Before - Legends Legendary - for the Minor Roulette challenge

Title: Legendary
Author(s): KotORBF2Female_Revan
Timeframe: 60 BBY
Characters: Maur Howins
Keywords: Minor Roulette
Summary: A smashball legend earns his status.


I wrote this little sports story for the Minor Roulette challenge, where I was assigned the extremely minor character of Maur Howins. If anyone actually reads this, I apologize if this is poorly written or unclear or anything, as this is the first time I’ve really written a narrative in the last couple years. That being said, any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

Legendary​

The buzzer goes off.

The final round of the game has started.

Maur Howins, halfback for Lafra’s smashball team, springs forward.

Swinging with the assistance of his grappling hook, he soars, lunging for the ball, but it refuses his grip, favoring that of a forward for the Ranphyxes. Good thing they ain’t as protected, he thinks. Signaling to a fullback on his team to fire his stunblaster, Howins uses a quick boost from his turbopack to reach the forward’s position and retrieve the ball. Although the forward’s role is to be quick, they sacrifice some protective equipment for their speed.

Taking full advantage of this, the two Lafrarians take down the Elomin forward. But they must move quickly; the stunblaster only affects the person for one minute. Maur Howins rushes forward and notices the goalpost is two platforms higher than his current level. Somewhat conveniently, there was enough of a gap between his current platform, the next level higher in his path, and the goalpost’s platform for him to swiftly reach it and score.

Aiming his grappling hook, he shoots and swings. As he soars, he feels a shot scathe his armor, and another whoosh past him. Two Elomin fullbacks were trying to take him down. A grim expression crosses his countenance, determination rising within him. He lands, shoots, swings—

Roars rise from the crowd as he falls to the ground—THUD--and blacks out.

A minute passes, and he is up again. With the assistance of his turbopack, he speeds to the center, and finds the ball in the hands of a halfback from the opposite team. Grabbing his stunblaster, he aims for a weak spot in the equipment coverage and fires. THUD—the Elomin hits the ground. A forward from his team retrieves the ball, and Howins and three others, a halfback and two fullbacks, move to guard the player. However, the forward, for lack of resistance, is shot down, and another halfback from Lafra’s team quickly snatches the ball.

Luck does not want to give them an easy win, however. While Maur was unconscious, the Ranphyxes scored, upping their overall goals to thirteen and causing a tied score. There is only one minute left, and each tick of the clock presses him.

The other halfback is shot down, leaving Howins the only viable choice to shoot the winning goal; fullbacks serve to shoot down players attempting to score, and their equipment limits their speed.

Retrieving the ball, Maur notices he is one level lower than the goalpost. Once again, he shoots, swings, lands, and rushes forward. The two fullbacks are swiftly flanking him, one protecting him from others, and the other attempting to distract the goalie, who is the strongest on the team.

30 seconds.

Stunblaster bolts zoom past him and sweat drips down his forehead as he sprints for the goalpost.

15 seconds.

Time seems to slow down as Maur goes in for the goal.

No!

In a rare moment of miscalculation and imbalance, his foot slides under him.

Only two feet from the goalpost, he hopes for the best as he throws the ball, a grunt escaping his throat.

The ball barely skims past the goalie and Lafra scores. The buzzer goes off and the crowd goes wild.

He lifts himself from the ground and his team lifts him in celebration.

The realization of the importance of this goal does not come until later; coincidentally, this game was the 50th that season, and the winning goal the 50th he scored that season. And so, Maur Howins is established as a legend, with 50 goals in 50 games as his mark of distinction.

 

Nice bit of narration there. You captured the excitement of the game.