batch was military grade, and the largest user of it was the Republic Military itself...

    TAG: Jedi Gunny for any Senator's pregame activities. No one on everything else.

    [​IMG]
     
    Vehn and Trieste like this.
  17. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post

    THE ULTIMATE ELL ROAD TRIP
    Myk Songsteel, HSN Sports

    You know what everbody loves? An epic road trip. With the new nine game Elite League Limmie schedule, fans are going to get two more weeks of bolo-ball action and I’m going to get two more weeks of heartburn from eating stadium food. Though HSN dictates my travel schedule, I looked at the 274 schedule to determine the best games every single week that would let you see 11 teams (sorry Chandrila, just couldn’t make it happen) and nine different stadiums. Yes, really, nine. Are these the best games of every week? Who knows. But I know it’d be a heck of a trip. So if you happen to have nine weeks of paid vacation and are independently wealthy, start planning. (I’m looking at you, HSN interns!)

    Week 1: Hapes Consortium Buccaneers at Agamar Packers
    First impressions count. Hapes hasn’t played the ELL for 20 years. Agamar has never been to the show. In a curious twist of scheduling, these teams will play the first Elite League Limmie game ever on Agamar to open the season. Throw in the fact that last postseason the C-Bucs shocked the Packers at home in the playoffs on the road to the Premiership and things could get interesting. Nothing sparks a nascent rivalry like the playoffs and there’s nothing like Opening Day to add to the pressure and expectations. Both teams will be looking to make a statement to the rest of the League with this one.

    Week 2: Euceron Storm at Bakura Miners
    Most beings don’t appreciate the intensity that these two teams bring to their games. For a number of years they met each other on the last game of the season, which was usually good for some fireworks (literally—as Euceron played in back-to-back Truce Day games and trounced the Miners twice in them before the annual fireworks show). These teams did not play each other last season and each comes into this game with equal baggage. Euceron is trying to work off two straight late-season slumps to end the season. Bakura is working off two straight one-and-done playoff appearances that raised fan expectations (as if they weren’t already absurdly high in Salis D’aar). The Storm’s deep pool of talent will find this a perfect opportunity to strut their stuff and the solid goalkeeping of Chenkabukk will duel with the Miners’ high-flying offense. The difference will likely be the performance of the revamped Miner defense.

    Week 3: Hapes Consortium Buccaneers at Mando’ade Mercs
    Oh Mesh’la Vhetin. What a love-hate relationship we have with each other. An architectural wonder for sure—but what I really wonder is how Aayhan Vhett is going to spin this if her team loses to a bunch of pretty girls. Moira Mallory is a tough old dame who isn’t going to get shaken by the crowd noise.

    Week 4: Ylesia Lightning at Coruscant Senators
    Rematches of the Galactic Cup Final are always fun and this one promises to be nothing short of the same. Corucsant has lost some of its key starters, but this game will be a perfect opportunity for new blood to show that they can pick up the legacy of Horste & Co. However, if Lightning strikes twice it may signal a shift in the balance of power in the Elite League.

    Week 5: Ralltiir Starkillers at Rydonni Prime Monarchs
    Oh hai Ralltiir. You can haz Solo Conference. And what a way to haz it too. The Grande Villa is one of the most impressive venues in the Conference and the Monarchs, who became the first 4-3 team to ever miss the playoffs in the Kayl’hen Era, are going to give the Starkillers an undoubtedly rude welcome. Setarcos Rhemes redesigned the team with another shockingly large draft class. Whatever rookies he chooses to deploy for the Monarchs should be well seasoned by this point.

    Week 6: Coruscant Senators at Ralltiir Starkillers
    Back-to-back Starkiller games? You bet! They’ll either be riding high or smarting from their first game in the Solo Conference and they’ll come face-to-face with the Senators, arguably the team of the Solo Conference and the Kayl’hen Era who will be fresh off the Senatorial Showdown themselves. Either way, a win against Coruscant will be a statement game for Ralltiir in showing that they belong in the ultra-competitive Solo Conference. For Coruscant, this is one of those games that they “should” win. Pam Korthe should hang a holo of Admiral Ackbar in the locker room to remind them that this game is a classic trap.

    Week 7: Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Euceron Storm
    Euceron hosted the Galactic Games, LFL Championship, and Galactic Cup Final all within a matter of weeks. That’s no small feat and it has established Eusebus as one of the premiere sporting destinations in the galaxy. They’ll bring the Smugglers to town for some good-old-fashioned action. This game will be a rematch of last season’s Draft Pick Derby as Euceron’s victory in this game cost them the first overall pick in the 274 draft. They still made out well with Mo Klaret, who will likely be playing with a chip on his shoulder against Nar Shaddaa for his entire career after they passed on him. Euceron should be careful though. This is exactly the point where their season starts to collapse, so a win against the Smugglers in Week 7 could go a long way towards breaking their playoff drought.

    Week 8: Corellia Rebels at Ylesia Lightning
    I know, it’s a crime to leave Corellia off the schedule until week 8, but this game with the Lightning has some intrigue to it. Week 8 is where the playoff picture is going to get very interesting (in that I bet it’s going to be very murky for the Skywalker Conference). Ylesia and Corellia are probably both going to need some wins in their column at this point, so this one’s going to have huge ramifications for the playoffs. Ylesia will be hosting a major market Core team to boot and that will put a lot of eyes on this game. Expect the atmosphere to be electric.

    Week 9: Mando’ade Mercs at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers
    The Solo Conference refugees have what has the potential to be a climactic game at Six Boroughs to finish off the season. The new-look Smugglers will be on firm footing under Tover Micjaa if all goes according to plan—and the plan on the Vertical City is usually “win a championship, then forget how to win regular games for a few seasons, then start being good again,” so chances are the Smugglers will be in fine form by this point. The Mercs, who face the Rosterpocalypse at the end of the season and have hit their stride in the last two seasons, will probably be feeling a “win now” sense of urgency. Both teams are expected to compete in the Skywalker Conference and a playoff spot for both teams could well be on the line in this game.

    So to recap: start in Agamar. Fly all the way across the galaxy to Bakura. Go all the way back across the galaxy to Mandalore. Now go into the core to Coruscant (the hard part’s over), take a puddle jumper to Rydonni Prime and then another hop to Ralltiir. Go all the way into the Inner Rim on Euceron and then skirt to the Outer Rim to Ylesia. From there it’s a short flight to Nar Shaddaa inside Hutt Space. So that’ll get you 348,571 frequent flyer lightyears on Star Tours, which is the equivalent of going across the galaxy three times. Use some of them to get yourself a nice hotel room on Nar Shadaa 1) because they’re expensive and 2) after this trip, you’re probably just going to want to pass out.


    TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Rebecca_Daniels Runjedirun Tim Battershell Vehn
     
  18. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Cord McKerty
    Empress Teta

    Cord looked in his locker at the gray uniform that hung from the bar. There it was, his first Elite League jersey, with “McKerty” and the number 47 on the back. Sure it wasn’t the classic black and orange uniform that he would get to sport in a month or so if he stayed with the team, but it was still symbolic anyways.

    “Ready for this game, rook?” Gayla Renhorn asked as she came on by, decked out in her new uniform.

    “Not really,” Cord said. “Given that I’ve only had a few practices with this squad, I don’t know anything for certain.”

    “It’s tough,” Gayla said. “You need to focus on your game and make them come to you. If you force the action, especially when you’re new, you look like a fool, and then you get benched.”

    “I’m already on the bench,” Cord said.

    “Nothing to worry about, then,” Gayla said with a smirk before wandering off. Cord just shook his head; he had walked right into that one. He then reached out for the uniform, finally making contact with it. He could feel its silky smoothness, the embroidery and its weaved bump going roughly over his fingertip as he moved his hand over it. This was the real deal right here. A real road jersey, and it was his.

    He tossed the jersey over his athletic undershirt, the top of the black shirt peeking out over the cut-top of the jersey. He then put on the uniform shorts, and then the team-issued black cleats. He had noticed that some of the other players were wearing different colors; Gayla wore seafoam green cleats that she had saved from her days at CorTech, Max Qorbus wore black cleats with dark blue streaks, and Jerek was wearing orange cleats, but not an obnoxious bright shade. Bring a rookie, Cord didn’t have any leverage to speak of, so he just went along with the team-issued gear.

    Then he finally stood up, letting his toes wiggle around in their cleats a little bit to try and check them for pliability. They seemed rather firm, so he would have to break these in a bit more before they would be completely comfortable. But otherwise he was a Coruscant Senator, and looked the part.

    “Looking good,” came a voice from nearby. Cord lifted his head to see Reena coming towards him. She then kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Feel like a champion yet?” his wife of two weeks asked.

    “As much as I’m ever going to,” Cord replied. “So, what exactly do you do around here before a game?”

    “Pep talk, usually,” Reena replied. “Not sure what’s going to happen this year, though, given that we have all-new captains and players.”

    At this time, they could hear a banging noise on a hard metal surface. They turned their gaze towards Alysha Romax, who was standing on a bench while slamming her fist into the metal locker. So did everyone else in the room.

    “I’ll have to keep that trick in mind,” the captain said. She then got down off the bench. “Today’s our first real game as a complete team, and my first as captain. Sure it may be on the road, against a Premier League team, but it’s our chance to work out the kinks before our season opener in a few weeks. From the looks of it, we’ve got a decent-sized fan section out there today, so we’re not exactly in completely hostile territory. Let’s go out and show the Pikemen what we’ve got, all right?”

    Pamila Korthe, the Zeltron head coach, then came up, flanked by all of the other coaches. Cord could see Allie Orchetrada, Palla Tyroti, Dirxx Horstse, and Shayt Contar with her. Moen Heatly and Polis Vayne were back on Coruscant tending to their new families, so they weren’t going to be here for this one. “Now that Alysha has set the tone, it’s time to get down to business,” Pam said. “Truth is, we don’t know a lot about our opponents today. They’ve shuffled their roster quite a bit in the offseason, so we’re going up against new players. However, that being said, they’ve got a potent offensive attack. We need to shut them down defensively and make them play our game. Space out their attacker and make them rely on rainbow passes to get the ball moving. If they attack, pinch in and force them to kick it back out. Understood?”

    “Yeah,” came some responses.

    “Offense, I need you to keep up the pressure today,” Pam said. “The Pikemen have an average defense, so we should be able to exploit it, even with our new system. Keep that ball moving, and set screens whenever possible. Midfield, I want you to bring that energy up, and do everything you need to win. Loose balls, scoring points, playing defense . . . do everything you can to win the middle ground out there. Demetra,” she said to the rover midfielder. “Make sure that you overload their system and make them bring in extra defenders. If you are successful out there, we can draw them into extended possessions and wear them down mentally and physically.

    Starting Lineup is as follows:

    Goal: Leed

    Defense: Dyhon, Livingstone, Doon’sun, Deter, Tormera, Zumarrorroo

    Midfield: Romax, Renhorn

    Offense: Qorbus, Persnor, Mrs. Persnor, Erein, Zadd, Chary

    Now, let’s go out there and do some damage!”

    The team moved towards the exit tunnel, ready to fight. Cord was near the end of the line; being a rookie, he just wanted to stay out of the way of the veterans, who obviously had some ideas of pre-game shenanigans. Outside he could hear the crowd, ready to see this exhibition game unfold. Then the signal came, and the Senators poured out of the tunnel to a quiet response.

    “They love us so much out here,” Reid Livingstone commented as he ran next to Cord.

    Then the Pikemen came out onto the field, and the crowd livened up a little bit. Cord settled in on the bench next to Reena.

    “Make sure to keep your head up and your ears open,” Pam said to the reserves. “For those of you not familiar with this system, we change out often and fast. Make sure you’re ready in case you hear your name called, all right?”

    “How fast?” Cord asked.

    “We basically run a lightning round,” Reena replied.


    “That fast, hunh?” Cord asked. That was going to make things more difficult, especially in a tight game or loud stadium. The stadium here didn’t seem too bad, but he had heard stories of far worse places, and he wondered how well he would do then. But none of that mattered now; all that did was this game.





    Cord watched as the ball was put in play for the exhibition game between the Empress Teta Pikemen and the visiting Coruscant Senators. This was his first pro Limmie game, and even though he was on the bench, there was a certain excitement in his mind. He could sense the energy in the stadium course through his body like blood in his veins. This was the ultimate test of how good the team, and its players, really was. There were rumors that the Pikemen weren’t that good, and that they didn’t do so hot at home. Well, for someone like Cord, a rookie in their first game, none of those mattered. The opponent suddenly became the giant they had to slay, each of their players an All-Star. He had to be better than them, had to make them bruised and broken by the end of 60 minutes. That was the goal of the game, to win every possession, every trip down the field, every loose ball, every scoring opportunity. And he knew he could.

    It only took a few minutes for a few scores to go up, and then the chess match began. Reena was called into the game about seven minutes in to give her some minutes for Ortho Dyhon at Center Half. Normally the reserves wouldn’t be going in just yet, but since this was a friendly match, the reserves were going to log heavier minutes than normal. It was something Cord was looking forward to, but if he failed, it would be a long, miserable day. Quickly, the Pikemen scored on a long bomb over the bar, way out of reach of Jayla Leed. There was nothing she could have done on that play, and the score was tied at 4.

    Pamila Korthe looked at her starters on the field, obviously analyzing the situation. She then had a quick word with Allie Orchetrada before turning around. “Edare, you’re in there for Riff. Forsythe, in for Erein!” The two reserves rushed onto the field to take their positions, and Cord knew that he had missed the first shift. But that didn’t matter much; he was buried behind everyone on the depth chart as a forward, so he would be lucky to log ten minutes in this one.

    The Senators went up the field, passing the ball from Demetra to Rayel, then to Zadd in the post. The Defel ran around a screen set by Max Qorbus and found daylight. He zipped a pass to Wylega Persnor, who made the Pikemen goalie pay with a solid skip shot into the back of the net. Goal Senators, 7-4.

    Korthe turned around again. She was making substitutions. “Iz! In there for Alysha!” Izzi Polakaya got off the bench and came in, trading the captain for the assistant captain in this instance. “Kapp! In there for Leed!” Goalie swap. “Tank! Change with Tormera! “ Out went Tank Bratter, the Herglic. Nagriski! In there for Doon’sun!” Full back swap. “McKerty!”

    Wait, had she just said his name? Cord’s mind snapped to attention.

    “In there for Qorbus!” came the response. Cord slowly got off the bench, in a mental daze. He was going to get to play for the first time as a professional. This was his moment!

    “Hurry up! We don’t have all day!” Korthe yelled at him. Cord snapped out of it and then hit the field. He could feel the grass underneath his cleats; this was home. He lined up across from the Pikemen corner back, who gave him a rough look. Cord shrugged and then waited for play to resume.

    There was a nice play made down at the other end by the Senator defense, and the ball came into the offensive zone. Cord made a hook route to clear the path for Forysthe, but it didn’t help because he ran smack dab into Rayel Edare, the Pantoran. Realizing his mistake, Cord tried to get free, but the Pikemen were sagging on him defensively, and then would come up and bump him off his route. Cord fell down after one such bump, and when the ball came in his direction, he tried to grab it while still on his knees. Then he was hit in the back and fell forwards on the ground.

    “Eat dirt!” yelled his matchup as he ran down the field. Cord spat out the grass he had just “tasted” and stood up. That had been a hard first shot, but at least it was out of the way.

    “Rook, keep track of where you need to go!” Forsythe yelled to him across the field. “You’ve got that first hit out of the way! You got this! Just focus and relax!” Cord knew that the veteran was right; he did have this.

    Down at the other end, the Senators had made a switch. Out was Rayel, and in came Myles Tormera to add another defender to the box. The Senator defense switched to a zone instead of the box they had been using previously, which mixed up the Pikemen. Around the horn went the ball, ending up in four different sets of hands. Then the play was made, and the Pikemen surged forwards, breaking the zone’s outer reaches. Tank slipped and was caught out of the surge, leaving him behind. Brancko Nagriski, the rookie Barabel full back, came up to make a play, but was stonewalled by two Pikemen forwards and fell down out of reach of the ball carrier. A nice shoestring tackle was made by Salata, and the forward went down, but not before throwing the ball into the air. The ball started to arc down towards Reena, who put her hands up to gather the ball in and make a play. But the ball never made it to her, as one of the Pikemen forward plowed right into her chest with his head, causing her body to recoil. Then another Pikemen forward rolled into her legs after being pushed aside by Tank, and took her footing out from under her. She landed hard on her stomach to the ground. The ball then went to the Pikemen forward who had made the play, who then pooch-kicked it to himself before then sending a rocket into the goal past Kapp for a three-point score.

    Cord couldn’t believe what he had just seen. Reena was struggling to get up, holding her chest and grimacing. But then she could feel her legs go out from under her, and she fell back to the turf, obviously in a lot of pain.

    This set off Gayla, who then confronted the offending player immediately, getting into his grill. “What the hell are you trying to pull?” she yelled into his face. “What the frak are you trying to pull?”

    Two Pikemen players ran forward to try and separate the two, but then it looked like to Cord that one of them socked Gayla in the mouth with a hard punch. Uh oh, he thought, that wasn’t good. He knew about Gayla’s past, and how she could go ballistic with only a little bit of provocation. Sure enough, Gayla went off, her temperature rising. She smashed one of the opposing players in the face, making him fall down to the ground, and then nailed one of the others in the groin with her knee, making him wince. Then she was restrained by teammates.

    “You’re ejected!” came the referee. “Get the hell out of here!”

    Gayla just looked at Cord from across the field. She nodded before leaving the field to the jeers of the crowd. But the Coruscant sideline was fired up; she had sacrificed herself to give her team a jolt of energy that they needed. The Pikemen would receive a penalty shot, one that would give them the lead if they converted, but first Reena needed attention on the field. Cord ran over to check on her, as did some of the other Senator players. By the time Cord reached the Hapan’s side, he could see the dark red color of vomit on the field. Reena was upchucking, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.

    “Is your chest all right?” the trainer, Dr. Trenos, asked. Reena shook her head. “I think we have a bruised sternum here, but check for clavicle and breastbone injury,” he said to his assistant. “Now, about your leg. Is it hurt?” Reena nodded before puking once again on the field. “Is it your knee or leg?”

    “Calf,” Reena said. “Hurts like hell.”

    The trainers moved her leg back and forth, trying to determine what the cause of the injury was. Finally, Trenos made a decision. “Torn hamstring,” he said. “You’re shelved for a month and a half.”

    “What?” Reena exclaimed. “A month and a half? I can’t rehab that long! The team . . .”

    “The team needs time to make changes,” Trenos said sternly. The Iktochi wasn’t going to back down here. “You will need to focus on rehab if you want to get back on the field. It’s too bad this game didn’t occur a few weeks ago, because then we could have you out there for Week 1. But now we’re going to shoot for about Week 4 or 5. I’m sorry.”

    Reena just laid back on the turf, staring at the sky. This was not news she had wanted to hear. It wasn’t like she would miss the whole season, but any injury of that duration sucked. What if the hamstring didn’t heal fully? Could she tear it again and cause long-term damage? Cord knelt down next to her. “You don’t look so good,” he commented.

    “Try having someone drive into your gut with their head,” Reena said, speaking obviously painful for her. “Go kick their asses for me out there, OK?” She curled her hand into a fist and raised it into the air. Cord bumped it with his own hand.

    “Will do,” he said. “They won’t know what hit them.”

    Finally Reena was taken off the field, and the game began. But Cord was incensed; Gayla had been the spark, and then Reena added the fire. He wanted to rip the Pikemen apart now. They would have nothing on him. The next possession after the goal by Empress Teta went to him. He made a nifty cut to dodge his matchup, and then he rammed into the taller Pikemen full back. She went down, freeing Cord up. A screen was set by Riff Persnor, and Cord burst through the opening, coming face-to-face with the Pikemen goalie. He sent out a ¾ arm position as he released the ball, which made the goalie hesitate ever so slightly. The ball snapped into the back of the net to tie the score.

    Cord stood there for a moment, stunned. He had scored a goal. Sure it was a friendly match, but he had scored nevertheless. He was mobbed by his teammates, and knew that he had done something important. Now he needed to continue that momentum.

    In the second half, Cord came out with a vengeance. He ripped down his matchup with a vicious side tackle, causing the ball to squirt free. Cord then slid feet-first towards the ball and kicked it just far enough to hit Max Qorbus. The Nautolan then sent a hard kick on the ground that went into the goal for 3. Later, Cord set a nice screen on the defender, allowing Riff Persnor to cycle around. Cord was freed up with this play, and the Cathar sent him the ball. Checking around him, Cord caught it and fired it behind his back. The goalie had no chance, and the ball zipped into the goal for another three points.

    “Hey you!” Cord shouted and pointed to his matchup, who got himself out of the grass. “Stay down!” He was feeling good right now. It was like he had all the energy in the galaxy at his fingertips. His minutes began to increase, and the coaches didn’t want to remove him just yet. He responded by hitting a wide-open Dauza Chary for a long shot that sailed over the bar.

    Cord looked over to the sideline to see that he was being called back. Dutifully, he ran over to the sideline. “Nice game, rook,” Pam said to him as he passed.

    “Hell of a game,” Allie said. “You made them dizzy out there! I like that. Keep it up.”

    Cord took a seat on the bench and instantly draped a towel over his head. He had earned it.

    When the game was over, the Senators had won, 22-15. It had been a team effort, and that showed on the scoreboard. Cord was given a game ball for his efforts, and knew that he might have a chance to make it in the league after all.

    Later on, Cord visited Reena in the hospital. She seemed to be doing better, so she was able to come back to Coruscant with the rest of the team on the shuttle.

    “Here,” Cord said. He handed Reena the game ball he had received.

    “A game ball?” Reena asked. “Not bad for your first game.”

    “All thanks to you, for giving me inspiration,” Cord said. “Oh, and to Gayla. She really got me into the zone.”

    When he got onto the shuttle, Gayla was the first to intercept Cord. “Not bad, I must say,” she commented. “You took it to ‘em, and made them pay. Nice work.”

    On the shuttle ride home, Cord just sat in his usual seat, pouring over game footage. He didn’t want this to be his only good game. This had to be the beginning of the career of Cord McKerty, not its peak. He truly wanted to be the best there ever was, and this was a good start.


    When he got back to his small apartment, he ate a quick sandwich and then went to bed. He hadn’t moved in with Reena yet, and now that she was injured, he doubted that anything would be done on that front for a while. But at least she was all right, and would recover. Then he fell asleep, completely exhausted from the game and trip back but hopeful that his success would continue.

    TAG: No One

    NOTE: And that, everyone, is a wrap on the 274 offseason whirlwind tour for me. On to the season! :D
     
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  19. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

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

    "Let's take our seats, shall we?" Esther Gondorf said.

    "Esther, where's the Commissioner?" a reporter asked, "Why isn't she briefing us?"

    "She has the Snivvian flu today," Gondorf replied, "Besides, just some minor housekeeping today. First off, the League has adopted a new roster freeze deadline in light of the longer schedule. Free agent signings and trades will be accepted up to the Week 5 games for 274 and moving forward unless specified otherwise," Gondorf said.

    "Additionally, the League has begun accepting bids for the 119th Galactic Cup Final. We have already received interest from one world about hosting the event. The Site Selection Committee will review bids as they are received."

    "Who's interested, Esther?"

    "We're not making that public at this time," Gondorf said shortly, "However, I can tell you that, as always, the last three hosts are ineligible for hosting this year. So you can bet it's not Euceron, Coruscant, or Ryloth. That's it. Short and sweet today, folks."

    TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Rebecca_Daniels Runjedirun Tim Battershell Vehn
     
  20. jcgoble3

    jcgoble3 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2010
    Sub-GM Post/IC: Marius Turnell
    Two months before the start of the Elite League season

    Marius tapped on the microphone to confirm it was on, then spoke to the assembled reporters. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlebeings. As you are all aware, there have been several changes in the roster of the Elite League, and these changes will affect the Futures League roster. The Onderon Crazy Dragons, Vandelhelm Jets, and Ryloth Rough Riders were all demoted from the Elite League; accordingly, their development teams, respectively the Denon Demons, Kessel Runners, and Shili Suncrushers, have been removed from the Futures League. The contracts and/or ownership arrangements between each of these three pairs of teams will dictate what happens to their status as development teams. To partially offset the loss of these three teams, we are pleased to welcome the Rydonni Prime Monarchs and their new development team, the Byblos Red Wings, to the fold of the Futures League. I wish the Red Wings the best of luck in their first season.

    "None of the new teams in the Elite League have elected to use a development team, though Corellia has said that they are actively considering doing so in the future. Nevertheless, that means we are left with just eight teams for the 274 season, two fewer than last year. As a result, we have decided to eliminate conferences and play a simple round robin. The conference names Strensky and Grames will be retained and reused if we return to a conference format in a later season.

    "After consideration, we have chosen not to increase the number of games to match the new Elite League schedule, but we will be taking advantage of the increased flexibility to add a couple of bye weeks to the season. The 274 Futures League schedule, which begins on the second week of Elite League action, will consist of seven games per team over eight weeks, with each team having one bye week between the third and sixth week of the season. Additionally, a second bye week has been inserted into the schedule between the regular season and the playoffs, on the first week of the Elite League playoffs. Due to the reduced size of the league, the playoffs will now last only two weeks. The top four teams will play each other in the championship bracket, while the fifth to eighth place teams will contest the consolation bracket. As with last season, third-, fifth-, and seventh-place games will ensure that all players can get two games' worth of playoff limmie experience.

    "Unfortunately, due to my very tight schedule today, I do not have time to take questions. I apologize for the inconvenience."



    Limmie Futures League 274 Schedule
    Week 1
    Druckenwell Marksmen at Tatooine Sandskimmers
    Commenor Gundarks at Kashyyyk Rangers
    Thyferra Force at Byblos Red Wings
    Concordia Crusaders at Kamino Waves

    Week 2
    Concordia Crusaders at Commenor Gundarks
    Kashyyyk Rangers at Kamino Waves
    Byblos Red Wings at Tatooine Sandskimmers
    Thyferra Force at Druckenwell Marksmen

    Week 3
    Concordia Crusaders at Thyferra Force
    Byblos Red Wings at Kashyyyk Rangers
    Commenor Gundarks at Tatooine Sandskimmers
    Bye: Kamino Waves and Druckenwell Marksmen

    Week 4
    Kashyyyk Rangers at Thyferra Force
    Byblos Red Wings at Druckenwell Marksmen
    Kamino Waves at Tatooine Sandskimmers
    Bye: Concordia Crusaders and Commenor Gundarks

    Week 5
    Thyferra Force at Kamino Waves
    Commenor Gundarks at Byblos Red Wings
    Druckenwell Marksmen at Concordia Crusaders
    Bye: Tatooine Sandskimmers and Kashyyyk Rangers

    Week 6
    Druckenwell Marksmen at Kashyyyk Rangers
    Tatooine Sandskimmers at Concordia Crusaders
    Kamino Waves at Commenor Gundarks
    Bye: Byblos Red Wings and Thyferra Force

    Week 7
    Concordia Crusaders at Byblos Red Wings
    Kamino Waves at Druckenwell Marksmen
    Tatooine Sandskimmers at Kashyyyk Rangers
    Thyferra Force at Commenor Gundarks

    Week 8
    Kashyyyk Rangers at Concordia Crusaders
    Commenor Gundarks at Druckenwell Marksmen
    Kamino Waves at Byblos Red Wings
    Tatooine Sandskimmers at Thyferra Force

    TAG: Bardan_Jusik Runjedirun Vehn Jedi Gunny Rebecca_Daniels CPL_Macja
     
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  21. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Alysha Romax
    Mandalore

    Alysha took in a deep breath as she stared down the tunnel into the massive stadium before her. She closed her eyes, trying to relax herself, but knew that there was no way someone could be completely relaxed when going into an environment such as this. The Mandalorians were especially problematic given their recent troubles, and that piled on top of the crap they usually tried to pull made this especially difficult. Her third overall game as captain, and first one in the regular season, had to be here, didn’t it? What a cruel way to start out a captain’s career, being here first.

    “You ready to go?” Izzi Polakaya asked from behind the Hapan. Izzi, one of three assistant captains for the team, had been one of Alysha’s teammates for many years now. They both saw time together on the field in defensive situations when a lockdown blanket was needed on the field. They were the best defensive duo the Senators could put out at midfield, and this had been used quite a bit in the past.

    “No,” Alysha replied. “I’m never ready to play here.”

    “Eh, what a way to start out your first season as captain,” Izzi commented. Gee, thanks for telling me what I already know, Alysha thought to herself. “But you’ve been here before, won a few games. It’s not like you’re new,” Izzi continued.

    “First time I’ve had this kind of responsibility,” Alysha replied sullenly.

    “You’ll get through it,” Izzi said. “Every journey begins with the first step.”

    “Not every journey begins with a bunch of crazed meatheads wanting to stick a blaster up your ass,” Alysha said back.

    “True,” Izzi said. “Try coaching sometime, though. Makes you wish you were still playing.”

    “I’m not too worried about that,” Alysha said. “Still need to finish off my career. And I need this game to start off well.”

    “Then don’t worry about it. One game doesn’t mean as much,” Izzi said. “Just do what you can, and go into next week better off for it. Now come on. We have a game to win.”

    And thus the Senators came out of their tunnel. “Don’t you just love this atmosphere?” Izzi asked.

    “Never wish I had left,” Alysha said with the sarcasm dripping from her mouth as she spoke. The team warmed up a little on the field before returning to its sideline.

    “All right, listen up,” Pamila Korthe said as her team surrounded her. “This place can get a little loud, so rookies, make sure to follow the veterans. I’m counting on you four,” she said, motioning to the captains, “to keep the peace out there, and to convey play calls. We’re still using the hand signals, but make sure to keep going for long stretches without needing to look over here, because then you lose track of the game. Keep your head in the zone and ram it down their throats. We have seen them play, but they haven’t seen us like this. We’ve changed our game up, so make ‘em pay and start off right.”


    Alysha settled in across from Arick Vau, the Mercs’ “golden boy” phenom who had been struggling the last few seasons with the Elite League game. But he was still dangerous, so she had drawn his assignment for this one. On her other side was Gayla Renhorn, who had drawn the Wookiee, Ogeeogilthorp. It was a tall order, literally, but if there was anyone who had the bravado to take on a Wookiee in the midfield, it was Gayla. When the kickoff came, Alysha started running. She knew that a new chapter in her career had just started.

    TAG: No One
     
  22. Runjedirun

    Runjedirun Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    IC: Lucie Vigo


    Lucie had to give up a few shifts at the restaurant to hold try-outs and fill the dance team roster earlier than she had originally anticipated. She also made arrangements to have dinner with her family back home. The dinner at home gave her more knots in her stomach than any dance performance ever had. Her father insisted on coming to pick her up. About an hour before he was expected to arrive Lucie was pacing the apartment. Wondering what it would be like to see them again. She tried on about 5 different outfits trying to figure out what was appropriate to wear then she applied washed off and reapplied make up. Then suddenly she heard a knock at her door.

    Lucie had instructed her father to give her a call when he got close so he could pick her up out in front of the building. But she knew he had parked and come up the moment she heard knocking. She braced herself and opened the door. “Dad? I thought I told you to pick me out up front?”

    “You did,” her father replied knowingly “but I wanted to see where my little girl has been living.” He pushed the door open further, stepped in and took a look around. “You pay for this all on your own?” he asked. Lucie nodded. “The Starkillers are paying you well.”

    “Actually” Lucie conceded “I do have a side job.”

    “So you aren’t making enou…” suddenly her father caught himself mid-sentence. It was obvious he didn’t want to cause tension or criticize. “What other type of work do you do?” he asked instead.

    “I wait tables” Lucie said with confidence. Lucie was not ashamed of who she had become. If her parents acted as if they were, this would be the last time she bothered trying to re-connect. She had decided that before making the arrangements.

    “Honest work” her father remarked. “Are you ready to go, I can catch you up a little on the way to the house.”

    Lucie grabbed her purse “ready as I’ll ever be.” She confirmed.

    As her father led her out to where his speeder was parked he began to explain the current situation at home. “There’s tension at the house, I’m not going to lie” he began. “Your mother, the older children and I all knew Bat was acting differently, but none of us wanted to believe it was anything serious. He has a court date next week. Everyone avoids the subject at home. Especially your mother, she and Bat aren’t talking. I’ve hired a lawyer and met with him and Bat several times. I think the case will take care of itself. I’m just hoping Bat learns something from all this and stays out of trouble.”

    Lucie processed the information, but she had no idea what to say. She kept quiet on the ride to her family’s home. Her father remarked that she lived in a nice neighborhood. She could tell he wanted her to know he was proud of her. She appreciated that, but was mostly worried about seeing her mother again. It sounded like her mother hadn’t changed. She had wanted Lucie to give up dancing and concentrate on more marketable skills, refused to allow her to pursue her dream. Ultimately it had been the reason she left home. And now it sounded like she was shutting out Bat as well, when he needed her most.


    Then to her surprise her father brought up the Starkillers. “I suppose your life has been exciting these past couple of years, especially now that the Starkillers have been promoted to the ELL. You’re the captain of the dance team, right? That’s a real accomplishment.”

    “It’s been interesting.” Lucie remarked.

    “Well your brothers are going to have lots of questions. Especially Spencer and Richard, they follow the teams every move.”

    “I’ll do my best to answer them” Lucie shrugged. She recognized the residential area where her family lived approaching. The size of the homes overwhelmed her. It came back to her suddenly the fact she had been living in an apartment that was barely bigger than her old bedroom. She watched as her father punched a code to open a gate to the private lane they resided on.

    “How’s it feel to be home?” he asked as he parked the speeder.

    Lucie didn’t know how to respond. She wasn’t just nervous, she felt like she didn’t belong here. Part of her wanted to run back to her own apartment. But she was here now and she had to go in. “How long is dinner going to last?” she heard herself ask.

    “Don’t worry” her father reassured, he came around the speeder helped Lucie out and put his arm around her. “If things get too awkward for you let me know and I’ll take you home whenever you want, but I hope you stay a while.” She nodded as they began to make their way to the door. Sure enough Spencer, Richard and even her littlest brother Tomas were waiting at the door and they had questions about the Starkillers.

    Lucie explained that she hadn’t been present for practices to see the rookies and know if they would make a difference this season. She conceded that she might be able to get them tickets, but their parents would have to allow the to come to any game she may be able to get tickets for, she let on that she thought Clara’s biggest coaching problem was that she worked the team too hard. Then she asked if she still had a sister somewhere in the house.

    “Justyne is in her room” Spencer told Lucy.

    “Junstyne is always in her room” Tomas added.

    “Why don’t you go get her, Lucie” she heard her father suggest. “You can meet us in the dining room. It’s about time we eat.”

    Lucie made her way upstairs and to Justyne’s room. The house was just as she remembered. A few new holos were up representing her siblings doing things since she had left. There was even a few of Justyne at what were obviously dance recitals. She knocked gently; her sister came to the door immediately, mumbled “I know time for dinner” and walked right by her. Not even a hello. Lucie realized her sister was probably a holding a grudge for being left the only girl in the house and that her sister was at an awkward age, so she did her best to brush it off as she followed her downstairs to eat.

    She saw Bat for the first time at dinner as well. He didn’t interact with anyone and barely touched his food. Spencer, Tom and Richard continued to grill Lucie on the Starkillers. By dessert she had arranged for her father to bring them to the upcoming scrimmage against Kuat so they could analyze the team for themselves. When she asked if Justyne would be interested in attending the game her mother answered a firm no for her younger daughter. Justyne showed no emotion over the matter. She asked to be excused before dessert and retreated back to her room.

    The remainder of the evening was uneventful. Lucie did her best to enjoy the company of her brothers. Her sister remained in her room and she wasn’t sure where her mother retreated to. After dinner Bat hung around, but didn’t say anything. Just before she had to go Lucie asked how he was doing. “Okay” was all he said. She wished him the best and let him know that she hoped one day he’d be able to come see a game too.

    On the ride home Lucie felt a little more comfortable with her father. She found out that she could attend the court date in support of her brother. Something she decided she wanted to do. She also learned that her sister was being allowed to take as many dance classes as she pleased. Her father apologized for how things had turned out with Lucie. He conceited that he had been too hung up on a work project and hadn’t realized she was about to leave home until she had already left. Lucie didn’t say so, but she believed it was mostly her mother’s idea to try to force Lucie into another field. She told her dad she’d call as soon as she had the tickets so he could come pick them up. They even shared a short embrace before she got out of the speeder and headed back to her apartment. For the first time in a very long time it felt lonely as she tried to drift off to sleep.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The day of the game against Kuat arrived much faster than Lucie ever expected. She was very concerned about the performance level her team would be able to pull off with such little practice. It had been especially frustrating that she had to spend half a day coaching the entire squad on how to greet fans before the game. But she took her job seriously, all aspects of her job and she knew pleasing fans was a very important aspect. Luckily the autograph signings went smoothly. She even managed to sign her name for the infamous Gamorrean with a smile on her face.

    As the dance squad took the field Lucie felt especially proud to look up into the crowd and see her father and brothers waving. She made the mistake of waving back and then watched as just about every male species in the section gave her a wave in return. She didn’t hold back an eye roll, as if she would wave at some Limmie fan slob who had nothing better to do with their day off work than to act like an animal hollering, shouting and stuffing their face all at once.

    Lucie was not surprised to see Clara put all the starters in, it was just like her to want to win, even if it was only a scrimmage. It wasn’t long before the Starkillers pulled out in front scoring 6 easy points. One goal scored by Loren and another quickly followed by Marmu. Then disaster struck. Jiims putting it all on the line as always went down hard and didn’t get back up. Lucie always thought the Talz was unstoppable, but he was getting older and the Triforce were playing with a fierce rage after being scored on twice in the opening minutes. Play stopped for a very long time as medical personnel first examined Jiims on the field and then decided to load him onto a stretcher and a hover cart to remove him from the playing surface. Lucie did her best to keep her team on the field and distract fans, but fans were angry. One of their best players was most likely out for the season due to an unnecessary game.

    When play finally resumed the mood of the stadium had declined. Fans and players alike wore long faces. Lucie had to do something. Just before half time she decided to change up the uniforms to a set with brighter colors and for the female dancers something that showed a little more skin. She picked the most upbeat song she knew and even encouraged a little audience participation. Her tactics seemed to work, when the Starkillers returned to the field fans were cheering for them again. The remainder of the game brought little action on the field, but Lucie made sure her squad entertained to the last play.

    Fortunately the Starkillers managed to win, so the fans left in a decent mood. Though she imagined they were wondering as much as she was the fate of Jiims Woudron. They didn’t have long to wait it was announced that night on local and national news that Woudron was out for the season and in an unexpected turn of events his brother Jooms was also refusing to play. Just what the Starkillers needed two of their long time veterans were out and game one against the defending ELL champs was just days away.

    TAG: Rebecca_Daniels
     
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  23. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    May 20, 2008
    IC: Jed Ortmeyer
    Byblos

    Jed looked at his players as they waited for him to say something to them before the game began. It was the beginning of another LFL season, and, as fat would have it, the Force drew the Byblos Red Wings, the new kids in town and yet another development affiliate of the Rydonni Prime Monarchs. Jed had no idea how the Monarchs pulled this kind of thing off, but it wasn’t his concern. All that he had to be worried about was the upcoming game.

    He looked at his players, each one of their faces glued to him. He could see the “lifers”, like Baul Sdent, Dypral, Paz, and Villie Bywash, who had been with the Force since 269, had won the Chancellor’s Cup in 270, went to the Elite League in 271, and had jumped into the LFL in 273 and finished third out of 10 teams. For most of them, they probably knew that they were likely to sit and rot on this roster, but since this team paid decently well, and they had little prospect of playing for other teams at this level of pro ball, they kept at it. Then his glance drifted to the newer players, the ones he had worked with for a few years. Dizzy Rol’per, Crell Van Derven, Nall Futter . . . all of them were now starting after a few years of bench work that had turned out well. It was their first chance to show the big club what they had. And lastly he took a look at the newcomers, the rookies, draft picks, and unwanted free agents. He looked at Leah Nergbolt, Ganos Fama, Almert Song and Jam Tarpals. These kids, fresh out of college yet the latter two passed over in the three rounds of the Draft (Fama himself was Mr. Irrelevant, so he almost missed out on the benefits of being a draft pick), wanted to show what they could do. Missing from the room was Griff Hakuna, the Twi’lek who had been projected to start at corner back this season to replace Reid Livingstone, but since the Senators had an injury, Hakuna had gotten the call-up due to his previous ELL experience. The injury had been to Reena Wyley, one of Jed’s better defensive players in his time with the team, and someone he knew had talent.

    “This is our first game of the year,” he said simply. Hm, that was an obvious statement. “And, as such, we don’t really know what we have going for us, and what we need to work on. For a few of you, this is your first pro game. A lot of you have played pro ball before, but some not at this level of competition. Things are rough out there, and it will show. You need to be prepared to do your best out there and try to earn yourself a call-up. With the longer season in place this year, the Senators are likely to be watching us with extra intensity and focus in case some of their players go down with injuries. As we saw with Mr. Hakuna, that has already happened, and can occur again at the drop of a hat.

    Today, we face off against a completely new team, in a new venue, with new fans. This is their first-ever game, and they will of course be pumped to make things happen. We need to shut them down and play our game. They have some rehabbing ELL players on their roster, so we may have a mismatch in spots. But I think we can hold our own out there. A month and a half of training camp must count for something, or else we need to re-evaluate ourselves as a team and try to figure out our priorities. Starting out the season with a win would be nice, so let’s go out there and raise some hell, and hopefully we can spoil their little party here.”


    After a word with new team captain Rainy Frantsen, a “lifer” half back, Jed led his team out through the team tunnel and onto the field. It was game one of year two for Jed, and he knew that this year expectations would be high to keep the Force in contention.

    TAG: CPL_Macja
     
  24. CPL_Macja

    CPL_Macja Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 29, 2008


    IC: Vesper Lynd
    The Grande Villa, Rydonni Prime

    As Vesper departed from the meeting her comlink chirped with an incoming message that simply read:

    Meeting. My Office. Now. Rhemes

    The simple message usually meant one thing, the GM was not happy about something. She knew that he was already upset about what happened during the match against Byblos, but when she noticed that she was the only one not walking towards the shuttle back to the players’ dorms at the training facility she knew it was about her. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a familiar figure lurking in the shadows. She knew full well that the other person would not reveal themselves until they were sure that the floor had cleared.

    [​IMG]

    So Vesper just leaned up against the opposite wall and waited until her teammates had departed. “The coast is clear. You can come out now.” Arden moved out of the shadows and Vesper met him half way. Once she thought they were clear of prying eyes she grabbed his face, pulling his lips to hers. After lingering there for as long as she dared, Vesper pulled back and looked the Baronet in his eyes. “What in the name of the Force are you doing here?”

    “Well if you must know, I had to give the RepulsorDrive Labs report to the Rythani Products board. I was going to do it via holonet, but then I got a message from my sister to meet with her in the General Manager’s office. I found the request kind odd seeing as my older sister’s office is housed in Rythani Center where the board was meeting. So I hoped on my shuttle and flew back home. What are you doing, since it looks like your team was leaving?”

    “I too have been summoned to the GM’s office, seems like our secret rendezvous have been discovered by mommy and daddy making them grumpy with us.”

    Arden cringed, “Don’t ever refer to my sister as mommy again. Now come on before they find some way to bench both of us.” The duo climbed into the lift and for the first couple of seconds they both stood at the back of the car in silence. They both had their hands on the railing that ran along the inside of the car. Arden subtly placed his hand on top of Vesper’s, which caused her heart to flutter slightly. She turned her hand over and grasped Arden’s, they turned their heads towards each other and locked eyes. Whatever awaited them in the General Manager’s office, they were going to face it together.

    To Vespers amazement the doors to the lift opened to reveal an empty reception area, “Well this can’t be a good sign.” The couple continued to hold hands as they walked past the sparsely filled trophy case. The recently won Adrimar-K’ntarr Shield hung in a newly constructed case with a small placard underneath marking the date, location and score of the match. It had been affixed in such a way that it allowed for more placards to be mounted with it, implying that the Monarchs planned of it to visit them on several more occasions. Once they reached the doors they swung open of their own accord and the two walked in to find Setarcos sitting behind his desk and Variise standing by his side.

    “For fraks sake,” the GM cursed, “Can you two give it a rest for even one minute?”

    With a slight hint of reddening of their cheeks, both Arden and Vesper dropped the other’s hand. “Sorry Skipper,” After last season, Vesper had taken to calling Setarcos the traditional name of the UBCS Blue Birds’ head coach. No one else on the team picked up on the reference as it seemed to be a Bakuaran reference. “You wanted to see me?”

    “Yes, actually, I wanted to see both of you. Do either of you know an Erika O’Shane?” Both Vesper and Arden gave each other a very confused look, thought about the question for a couple of second and followed it up with a shake of their heads. “No? Well perhaps this will help.” Setarcos pushed a couple of buttons on his desk and an image of a young female shimmered to life between the two pairs. “How about now?”

    [​IMG]

    Arden leaned in closer to get a better look at the image, “I’m not sure,” the young nobleman started, “she kinda looks familiar, but I can’t be certain.” Vesper on the other hand recognized her right away, “She was at the café on Byblos and I think she was at the Awards on Euceron, but with red hair.”

    “Excellent observation and memory Lynd,” Variise praised, “This is the reporter from the BBC that has been trailing the team, specifically the family.”

    “Why us?” Vesper asked with a furrowed brow.

    “Security believes that she is trying to get an inside track on,” Setarcos paused as he looked down at his datapad, “and I quote, ‘the budding romances of heiresses and businessmen’. Apparently you two are the first targets.” Setarcos pushed another button on his datapad and the image of the young reporter disappeared and was replaced by the holo-zine article Setarcos received earlier that morning.

    “What in the name of the Force is that?” Vesper exclaimed, “That’s us at the café on Byblos! How could she have gotten that close? Your bodyguards had everyone pushed back.”

    Arden studied the article for a moment and then looked up at his sister and Setarcos, “So what are we going to do about this?”

    “What are we?!?” Setarcos responded in amazement.

    “There is no we in this little brother, the question is what are you two going to do about this? The younger brother of a team owner messing around with one of the players of that team, it’s not usually something that is looked upon to kindly. Now I don’t care what you two are doing, just keep it out of the media.”

    Setarcos looked between the two as Variise finished her lecture. Once he was sure they were done he simply added. “Now get out of my office.”

    ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
    IC: Setarcos Rhemes
    Game Day, Euceron

    The Monarchs learned a few lessons from their final friendly with Genet. One, Clair and Cali had not forgotten how to play off of one another. Yes Cali was the more popular Midfielder because of the game cover she was on, but that didn’t mean that Clair was any less capable. Unfortunately they also learned that Nat Benneb was not ready to fill the shoes of Sugnok Umanh, Genet’s offense practically could walk the bolo into the goal. Mara was having trouble getting to their shots effectively and complained about her knees bothering her.

    So on the flight to Euceron he released the starting line-up for their Week 1 match-up with the Storm to not only the team, but to the proper media outlets. The big news was that the team’s captain, Mara Singus, was not going to be starting. Instead, the rookie, Clair Oswin, was going to be filling in at her alternate position of Goalkeeper. The coach knew the move was a risky one, but in his mind it was better to let his all-star keeper rest a game and start the season with a loss, then play the captain and run the chance of losing her all season to injury.

    As he looked around the locker room he could see the looks of nervousness on the faces of his four true rookies. This was going to be a test, not just for the rookies, but for the rest of the team as well. It was the first time in over half a decade that Mara was not starting a match in goal for the Monarchs. She had become a symbol for the Monarchs, a young scrapper who had worked her way up in the organization, now she was their leader on the field.

    Setarcos decided that he needed to loosen up his team so he started singing:

    “Here we go back, this is the moment
    Tonight is the night, we’ll fight 'til it’s over
    So we put our hands up like the ceiling can’t hold us
    Like the ceiling can’t hold us
    Can we go back, this is the moment
    Tonight is the night, we’ll fight 'til it’s over
    So we put our hands up like the ceiling can’t hold us
    Like the ceiling can’t hold us.

    “Let the night come, before the fight's won
    Some might run against the test
    But those that triumph, embrace the fight cause
    Their fears then prove that courage exists”

    That seemed to lift the spirits of everyone in the room, they were in such a good mood they didn’t care whether the roof was opened or close, or what the weather was like outside, they were just ready to get the regular season rolling.

    TAG: jcgoble3
     
  25. Trieste

    Trieste Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2010
    GM Post

    Happy Opening Day! (Would have embedded, but there's one no-no word in there.) Bonus rolls this week for Agamar, Bakura, Coruscant, Euceron, Mando'ade, Nar Shaddaa, Ralltiir, and Rydonni Prime.

    Week 1 Results

    Coruscant Senators at Mando’ade Mercs (17-19)
    Chandrila Patriots at Corellia Rebels (21-10)
    Rydonni Prime Monarchs at Euceron Storm (24-25)
    Hapes Consortium Buccaneers at Agamar Packers (20-6)
    Bakura Miners at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers (38-29)
    Ralltiir Starkillers at Ylesia Lightning (6-6, OT 11-8)

    As a reminder to everyone, season statistics will be updated in the library thread after every week and even further statistics, including the result of every game from every week, can be found on the 274 page in the Wiki.

    TAG: Bardan_Jusik CPL_Macja jcgoble3 Jedi Gunny Rebecca_Daniels Runjedirun Tim Battershell Vehn
     
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