Star Wars OPEN Elite League Limmie

HSN Headlines (Ralltiir Edition)

• Eldest daughter of the late two time Galactic Cup winning and Hall of Famer Bartholomew Vigo, Serene Vigo, officially enters the 297 ELL draft
• Local Cambrielle girl and Ex - Girlfriend of TJ Allin, Alexa Superspy, also declares for the 297 ELL draft.

Tags: anyone interested in the draft

 

IC: Jed Starkrimson
Evenvale, Bakura
Keldabe, Mandalore

​

Jed was not a big galactic traveler. In fact, he’d never been this far from Bakura before in his life. But here he was, almost on the other side of the galaxy. On Mandalore.

He took a deep breath as it sunk in just where he was. It seemed like almost everyone carried a blaster (or something even more powerful) around here. It was an acute reminder of the fact he’d never even held a blaster in his life, let alone fired one.

Jed looked at the nondescript building in front of him. It didn’t look much different than the other buildings he’d seen around Keldabe: squat and functional. If it wasn’t for the large dish on the roof and the address he’d found on the HoloNet, he would have doubted he was in the right place.

In fact, he still did, for the building was relatively dark inside. He was about to turn around and leave when he picked up echoes coming from one of the halls. Despite a somewhat-justified fear that he might get barbecued for being nosy, Jed followed the sound. He passed by rooms with softly humming machinery, heading towards a golden light spilling out from an open doorway down the hall.

Jed poked his head inside to find the antechamber of a studio. On the other side of glass he could barely make out two figures sitting at mics floating in the air.

“What do you want?” came from a speaker on Jed’s side of the glass.

“I, uh, I--” Jed started.

“Press the red button,” came a second voice from the speaker.

Jed scanned the board and eventually found a red button. He depressed it with one finger. “I’m looking for a woman.”

“Aren’t we all. Come on back,” came the first voice. “Through the door to the left.”

Jed pressed the button for the door and found a human male and a Zabrak male sitting at a table. In the background Jed could hear a commercial for flamethrower fuel coming from a set of speakers.

“Hey, so there’s only one female around here,” the man said.

“And--” the Zabrak began.

“You want a popsicle?” Jed turned to find a human female standing there with a handful of popsicles of various hues. “The fridge in the back broke and they’re just melting.”

“No. Thanks. Look--”

“Have a popsicle,” she said, pushing a bright yellow one into Jed’s hand. She handed the others to the two others.

“So this guy’s here looking for a woman,” the Zabrak said.

“And I guess it isn’t you,” the first man said. “Otherwise he would have probably wanted a popsicle.”

She looked at Jed. “I’m pretty sure I’m not the droid you’re looking for.”

“Droid?” the Zabrak said.

“Forget about it,” the woman said. “No one gets my references.”

“Look,” Jed said, finally getting a word in, “are you guys Randy and Justin? From the Rancor Pit?”

“No man, we’re not the Pit crew,” the man said.

Jed sighed.

“Hold on a sec,” the Zabrak said. He leaned forward and cocked his head, a finger poised above a button. Just as the commercial that had been playing in the background finished, he pressed the button.

“And we’re back here on The Fandalorian. I’m Randy the Rancor,” emanated from a speaker.

“And I’m Justin Pitt. Let’s go back to the callers.”

“Hey Justin, hey Randy. This is Qir’a Djarin.”

“Welcome to the Pit, Qi’ra.”

“What do you want to talk about today?”

“I want to talk about the rumors that Ur’ban Me’yer might take a pro job in the near future...”

“That’s the Rancor Pit,” the second man said, gesturing to the banks of terminals.

Jed looked up at the ceiling in disbelief and disappointment. “The Pit is a computer?”

“No, nothing like that,” the first man said. “It’s a bunch of recordings.”

“Oh hey, I heard there were popsicles,” an older human male said, standing in the doorway that Jed had come through.

“Knock yourself out,” the human female said, handing one over.

He looked at it askance. “Have you been eating this already?”

“What do you think a popsicle looks like when it melts?” the woman said. The older human couldn’t see, but she winked at Jed and the two others.

The older human shrugged and began licking the popsicle.

“So where’s the Rancor Pit recorded? Like, where’s Randy and Justin right now?”

“The Pit crew--they’re everywhere,” the Zabrak said.

“But there was something I wanted to ask them,” Jed pressed.

“What’s that?” the human male asked.

“Well...I mean this is going to sound silly,” Jed admitted.

“We’re madly giving melting popsicles away to anyone we can find. Try us,” the woman said.

“OK...so I went to the Draft on Coruscant this year and I had a blast,” Jed started.

“Who’s your team?” the Zabrak asked.

“Miners.”

“No wonder. Good draft. A+ grade for them,” the older human said in between popsicle licks.

“Right?” Jed agreed. “But here’s the thing. I kind of...well, I was partying with my friends and I blacked out and apparently ditched my friends. When I woke up on the shuttle the next morning I’d sent one of my friends this message that said I’d met my soulmate, but I don’t know who she is.”

“That’s wild,” the Zabrak said.

“Yeah, and I keep remembering snippets of the night. Turns out I met all these different women, but I don’t know which of them is my soulmate. They were for all these different ELL teams too: Carratos, Nar Shaddaa, Coruscant, Ralltiir, Mando’ade.”

“Was that last one a Mandalorian?” the human male asked.

“Yeah.”

“Remember her beskar’gam?” the older man asked. “If you do, maybe we could figure out who she is from her sigil.”

Jed shook his head. “Not a clue. I don’t remember anything like that. I don’t suppose the fact she had a flamethrower and enjoyed throwing vibroaxes would distinguish her, would it?”

“That’s pretty much most Mandalorians on a Centaxday night,” the younger human male said.

“That’s my problem. I’m never going to figure out who she was--who any of them were. So I thought…” Jed scratched the back of his head. “...I thought maybe if the guys on the Pit mentioned all this on the broadcast she might hear it and could call in or something like that. The Rancor Pit has one of the biggest audiences in the galaxy among limmie fans. There’s a chance that she might hear it.”

The Zabrak looked at the human male. “I don’t know if the Pit would go in for that. They like to stick to sports.”

“I suppose we could relay it to them, see if they’re up for it. Might get it on midweek during the lull when they need content,” the younger man said.

“No, no. It’s got to be the Taungsday broadcast, the big one, right after the limmie games. I heard that’s the one that gets the highest ratings. That’s the best shot she’ll be listening,” Jed insisted.

“There’s no way we could get to the Pit before they record the Taungsday broadcast. Even if we could, that program’s set. They wouldn’t have the room for it,” the Zabrak said with a shake of his head.

Jed’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Whoa, whoa, hold on. Sit down. Have a popsicle,” the woman said, guiding Jed into a chair.

“I already have a popsicle,” Jed moped.

“Eat it. It’s good for you. It’s probably at least a couple servings of fruit,” the woman said.

“More like five servings of sugar,” the older human said.

“Look, I can’t talk for the Pit, but seeing as I’m the only woman in this studio--”

“Debatable,” the Zabrak said, throwing a grin to the two other males.

She whipped around. “We can have that debate--the day you show up here in a dress.” She turned back to Jed. “What I was saying was: you shouldn’t sit here pining away for somebody. Go out there and keep looking.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, she’s got a point,” the younger human male said. “Look, are you from Bakura?” Jed nodded. “No offense to your homeworld, but it isn’t exactly the hub of the universe, if I know what you mean. And...I’ll tell you this much. Sometimes the Pit crew comes by here to drop off recordings, make sure we haven’t burned the place down. When they do, they tell stories about all the incredible places they get to go. The Pit crew’s been everywhere, seen everything. They’ve got so many stories and memories. And we’re sitting here sucking on popsicles.”

“They’re good popsicles,” the older human added.

“Sound like you wish you could get out of here. Why don’t you?” Jed asked.

“Well, we’re not spring Endorian chickens,” the Zabrak said. He looked down at his middle aged paunch, as if to punctuate the fact. “We’ve been here a while. The Rancor Pit...the Pit crew gave us our start. It’s become our life. We couldn’t leave now.”

“Got to be loyal to the Pit,” the older human said. He was nearly done with his popsicle.

Jed nodded.

The younger human leaned over and pressed a button to flip the broadcast into the next segment. “I tell you what. We’ll see if we can get the Pit crew, tell them what’s up. Maybe--maybe they can squeeze it into the Taungsday broadcast.”

“You’d do that? Really?” Jed asked. “That’d be great.”

Jed shook hands with everyone. The older human’s hand was sticky from the popsicle. “Sorry about that. They really are melting.”

“Hey, you going to the game tomorrow?” the Zabrak asked.

“Nah, I’m catching a Star Tours express flight back to Bakura in a few hours. I just came out to see if I could talk to the Pit,” Jed said.

“Really?” the younger human said with surprise. “For the first time in ELL history the game’s probably going to decide the Commissioner’s Trophy and who goes straight to the Final. I don’t think wild gundarks could keep me away from being at Mesh’la Vhetin tomorrow.”

“We’ve probably got some promo tickets around here. They send ‘em over once in a while,” the Zabrak said, looking around the studio.

“It’s OK. I got my three best friends in the world and a couch waiting for me on Bakura tomorrow,” Jed said.

The younger man looked at the other beings in the room. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Just don’t get too cozy on that couch. Go out and see the galaxy while you still can.”

“Promise,” Jed said.

“Hey!” the woman said before Jed could leave the studio. Jed turned. “If we get this spot on and the right lady hears it, what are we supposed to do?”

“Oh!” Jed fumbled in his pocket for a piece of flimsi. “Here’s my contact info.”

She took it and gave Jed a two finger salute. “Say hi to RX for me on the flight. Hope he’s gotten used to his programming by now. Hey, you want another popsicle?”

Jed declined and headed down the hall to get back to the spaceport, but paused when he heard music from back in the studio. Something about it seemed familiar. Jed retraced his steps to peek through the open door. Microphones were hovering in front of all four beings’ faces, automatically keeping themselves at a distance from them as they moved. He looked over the shoulder of the older human, now sitting on Jed’s side of the glass.

“LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! From downtown Keldabe, on this Benduday afternooooon. Welcome on into the Rancor Pitt, here on your wave home of the Mando'ade Mercs. I'm Randy the Rancor, he's Justin Pitt. Liz over on the boards, with Kitterich on the other side of the glass and oh baby do we have a lot to talk about today,” the Zabrak said into his microphone.

“You can feel it in the air: it’s Coalition Memorial Game week here on Mandalore. We’ve got so much to talk about today,” the younger human male said.

“Winner’s in the pilot’s seat for the Commissioner’s Trophy and a spot in the Final,” the older human said from the booth side of the glass.

“Let’s get to it.”

“Before we get sued by at least two, maybe three, different copyright holders for this homage!” the woman said, sitting in front of a large audio board.

Jed smiled and withdrew back down the hallway and headed off to make his flight. This was one story he thought he’d keep to himself.

---

Evenvale, Bakura

Jed, Jax, Ronnie, and Cady held their breath.

“It could be all over for the Miners if they don’t make some magic here,” Lun Selayen narrated as the second half began ticking down. “The Miners have got to find a way to at least get a point here. Cavanaugh has got the team huddled up and she’s showing them the play she wants now. This is the kind of moment--no, this is the moment that Dionne hired Cavanaugh for. The Miners have got a shot given how this game has gone. It’s been hard-hitting, but the scoring has been there on both sides. This will be last team that scores, wins.”

“And it’s loud here at Mesh’la Vhetin,” his broadcast partner Aerax Skytrayn said. The background audio supported that. They probably didn’t have to turn up the audio levels in the production studio to get that noise level. “Mercs fans know that this could put their team over the top for the Commissioner’s Trophy. We’ve heard it’s in the building.”

The Miners broke from the huddle and took up their positions for a throw-in. The Evenvale crew was on the edge of the couch as they waited. “Come on,” Jed urged. Part of him couldn’t believe that he could have been there, in person, watching this game.

“And the net is empty!” Selayen exclaimed. “Blake is taking up a position at midfield! The Miners are selling out for this play.”

“Risky move--point differential is in the Mercs’ favor and could decide the Commissioner’s Trophy if they win today and these teams tie next week,” Skytrayn said.

“Adiims throws in with a short pass that Kendriick takes on the run. She stiff-arms--and it’s a no-look pass to Minnerva! The midfielder’s into the attacking zone thanks to a screen by Blake! Minnerva’s on the move, she’s looking--she’s got Coglin. The rookie has two Mercs on her--Mando’ade’s selling out on defense. Coglin’s smothered. The ball is loose! The boloball is on the field! Who’s got it? If it stays like this the Miners could run out of time! Sorano’s come out with it. She’s breaking to the center! She’s got defenders closing. She passes--

“GOAL! Quinn with the goal! Miners up by 2 now, 26-24! Quinn backflipped her way over a Merc attempting to tackle her and deflected the ball out of midair with her feet and into the net! Oh my stars! That just happened!”

The quartet in Evenvale jumped up and down in celebration, likely annoying Jax’s neighbors (except they probably were going nuts over the goal too). It was an incredible finish to an incredible game.

“Mercs are quickly lining up for the kick in,” Skytrayn said. “They’ve still got a few seconds left in the game--and they’re going to see if they can score from the box!”

“WHAT?!” Jax, Cady, Ronnie, and Jed shouted in unison, their joy suddenly turning to ice.

“Holy macaroni! Stargazer’s going to boot it!” Selayen shouted. “Blake is sprinting back, but she’s got to cover 30 meters to make it back to the goal box! Stargazer kicks--!”

There was only the noise of Mercs fans roaring at the sudden turn of events as everyone, broadcaster and fan alike, watched the boloball tumble end-over-end through the air down the field.

“--and Blake gets a diving hand on it to knock it away! That was going true! Had Blake not sold out it was going in! The Mercs aren’t going to catch up to it before time expires! And it’s over! It’s over! Oh it’s all over now! Miners win!”

The feed cut to a shot of Leigh with both arms over her head, hands clenched in victorious fists, as the Miner reserves and staff rushed onto the field to congratulate their teammates. Half of them headed for Quinn, the other half for Blake, who was still sitting on the turf from her dive. Cavanaugh received a ruffle of her short hair and arm around the shoulder from team physician May Hull.

“Lun, we’re getting word now that even with the Pirates’ win on Carratos earlier today, the Miners have secured the Commissioner’s Trophy! With one game in hand on both the Mercs and the Pirates, teams that the Miners beat in both meetings this season, they cannot be caught. The Miners win the Commissioner’s Trophy and will--is this right?--I’m being told that they will host the Galactic Cup for the first time in over 50 years,” Aerax reported.

“What!!!!” Cady, Jed, Ronnie, and Jax burst out.

“This is, oh I don’t know what to say!” Lun blathered. “This is unbelievable! From last place in ‘95 to first and hosting the Final in ‘96! Worst to first! Gentlebeings, I give you Elite League Limmie! I give you the Miners!”

The four friends were losing their minds at the game they’d just watched, the season the Miners had just had, and what still remained for them to see. And as Jed hugged everyone and they poured celebratory drinks he realized he’d meant what he’d said at the Rancor Pit: win or lose, he didn’t want to be anywhere else right now but with his best friends in the whole galaxy.

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik, but with a great debt to another George Lucas script

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Bakura goes into hyperdrive to prepare for hosting the Galactic Cup Final
  • First Final in half a century to be hosted on Bakura
• BBC Sports analyst: “The ELL has wanted the Miners to build a shiny new arena with more luxury boxes they can sell to corporate sponsors. Withholding the Final has been their tool to do that. After the Miners’ performance last season, they probably didn’t think they were going to have their only means of leverage undercut”
• Governor of Salis D’aar: “We are going to put on a galactic-class Final and show limmie fans everywhere why Bakura Gardens is the greatest venue in limmie, bar none”
  • “Most worlds have months to plan for a Galactic Cup Final. We’ve got three weeks--and we’re lucky it’s not two weeks. We’re still going to show everyone what Bakurans do when we roll up our sleeves”
  • As the city of Salis D’aar encompasses all of the county of Salis D’aar, the Governor of Salis D’aar is the consolidated executive of both the city and county (filling the traditional role of mayor)
• Miner season ticket holders will have priority for Galactic Cup Final tickets
  • Local media have reported stories of distraught fans who gave up their season tickets after 295
    • Lapsed season ticket holder in sidewalk interview: “I am going to kick myself over this for the rest of my life”
    • Continued season ticket holder: “I have zero pity for these beings. The rest of us believed in this team and we’ve been rewarded for it. I never thought I was going to see the Miners in a Cup Final on Bakura and now I’m going to be there”
• Salis D’aar Times editorial notes: “The Trieste family has an uncanny ability to get just what they need from the Miners right when they need it. As the 296 elections approach, Prime Minister Trieste’s party is in danger of massive losses in the Senate and her popularity sinking (though likely not enough to throw her out of office). Now she’s bringing the Galactic Cup Final to Bakura--and might even keep it here when all is said and done. Smart money in the capital is now on Fianna Fail retaining control of the Senate and Marian Square. The only way that the Union Party will ever catch up is if they buy a lightball team--and even then it’s debatable if they can”

TAG: None--yet!

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• ELL announces that for the new S’rily Award joint nominations of GMs and head coaches of the same team will be accepted
  • Lokensgaard: “Sometimes it’s clear that one being has done the heavy lifting, but sometimes it’s a true partnership. Rather than exclude one, we’ll allow the laurels to be shared jointly”
• The Vigo Award criteria has also been amended to honor “perseverance, sportsmanship, and/or dedication to the sport of limmie”
  • Lokensgaard: “A nominee can embody all of these qualities, or just one or two of them. We want the Vigo Award to honor the best of what the members of the Elite League offer, both on the field and off”

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Jedi Gunny @Runjedirun @Vehn

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Leigh Cavanaugh announces that she will not start reserves against Nar Shaddaa at Six Boroughs
  • “We’re already going to have a bye week going into the Final. I don’t want the team to go completely cold”
  • “We’ve got no margin for error. There’s no Conference Final to get back into the groove. We have to be playing our A game for a full 60 minutes right from the start. It’ll be hard enough to do that after one week off. Two would be too much to ask”
• When asked if she was afraid the traditionally hard-hitting Smugglers might rough the Miners up and leave them less than 100% for the Final: “I know the Smugglers all too well. They will play hard with their playoff lives on the line. That’s what we’ll see in the Final and that’s what we need to play against now”

TAG: @Vehn

 

IC TJ Allin

The Marksmen don’t go down without a fight. The first half is close, it’s the look on Coach Sureysh’s face at halftime that reminds me what we are playing for. A higher seed in the play-offs, a possible bye week, the opportunity to get Colt back in our first play-off game. I score the first two goals in the second half and our momentum from there is unstoppable.

It feels really good to have had a successful first regular season as a professional Limmie player. I know the play-offs are two weeks away, but I’m confident we can make some noise. I’m confident I’ll not only be called up next year, I’m confident I can turn around the Starkillers franchise. It’s not going to be easy for a franchise that hasn’t won a title in 15 years. I’m up for the challenge.

As soon as we land back on Tatooine I throw my belongings together and hop back on another shuttle. This time I’m off to visit home for a couple of days. The bye week allows me to get back for a visit. Something I haven’t done in too long. If the Starkillers weren’t already eliminated from the play-offs I may have considered a trip to Mandalore instead. Perhaps as a student of the game I should be going anyway, but to be honest I can only stomach so much of seeing my family not succeed. Besides I have a wife and daughter that could benefit from my presence much more.

Being home for even just 2 days is absolutely crazy. All my mom wants to talk about is Ezra leaving her a year early to go to Republican. She accompanied him on an interview last week and they are all waiting for the acceptance transmission on pins and needles. Meanwhile Ezra just wants things to be as normal as possible. That’s when we all get the news that Serene Vigo, my slightly younger cousin is putting in for the ELL draft after only one year of college.

I guess I should just thank my lucky stars she didn’t ask to be a Starkiller, she’s an offensive player and she’d be my direct competition for a starting position. Reminds me of my father’s warnings. “You can play offense if you want to, but everyone wants to be an offensive player. The competition will be steep.” He said. He was right, as usual. Back when I made the decision to play offense I just wanted to be different from him and score. How could you not want to put points on the board? Points win games and nothing beats the feeling of hearing your ball hit the back of the net.

Ezra would argue that stopping the ball from hitting the net is the best feeling ever. Someday he’s going to bring multiple championships to a team. He’s the best goalie I’ve ever seen. I just hope he doesn’t take the route my cousin is taking. I hope Ezra comes to play for the Starkillers. It’d be so awful to have to play against him. Not just because he’s good and I would definitely have trouble getting balls past him, but also cause he’s my brother. I don’t want to compete against him. Those years we played on the same team in high school were special.

I wonder why my cousin entered the draft. Does she think she has a chance to go to a better franchise? One that wins more often. Maybe it has to do with her father not being alive anymore and not having his influence to keep her with the team in the family. It’s weird that I was fortunate to have my father for 18 years. It’s much longer than Serene had her father. My uncle Spencer helped raise her, but maybe she’s bitter. I don’t know my cousins as well as I should.

What’s even worse than potentially competing against my cousin next year is that I might face my ex-girlfriend as well. We haven’t spoken in two plus years, but I have a feeling the next time I see her face to face will be on the Limmie pitch. Hopefully it will just be more motivation for me to get a win. She cheated on me and I haven’t exactly forgiven her yet. There’s so much going on with all the draft news I nearly forget the season isn’t over yet. That’s kinda par for the course when your team is eliminated before the season ends. All you care about is the draft. Unless maybe you’re on the developmental team and you have something to prove so you can guarantee that call up next year. So maybe, just maybe your team is the team you play for and they make the play-offs next year.

So I spend a little time with Anna and Penni. Then I hop right back on another flight back to Tatooine to get ready to face whoever it is we are going to face next week either Concordia or Cantonica or Atzerri. Sunday is Play-off day for the Skimmer Ade League. Colt and I plan to watch together in his house. He’s got an awesome set up with surround sound and a big screen. “Come over early, we’ll catch the Starkillers and the Mercs game first,” he says.

“Why?” I ask. I’m more than bitter about my family’s team being out of the play-offs if you didn’t catch on earlier. Now all the pressure lays on me next year and yea of course I can do it, but why me?

“Um cause everyone wants to see the Mercs lose, and it could happen,” Colt says even though he says it in way that I know he doesn’t believe it.

I’m pretty sure I never missed a Starkillers game by choice, “Why not?” I say.

So now it’s Sunday, hot as blazes outside and a perfect 70 degrees in Colt’s house. I found a restaurant that delivered Nachos and everything seems right in the Galaxy. Maybe there’s no reason for the Starkillers to win this one, but it’s my team and my sport and everything I’ve known in life. Go Starkillers!

HSN Headline: (Ralltiir Addition)

Lucie Allin announces that her and her late husband Ty Allin's second son, Ezra Allin, will be attending Republican University. Ezra Allin will be 16 when he starts college and ineligible to play Limme. He has agreed to participate with the practice squad and will play for Republican in ’98 as his 18th birthday will be only a few weeks after the '98 season starts.

Statement from Lucie Vigo: “I’m so proud of Ezra for his dedication to his studies and his decision to apply for an early start to a higher education. I’m even more proud to announce his acceptance. As for his decision to play Limmie, well he is his father’s son.”

Tags: Anyone who cares

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Lokensgaard raises the possibility of changing the tiebreak scenarios for 297
• “If everything holds in Week 10, then we’re going to have really clear tiebreaks between the teams. That’s good, but had we wound up with everyone tied at 1-1 or even circular 2-0 tiebreaks that could have undermined the integrity of the playoffs”
• Commissioner says they are considering scenarios where extra games break ties if head-to-head wins don’t break cleanly
  • Lokensgaard: “This could include an extra game or games deciding the Commissioner’s Trophy”
• “We might call these games play-ins, maybe call them Galactic Cup Quarterfinals. It’s up in the air. We’ve still got to take it to the Board of Governors”

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Jedi Gunny @Runjedirun @Vehn

 

​

IC: The Rancor Pitt

"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! From downtown Keldabe, on a cloudy and cold and snow is in the forcast..."

"ugh, I hate shoveling."

"Use a flamethrower, it's what the mandos do."

"huh."

"...Taungsday afternooooon. Welcome on into the Rancor Pitt, here on your wave home of the Mando'ade Mercs. I'm Randy the Rancor, he's Justin Pitt. Liz over on the boards, with Kitterich on the other side of the glass and oh baby do we have a lot to talk about today."

"Mercs not out of it yet..."

"Nope, Mercs not out of it yet following a close defeat to the Miners 26 to 24 and with one game to go, at least they control their own destiny."

"Man a win there would have secured a playoff berth..."

"Probably the Commissioner's Trophy too."

"...but now those go to the Miners, man what a season they are having out on Bakura."

"Yeah, good times on Bakura, but the Mercs aren't doing too shabby, with just a game left on the season they are in position to host a playoff game something they can clinch with a win against the Starkillers here the last week of the season."

"Beat the Starkillers 18 to 10 way back in week two for the Mercs first win of the season, so it's certainly doable."

"You don't sound convinced."

"Well week two was a long time ago, teams were still feeling their way in the season. Now the Starkillers will be playing like everything is on the line..."

"It is for them, a win might put them in the playoffs..."

"Might?"

"I haven't gone through all the playoff possibilities, there's a possibility for a four way tie there for the last two playoff spots..."

"Oh wow, yikes."

"Yeah, it could get crazy."

"...and we've seen how hard it is to beat a team twice in one season."

"Miners just did it to us."

"Yeah, but they're the best team in the league this year."

"Barely."

"Mercs do have one advantage here heading into potential tie breakers though."

"What's that?"

"Well assuming things are tied up, the Mercs wouldn't out right lose the head to head matchup against anyone."

"That's a good thing, though they won't own head to head against anyone either, assuming things are tied at the end of the season."

"Very true, even if it's a tie at six and four between the Mercs and Pirates..."

"I hate those guys."

"... meaning they would both be in, the two teams split their season series in terms of determining seeding."

"So, whats this advantage they hold?"

"Points differential..."

"I remember talking about how big a deal that was going to be way back in week one after we lost to the Pirates by one..."

"I really hate those guys."

"... just look at the advantage the Mercs have in the diff."

"So, hold on here let me look at the stats..."

"Sure, sure."

Mercs are first in the league at plus 77, Miners come in at number two with a plus 41 and the Strugglers are at three with a plus 3..."

"Oh wow, so Mercs with a commanding lead there."

"Very much so, such a big lead in fact that I don't think those other teams will be able to cut into it enough to overtake them."

"That would take several huge collapses..."

"It would take a loss by at least 46 points to the Starkillers for them to overtake the Mercs in PD."

"That would be..."

"Hard to do even with bonus rolls."

"...shab near impossible."

"The Strugglers are closer, just 74 points back in the diff, still in th doable, but in the highly improbable range."

"What about the Pirates?"

"Oh I hate them!"

"They are even further back then the Starkillers, a minus 38 on the season and yet they have a winning record right now."

"Hate them a little less now."

"They have a good coaching staff to be outplaying the metrics that much right now."

"OK, so boil this all down for me, are the Mercs playoff bound or not?"

"Not yet, things are looking good for them, but we all know how things can go in limmie. Expect the unexpected, and when in doubt..."

"Someone will try to break the game."

---

Nearly two hours later...

"So remember folks," Justin was nearing the end of the paid for public service announcement. "You can't ever get that time back, those memories back, of what happens when you're blackout drunk. So don't go out drinking hard and expect moments of sporting events to cause you to suddenly recall specific events, including your maybe-soulmate."

"That reminds me of something..."

"Ha, good one."

"And remember too, alcohol and flamethrowers just don't mix."

"No really, it reminds me of something we were going to..."

"Oh yeah!"

"Before we get to the lightball off season..."

"Like anyone cares."

"...we've got a little business to deal with."

"No, not the usual business of letting you know that it's BlasTech for when you absolutely, positively need to terminate your contract."

"Something a little different this time. We've got a...I guess you could call it a dedication?"

"Sure, sounds good to me."

"It's for a friend of the Pit, a special friend who flew all the way out to Mandalore this last week and wanted us to get this on the broadcast."

"Now our friend's named Jed and he's from Bakura."

"He's not our favorite being in the galaxy right now, but it's not his fault he's a Miners' fan."

"It's @Trieste's fault, like most things."

"Jed met someone on Coruscant at the Draft--"

"Somebody real special, you know?"

"And it sounds like if you're her, you know what we're talking about and he wants to talk to you."

"So you just call in to the show and we'll take care of things from there."

"Now he's a friend of ours, you hear, so whoever you are out there, you better call him or the Rancor Pit's gonna get you."

"Can I do the wolf howl? I really wanna do the howl."

TAG: @Trieste

OOC: the entire last section either inspired by or actually written by Trieste!

 

​

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

"We're down to eight now in the Boloball playoff, let's see how we got there."

"Number one overall Cloud City took care of business defeating number nine Wookiee Forrest Institute 21 to 16 in the Beskar Bowl..."

"Presented by MandalMotors!"

"Seemed like the announcers were contractually obligated to say that every time they mentioned the Beskar Bowl..."

"Presented by MandalMotors!"

"They were."

"The Carnation Bowl was just as lopsided as number two Chandrila A&M University took down number 10 Nessem University 24 to 18."

"I think they're upset at not being number one after holding that ranking all year."

"No doubt, that team is on a mission."

"In the Party Bowl, number six Keldabe Military Institute out an end to number 14 Prytis College of Natural Sciences Cinderella season 22 to 20."

"The Rangers were never supposed to make it this far, so good on them."

"And in the Sweetner Bowl, number four University of Csilla handled number five Coruscant Polytechnic Institute 26 to 16."

"Haven't talked about them much, but they're for real."

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

TAG: no one/everyone

---

GCAA Bolo Ball Playoff: Fantastic Four

• Nylonite Bowl: #1 Cloud City University, Bespin vs. #4 University of Csilla
• Jogan Bowl: #2 Chandrila A&M University vs. #6 Keldabe Military Institute (Mandalore)

 

IC: Iris "Scarface" Copin
Carratos

Iris could still taste the salt nerf and hard bread that was stuffed into the lunch pail after they won the close game against the Starkillers. It was a must win as well, it kept them in the hunt for a playoff spot. Though they had the win the next game to have a chance. They were lucky, some called them good. Being so good in the standings despite their stats not being good. Many were putting this at the feet of Coach Manx-Sandin and Sabah. They were doing good work keeping the players that needed to be on the field on the field and getting everything they could from them. But Iris was doing a lot of work too. She was still the leading scorer, dragging the rest of the team behind her.

Though now facing a game against the Sens, and their best chance of getting into the playoffs, a lot of attention was being brought on her. Her legacy with the Pirates, that this game could define her, with the team on the brink of missing the playoffs for the first time in her tenure. They were all looking for her to mess up, to make a mistake, or to prove that she was worth everything she was asking for.

It was a struggle, a fight to keep her head on with all these pressures falling onto her. The only soclice was spending time with Peggles. He was a calming presence in her life...and she was kicking herself for not turning to him when she needed him. Maybe this season would have turned out differently.

Waking up the morning before the final game she turned in his arms looking to him as he slowly woke up.

"Oh...a full week and you're still here." She snuggled into him groaning a little. "Sorry, just a little surprising. Thought the Pirates would have kidnapped you again."

"No, I worked out a deal. I get to be with you in the mornings. They get the rest of my day."

"You sure that isn't going to affect your share of the loot."

"I'm still their best girl with a saber, they wouldn't dare take what is mine." She leaned in kissing him deeply. "And I really really need this." She nestled into him again checking her chrono just once more making sure she had the time to spend with him...while she needed him, she still needed to practice...she did not think herself so good.

This was the final game, the deciding game on whether or not her team made it to the playoffs or fell just short. A game that could decide her legacy...if you believed certain people. Right now she just wanted to be with Peggles, to remind herself that there was more than limmie. She loved the sport, but she loved him too. So limmie could give her a few hours in the morning. She would pay it back.

TAG: @Runjedirun

 

GM Post

Bonus potential for the last week of the regular season for Bakura, Carratos, Mando'ade, and Ralltiir.

296 Week 10 Results
Bakura Miners at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers (1-1, OT 2-4)
Ralltiir Starkillers at Mando’ade Mercs (28-26)
Carratos Pirates at Coruscant Senators (32-14)

Final standings to come...

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Jedi Gunny @Runjedirun @Vehn

 

Sub GM Post
Bonus Potential for: Atzerri (28) and Concordia (28)

Skimmer Ade League Play – Offs
Druckenwell Marksmen 6 @ 3 Concordia Crusaders (13-16)
Cantonica Golden Knights 5 @ 4 Atzerri Bandits (3-13)

Skimmer Ade League Semifinals
4 Atzerri Bandits @ 1 Thyferra Force
3 Concordia Crusaders @ 2 Tatooine Sandkimmers

Skimmer Ade League Finals
? vs ?

Tags: @Vehn @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Jedi Gunny

 

GM Post

Thank you all for your thoughts and discussion in OOB as I've considered the standings situation. I have decided to interpret the head-to-head tiebreak as such: in a three-team tiebreak, an overall record is established between all three teams. Even if one team comes out on the bottom of that tiebreak, they are still part of the tiebreak. Applied to this season, that plays out as follows:

1. Nar Shaddaa Smugglers (3-1)
2. Mando'ade Mercs (2-2)
3. Ralltiir Starkillers (1-3)

While the Smugglers and Mercs split their series, the whole tiebreak must be taken into consideration. Therefore, the Smugglers' 2-0 record against the Starkillers becomes the deciding factor.

The other tie is much more straight-forward: the Miners had a 2-0 record this season against the Pirates and win that head-to-head tie.

This produces the following final standings and playoff games:

Final Standings

1. Bakura Miners (6-4)
2. Carratos Pirates (6-4)
3. Nar Shaddaa Smugglers (5-5)
4. Mando'ade Mercs (5-5)
5. Ralltiir Starkillers (5-5)
6. Coruscant Senators (3-7)

Galactic Cup Playoffs
Galactic Cup Semifinal
(3) Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at (2) Carratos Pirates

140th Galactic Cup Final
Bakura Gardens, Salis D’aar, Bakura
??? at (1) Bakura Miners

Admittedly, I would have liked a cleaner breakdown of the standings. As I mentioned prior to the Week 10 results, I welcome a discussion of how to resolve ties in future seasons (or at least add greater clarity to the rules around ties). I declined to change the rules for 296 at the end of the season, but instead apply the rules as is to the best of my judgment, even if those rules wound up being imperfect and vague.

Now, there's only one thing left to say:



TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Runjedirun @Vehn

 

IC: Jed Starkrimson
Evenvale, Bakura

​

Bakura had learned to love again--and it turned out their true love had been there all along.

This time last year, limmie fans were disgusted with their hometown team. Season ticket renewals plummeted. All-stars like Penn and Quinn looked washed up. The era of Cunderball came to its ignominious end. If the ELL had operated on an automatic promotion/demotion system the Miners would have been booted out.

What a difference a year made.

The mood in the air wherever you went was euphoric. The Miners were going to play in the Galactic Cup Final. And the Final was going to be on-world for the first time in the lives of many Bakurans. It was unbelievable.

Bakura loved their Miners again.

Who cared that they had to go to the notoriously hard Kaitlyn Vehn Memorial Coliseum for their last game of the season? That was just another stepping stone on the way to what looked to be the greatest Miners game to ever be played at Bakura Gardens.

As Jed, Cady, Ronnie, and Jax discovered, the Miners very much cared.

Practically speaking, they had nothing to play for. Nothing that happened today would change their playoff fate. The Smugglers were the team on the bubble, hoping against hope to make it. It was the kind of game that you routinely lost and were OK with losing as long as nobody walked out with an injury.

That wasn’t how the Miners played this one. They matched the desperate Smugglers’ intensity. The grass of the Coliseum had been watered with blood throughout the years and this was another chapter in the long history of clashes of the cleats to take place here. In fact, if anyone had wondered what color Zeltrons bled, they now knew thanks to gashes in both Mela Wells and Harle Quinn.

Far from being a snoozefest, the 1-1 score in regulation had been thrilling to watch. Instead of deploying a boring neutral zone trap, Lereoux and Cavanaugh had played their teams against each other like they’d played each other back on the field: with nothing held back.

“Leigh said she wanted the team to stay sharp heading into the bye and this isn’t just sharp: this is literally bleeding,” Jed commented.

“Think she’s pushing them too hard?” Jax asked.

“No, this is good,” Cady said. “This is playoff limmie in the regular season. The Miners need this.”

The game opened up somewhat in the overtime, but it wasn’t to the Miners’ benefit. For the second time that season, the Miners dropped an overtime game.

“I don’t think this team has more than 60 minutes in them,” Ronnie said. “But on the bright side, this means that they only lost two games this season in regulation. If you’d told me that a year ago, I would have laughed you out of the building.”

“How are Dionne and Cavanaugh not going to be the consensus choices for the S’rily Award?” Jed said. “Look at what they’ve done in tandem.”

“I’d trade the S’rily for a Cup,” Jax said without hesitation.

Before anyone else could offer their opinion, the chime at the door rang.

“Somebody order more food?” Jed asked in confusion. He got no responses from the gang. That didn’t make sense anyway with the game over.

At the door was a familiar-looking courier droid.

“Not you again!” Jax complained.

“Jed Starkrimson?” the droid asked in its monotone voice.

“Yeah…” Jed sighed.

“De--”

“--livery, I know,” Jed said, snatching the pouch and shutting the door on the droid.

“Maybe it’s from Courtney,” Ronnie asked hopefully. “We know she’s already got your address.”

“Maybe your verdict got overturned and you’re going to jail,” Cady teased. That wasn’t legally possible and she knew it, but that wasn’t stopping her.

“No, it’s got a Mandalore return address on it,” Jax observed.

Jed opened the pouch and found an envelope inside, much smaller than the last delivery with his court documents. He took it out and opened up. Inside was a note.

Get off the couch.

And something else.

“Is that…?” Ronnie asked in awe.

“I think it is,” Jed breathed in disbelief.

“This can’t be real,” Cady said. “Beings have been murdered for less.”

“I’m considering murdering Jed right now,” Jax added helpfully.

“I don’t believe it…” Jed said.

Spoiler

It was one ticket to the Galactic Cup Final at Bakura Gardens.

“I’m going to the Final,” Jed said.

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @Vehn

 

IC: Iris "Scarface" Copin
Carratos

They had won, they beat the Sens the boogeymen of the Pirates. Though in later years it seems that curse had been broken. Iris was thankful for that. She no longer lived in fear of playing them, she could treat it like any other game. Maybe it was that or the thought that they needed to win this game that led to that somewhat lopsided stat line. Sy had capped off her rookie season with a defining performance a hat trick on the game and highlight worthy moves getting into scoring position. Leigh could see that rookie turning into something special in the coming years.

Though Iris knew that she had but in a good showing herself. Leading the offense to this victory in a must win game. With this win, and some lucky losses from other teams, they were going to the playoffs. It was a little touch and go there for a little bit, what with her team getting smashed in the point differential, though it seems that didn't matter. She was also lucky to have escaped the nightmare that was tie breaks, having secured her place through pure wins. There were some gumblings about the Mercs or Starkillers not making it in. At least they were being angry about the Pirates making it.

Now she just had to face the Smugglers in the first round of the playoffs. Though one could barely call them that now. Two games to decide who was the best team. That seemed a little weak, though what could the commissioner do? Have everyone play a regular season to figure out seeding and then have a single elimination tournament that would drag out the season and make the Regular Season mean nothing. Then again that way everyone would at least get to play one game and still call it the Playoffs.

Either way, they were there, and it was unexpected for her and it seemed a lot of the pundits too.

They kept talking like it was some miracle they made it.

They gave up on her. She nearly gave up on her. Though there was one man that didn't.

Walking out into the living room of her apartment she didn't see him, Peggles. She knew he had a shoot today, for some independent holo a friend asked him to direct. Still in her pajamas she saw his datapad still on the couch, a document still on the screen. Turning her head she began to read it.

INT. WAREHOUSE -NIGHT

Star players from the other teams, and the Smugglers defense meet. They are dressed in dark trenchcoats looking like they were making a cladestine meeting. Grady Owens slams a news holo into the chest of Zelena Wiles, a picture of Iris Copin on the front of it, Headline reading "Copin Is Back"

Owens: You told us she was out.

While Wiles speaks cut to Iris Copin showering her back towards the camera. Black ink covers her back, between her shoulders "Earli In the Morning" in ominous font over the Carratos Pirates' logo. (You know that holo Jon Zick, the shower scene, her back should look like that though more limmie themed)

Z. Wiles: We bounced her from the playoffs and silenced Arcadia. No one could come back from that.

Cut to Iris Copin, closing a briefcase, many bolo-balls and a Galactic Cup ring inside. She tightens her tie with her number on the front.

Tomas Vigo (Voice Over): This is no ordinary person this is Iris Copin.

Cut back to the players in front of the warehouse. Owens holding his head in his hands, shaking his head.

Bree Veers: You didn't finish the job? Force help the Skywalker ...Wait force help the league.

Copin walks up to a fancy front desk like a hotel tossing a coin onto the desk. The being behind it recognizes her.

Concierge: Ms. Copin welcome to the Elite Hotel,

The Concierge offers Copin a red Pinne

Concierge: Your Pinne Ms.

Iris walks into a club lounge room, Owens sitting in a chair wearing the same red pinne.

Owens: Copin how long has it been?

Owens seems nonchalant, Iris isn't she narrows her eyes pointing at Owens.

Copin: Three weeks, I'm coming for you...I'm coming for the playoffs.

She grips the front of Owens' shirt.

Owens: Ah ah ah...Hotel rules, No hitting a player in a pinne.

The towering frame of Silassk enters the frame looming over the pair.

Cut to Iris in her hotel room holding her briefcase close letting out a breath as Silassk stands in the door frame.

Copin: You here on business Silassk?

Silassk: Fraidssss Sssso

Iris turns throwing a bolo ball at Silassk before moving into a club filled with people wearing head bandAIDs. As she breaks through the crowd, bolo ball in hand she begins taking down players, D’ana Themyscira, Tomas Vigo, and others by throwing bolo-balls at them. The smugglers defense in ice baths stand up.

Jerod Baker: The Pirates have an improbable route to the playoffs.

Voice Over: A late rally, another late rally led by Copin

Baker moves close to Zelna Wiles.

Baker: Why is she doing this

Z. Wiles: Because she's Baba Yaga, the Boogeyman.

Copin (Singing in a creepy tone): What do you do with a dunken spacer…

Copin appears behind them a smile on her face

Copin: Earli in the Morning…

Iris giggled a little reading it. It was clearly done by Peggles, only he would come up with something like this. Behind her the door opened turning her head she looked to him smiling datapad still in her hand.

"Ahh...I came back looking for that" He pointed to the computer.

"Well seems I found it, and it had some interesting reading."

"Oh...I left that up?"

"Yep, and it's really cute...thanks."

"I thought it fit and I had fun writing it...I sent it off to a holonet show that do short humorous animated movies based on limmie. I don't think they'll take it. I just found myself with some time during set up and wrote it out."

"You did all this on your downtime?"

"It was a lot of downtime."

She got up from the couch wrapping her arms around Pej's neck pulling him into a kiss.

"Well I like it."

"Then that's really that's all that matters."

TAG: @Vehn

(OOC: The screen play is shamelessly stolen from the Bleacher Report's Gridiron Heights series season 2 episode 15)

 

IC TJ Allin

There’s nothing like waking up on game day. I don’t sleep until I hear my alarm. Instead I lie there, glancing at the clock, unable to sleep. I’m excited to start the day, excited and anxious. I don’t get up, because I know I need my rest. What’s frustrating is I can’t sleep. When the moment finally comes that I set my alarm for, I pop out of bed. I’ve been waiting an hour, so it feels really good to be vertical.

It doesn’t matter how long I try take while I get ready, time passes slowly. Slower than slow. I just want to leave my apartment already, get to the stadium, put my uniform on and feel the turf under my cleats. I get to the stadium early, some of my teammates are already there. No doubt they are as anxious as I am. It’s too early to dress, so we watch a little last minute footage of last week’s Marksmen/Crusaders game. One last chance to try and analyze the play of the Crusaders. Finally, it’s time for warm-ups.

The stands are already at least half full. It’s hot, but the citizens of Tatooine are used to the heat. They are here to welcome us onto the field. As warm ups go one the stands fill. The cheers erupt when I hit my practice shots. I never realized how much I’d enjoy playing here. I knew it was going to be fun, I never didn’t look forward to a Limmie game. I just never imagined the reception I’d get. The beings here really love this team and in turn they love me. I hope I’ve showed them how much I appreciate that affection. I hope I can deliver a trip to the championship.

For the first time I realize that Tatooine isn’t a foreign place to me anymore. It’s not even a place I’m visiting. It’s home. How did I come to feel this way so fast? Of course, it won’t feel that way for long. I have a pretty good feeling I’ll be going to my real home to play next season. When I step on the field at Salibury Hyperdrive Arena and all those memories of working the sidelines come rushing back. Why am I thinking about that now? I need to concentrate on today. This planet wants me to be here now and win us a spot in the Championship game. It’s what I plan to do.

Tags: @Bardan_Jusik

 

​

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

"The championship game is set for this year's GCAA boloball playoff and boy is it a doozy..."

"Those two teams have been eyeing each other up all year..."

"First in was number one Cloud City University who defeated number four University of Csilla 22 to 19 in a Nylonite Bowl featuring seven lead changes."

"That was a great game, a great game."

"Just what you look for in a fantastic four match up."

"Meanwhile, the Warriors of Keldabe Military Institute couldn't keep it quite as close in the Jogan bowl as the number six seed lost to number two Chandrila A&M University 21 to 17..."

"That was still a good game, great effort from both teams, but man, that A&M squad is just too good."

"Sets up a number one versus number two match up for the title..."

"Yeah, a number two team that was number one all year long until the final rankings."

"This is going to be good."

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

TAG: no one/everyone

---

GCAA BoloBall Championship Game

• Republic Bowl: #1 Cloud City University, Bespin vs. #2 Chandrila A&M University

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• ELL releases season awards ballot with new, three-award format
• Miners lead with three nominations, one in each award
• Iris Copin and Horst Penn double up with Salbukk and Duchess Eldin nominations

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Jedi Gunny @Runjedirun @Vehn

 

GM Post

Bonus potential for the Galactic Cup Semifinal for Carratos.

Galactic Cup Semifinal
(3) Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at (2) Carratos Pirates (5-8)

140th Galactic Cup Final
Bakura Gardens, Salis D’aar, Bakura
(2) Carratos Pirates at (1) Bakura Miners

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422 @Vehn

 

Sub GM Post

Bonus Potential for: Atzerri (28), Tatooine (38) and Concordia (28 this was my call for doing the college scores)

Skimmer Ade League Semifinals
4 Atzerri Bandits @ 1 Thyferra Force (12-11)
3 Concordia Crusaders @ 2 Tatooine Sandkimmers (23-30)

Skimmer Ade League Finals
Bakura Gardens, Salis D’aar, Bakura
4 Atzerri Bandits @ 2 Tatooine Sandskimmers

Tags: @galactic-vagabond422 @Jedi Gunny @Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Iris "Scarface" Copin
Carratos

Iris fell to her knees looking up at the scoreboard tears in her eyes. They had done it, they had won. It was a late goal by herself that put them over. They were moving on, they were going to the championship. They hadn't gotten back there since her second year. Though now the real test began, facing Leigh, facing a team that had stomped the Pirates both times this year. Maybe third time was the charm? She could only hope. The Miners were not a team to be trifled with and everyone knew it. They had turned around in short order. A new head coach, a new GM and three top ranked picks will have that effect.

Part of Iris was happy that her mentor was able to transfer her skills to another job. To take her years of experience and put them towards helping another team. Iris just wished that it was the Pirates. Though Coach Manx-Sandin was a steady hand, and beloved by the fans, and most importantly not planning on retiring anytime soon.

As the team swarmed around her chants of "Pay the Girl" rang out from the stands. She had proved her worth. Dragging this team through an up and down year to finish strong. Did she really feel like she deserved this, or that they now had to pay her. No, though she did feel as though this was deserving of some respect. She was not just a money grubbing diva. She'd put in the work had sacrificed to get here.

The team lifted her off her knees putting her up on their shoulders. Arcadia was electric deafening with their cheers. They had been in limbo for years. Always at the party but hadn't quite gotten to the final dance. Now their card wasn't empty, they had a spot open, the perfect place to put a former friend, a legend on the planet and Hall of Famer. It would be a test of that she had no doubt. But it was a test she could pass.

After the game she met up with Pej, they went out with the rest of the team. Celebrating their win. They deserved it, they had fought so hard to get here. Though it seemed everyone knew who was to thank for this. Who had kept going, kept fighting even when things were looking bleak.

They all lifted their glasses looking to Iris.

"To the Pirates…"

She downed her drink lifting up her glass again. Starting to sing. She wasn't any good, but at least the words were easy, and no one cared if you were off key.

"What do ya' do with a Drunken Spacer…"

TAG: @Vehn @Trieste

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• ELL Awards take place on Bakura in anticipation of 140th Galactic Cup Final
• Horst Penn takes home his second Salbukk Award
  • Penn: "I'd like to thank the academy. Specifically, the Agamar Academy of Candy Studies for giving me free shipping on all orders over 200 credits."
• Leigh Cavanaugh and Shay Dionne narrowly win the first-ever S'rily Award
  • Cavanaugh: "It is an honor to share this award with the being who believed in me, who gave me this chance, but it is just as big an honor to receive this award with so many of the fans who cheered for me at Arcadia in attendance tonight"
  • Dionne: "This award is indeed an honor, one that recognizes everything that the Miners have done this season, top to bottom, but it is just a beginning. It is not, and was never, the goal"
• Iris Copin is the consensus winner of the Duchess Eldin Award

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Jedi Gunny @Runjedirun @Vehn

 

IC: Jed Starkrimson
Salis D’aar, Bakura

(Yes, a blast from the past with this song)​

As Jed sat on the puddle jumper from Evenvale to Salis D’aar, he couldn’t decide which scenario was more likely.

Oddly, it was not a choice between the Miners winning this rematch of the ‘83 Final or not (even though the Miners had soundly defeated the Pirates in both early meetings, Jed had been a Miners fan long enough to never count the Pirates out against his team), but rather how it was that he was heading to Salis D’aar for one of, if not the, greatest sporting events in the galaxy.

After discovering that he had a ticket to the Final, Jed had fessed up to his friends about his trip to Mandalore to see the Rancor Pit and get his dedication on the wave to find his soulmate. The return address on the courier pouch confirmed it had come from The Fandalorian. He barely needed that confirmation. They were the only beings Jed knew who could possibly get a ticket to the Final. He and his friends had come up with a couple theories:

1. The Mandalorian with the flamethrower had heard the on-air message and sent the ticket by way of the Pit. She was, after all, the most likely one to listen to the Rancor Pit.
2. The Rancor Pit had heard nothing from anyone, but had been amused by a Bakuran coming all the way across the galaxy in pursuit of his soulmate. They’d decided that a ticket to the Final was a good runner-up prize for not finding true love.

Either seemed fairly likely. But there was a third option that Jed hadn’t shared with his friends:

3. Courtney, his Carratosian attorney, was the one who’d sent the ticket. Sure, she hadn’t known that the Pirates were going to make the Final (in fact, she probably wouldn’t have even known if the Pirates were going to make the playoffs then), but maybe when she’d realized the Final would be on Bakura she had decided to go regardless. Attorneys generally made a lot of credits and maybe she just wanted to go for its own sake.

Maybe it was just where he was headed, but this last explanation seemed increasingly likely. He wouldn’t be surprised if he got to his seat at Bakura Gardens and found Courtney waiting for him.

After arriving at the spaceport, packed to the gills with local flights (the interstellar ones having largely come the day before given the distance involved), Jed made his way with the river of travelers to the monorail station. Salis D’aar’s public transit system was famously good at getting beings where they needed to go and Bakura Gardens was one of those places.

Before he knew it, the monorail decelerated at the Bakura Gardens station and Jed was filing out with seemingly hundreds of other beings. As he came out of the station, there it was, Bakura Gardens, the reigning old lady of the Elite League. It was still the same structure that had re-opened in 220 with the resettlement of Bakura, even if it had gotten a couple of rennovations since then. It wasn’t the prettiest stadium (despite its overflowing planters that were part of the Gardens part of its name), but it looked beautiful to Jed. He’d been outside before, but for the first time he was going to be inside. He was going to see the Miners play here.

The plaza separating the stadium and the monorail station was packed, standing room only. It turned out that the giant vidscreen on the facade was going to show the game and beings had waited in line overnight for the opportunity to be adjacent to the action. Right now it cycled through a series of images promoting the Final, often pairing players from each team in opposition to each other. Not only was Penn v. Copin prominently featured thanks to each receiving MVP and Duchess Eldin nominations (with Penn taking the former and Iris the latter), but they also highlighted one of the big stories all week: Cavanaugh v. Copin. Jed had even seen a meme on the Holonet of Copin wearing a Darth Vader helmet with the subtitle: “Now the circle is complete. When I left you I was but the learner. Now I am the master.” He had to admit it was pretty good, much better than the response meme of Cavanaugh’s face superimposed on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s body with the caption: “It’s over Leigh! I have the high ground!” a wry reference to the Miners’ home field advantage. Jed even saw some of the fans in the plaza with signs that read “We have the high ground!”

Back at ground level, barriers cut through the plaza for ticket holders to get to the entry gates and once he got between them Jed was herded like a bantha towards the entrance to the Gardens. Even if he’d wanted to stop, he couldn’t have thanks to the flow of beings.

It was probably his imagination, but he thought the air changed the moment his ticket was scanned and he found himself inside Bakura Gardens proper. Though the Miners had home field privileges, there were plenty of banners heralding the Galactic Cup and the Pirates as well. In fact, it seemed like one out of every two beings were Pirates fans. In keeping with past Final tradition, the Pirates had a generous allotment of seats to sell to their season ticket base. The Pirates fans were heading to the other side of the arena from where Jed was going. He’d looked up his lower-bowl seats in advance and knew he was at about the 15 meter mark towards the north goal on the Miners’ side of the field.

Jed shuffled down the row of fans, everyone in their seats early, alternately saying, “Excuse me,” and “Go Miners” to his rowmates. The game was set for a late afternoon start so it would finish underneath the lights of the stadium and the stars of the night sky. Underneath a blue jacket Jed had the same Miners t-shirt that he’d worn at the draft. It had brought the team good luck then and he wasn’t above a little superstition this close to the end.

The air crackled with anticipation as pregame ceremonies approached. Jed’s pulse beat faster. This was the Galactic Cup Final and he was here. He was really here.

However, he was pretty sure that his soulmate wasn’t. There were two males to either side of his seat. No Mandalorian (not that she probably wanted to be at a Pirates v. Miners matchup--though she’d probably be pulling for the Miners if she was watching) and no Courtney. It looked like the Pit had just gotten him a single ticket. It was a little disappointing, but only a little. He was still at the Galactic Cup Final.

“Gentlebeings,” the public address announcer boomed, “welcome to Bakura Gardens and the 140th Galactic Cup Final between the Carratos Pirates--” a loud cheer from the other side of the pitch, “and the Bakura Miners!” A cheer that was probably just as loud, but seemed louder as it exploded around Jed.

“To commemorate today’s match up, it is the privilege and honor of Bakura Gardens to welcome to the field a group of beings who stand unparalleled in the history books of limmie. We are joined by a team that played an all-road schedule en route to a championship no one expected and 15 beings who hadn’t played limmie in years and came out of the actual mines of Bakura to almost win that same championship.”

“No way!” Jed exclaimed.

“Gentlebeings, to welcome the teams to the field, please welcome to the field the Limmie Hall of Fame-inducted members of the 283 Galactic Cup Final!”

Jed rose to his feet with the rest of Bakura Gardens to salute the most improbable match-up ever in limmie. The victors were the Pirates who had been off-world when Carratos was plunged into a civil war. Almost the whole team was present. One who wasn’t there was Vahva Kaesse, the last Pirate still on the roster who’d been there in ‘83. Some of the other Pirates of ‘83 had moved onto other teams, but had come out for the occasion. Of course, the other absent member of that roster was the one who had assisted on the game-winning goal. She was inside the Miners’ locker room, giving her team final thoughts on how to beat her old squad. She was one Pirate that Jed could root for today.

Joining them were the 13 Bimms who had stepped in to play for the Miners during the general strike of union workers that same year, joined by the wizened Orlon Kandarar and Han Tunross, who at the time had been the team doctor for the Miners. The Miner players were joined by their strike year coaching staff who’d filled in for Gaeriel Valerii: Dash Stonlon and Roy Cardan. Though Mikia Sandin-Manx’s last-second block had sealed the victory for the Pirates, the ‘83 Miners remained one of the great stories of limmie history in Jed’s opinion.

For both teams to be brought back now was not only fitting given that it was Pirates v. Miners II, but a sign of class on the part of the Final organizers and the ELL. Even though they were far away on the field, Jed couldn’t believe he was here for it.

“Oh, sorry! I must be one section over!” the being next to Jed said. His neighbor got up and shuffled past Jed down the row. With all the excitement of the ‘83 teams on the field Jed hadn’t even noticed there was a slight negotiation taking place adjacent to him until now...and it took him a moment to realize someone else was sitting down next to him now.

“Hi!” she said.

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422
(OOC: I apologize for not having Photoshop skillz to actually make those memes because they would be awesome and 100% deserve to be made.)

 

Iris Copin
In transit

"Sending you something" Pej said on a hypercom call with Iris as she was chilling at the front of the shuttle the Pirates had taken to get to the final, all the way out at Bakura. The shuttle was equipped with all the fancy gear to keep in contact even in hyperspace and parsecs away. The connection was often shaky but it was enough to send small links or images. Pulling it up she found what looked to be archival footage the great Obi-Wan Kenobi upon an incline. Though it wasn't his face, it was Leigh Cavanaugh. Upon closer inspection the ground was shoddily colored blue and gold, Miners' colors the caption beneath reading.

"It's over Iris, I have the High ground."

Iris screwed up her face.

"Do they think just because they have home field they think they have an advantage?"

"There's more."

The next was of Iris standing beneath Leigh eyes glaring, was she on the body of Anakin Skywalker?

"You underestimate my power." The caption read.

Cutting back to Obi-Cavanaugh.

"Don't try it...you can't carry this team."

"I didn't carry this team…" Iris shot back.

"Uh..huh...and who was the one that score the most points had the most assists and capped it off with a Salbukk award nom, and the duchess award?"

"Still doesn't mean I carried them."

"Sure...but look at this."

Next was an image of Leigh's face superimposed over that of 'Chancellor' Palpatine...Again more archival footage or maybe a retelling. She was looking to something off screen.

"Leave them…" That one stuck deep given all the rumors flying around that Iris would leave at the end of this season and join the Miners. Those rumors were yet to be put to bed.

The scene cut to Iris again superimposed over Anakin Skywalker, as he was bending down to assist Obi-Wan Kenobi. Only on Kenobi's back was the Pirates' logo.

"Their fate will be the same as ours." The caption read, the next image was of Iris carrying the Pirate Kenobi on her/his back.

"Did you make this one, Peggles?" Iris shot back eyes narrowing.

"No, No I swear." Pej held up his hand. "I've got some skills at Holo-shop, but I'm not this bored, or if I am I spend my time making highlight videos of you." Pej smiled, "You know what this means right?"

"No, no I don't." the Star player replied turning her head to the side.

Another image appeared this time with Yoda sitting in the old jedi council chamber.

"Begun the Meme war has."

"Oh come on, meme wars will start over anything."

"Yes but, still it is a meme war about you and Leigh facing off in the Finals. It is knida cool isn't it?"

"I mean I guess." Iris looked away for a moment then looked back to Pej.Her heart was racing, she was facing down a team that had beaten her twice already lead by her mentor, the woman that knew just about everything about her...as a player. She was still worried, and she needed something to take her mind off things.

"Could you send me another one?"

"Sure."
___________
Bakura

Iris was still tightening up her cleats. As she looked up she started to see players, older players wearing Pirates jerseys, road whites with black armbands.

283 We Prevailed

Written on them.

There was Cutty, Arial, Mikia, Else, Seiji, Qazi, all the old Pirates, all of them hall of famers, for the 283 team explaining the outfit.. She was a little confused the anniversary of the End of Occupation, was two weeks ago.

Then the announcement was made.walking out of the Pirates locker room were the 283 Pirates well, most of them, Vahava remained behind, as did Logan. He didn't feel like he was part of that team. He was far away, fighting for his life or at least that is how he told the team when they asked why he wasn't out there, even with the 283 championship ring on his finger. The same one Leigh was also wearing. No doubt as a sign of respect and a way to motivate her team.

Iris watched from the tunnel eyes wide. She could still recall that day, the day she heard that Carratos was in Civil War. Tears came to her eyes until she heard that the Pirates were off world. She watched every game cheering them along the way. She watched as Bili Ryli coached, and Leigh carried the team to their first cup win. The little girl stood in awe of their achivement. And she still did to this day. If her family was in danger, she didn't think she could soldier on and play the sport, not with so much on the line.

They were legends. Not that the Miners opposite them were any less. Beings taking up the sport as scabs playing for their home and their honor. A team that no one gave much of a chance. The two most unlikely finals teams. They would be remembered forever. As the Anthem for Carratos played Iris stood up straight letting the words and music wash over her.

There were legends watching over her, Pirates whose names are said with reverance. Their eyes were upon her. She didn't want to fail, to let down those that had to fight through hell to get where she now stood.

She could not fail...not this time...

TAG: @Trieste

 

OOC: Going to be out and about for much of tomorrow, which means you all get to see how the college limmie season concluded a little early!

​

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

"It's been a long season but we have our GCAA Bolo ball champion..."

"What a shabla game."

"...and it's the same as last year..."

"First repeat winners since Balmorra State did it back in 281 and 282."

"...as Chandrila A&M University, the defending champs but number two ranked team in the galaxy defeated number one overall Cloud City University, Bespin 22 to 18 in the Republic Bowl in what turned out to be a titanic struggle between two teams that both deserved it, both wanted it, but in the end only one could win it."

'Those kids, on both teams, they left it all out there..."

"And no one can take that away from any of them."

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

TAG: no one/everyone

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Congratulations to the 296 GCAA Bolo Ball champion: Chandrila A&M University