Star Wars OPEN Elite League Limmie

Sub GM Post

Bonus Potential for: Concordia (28) Tatooine (28) Cloud City (33) and Atzerri (28)

Skimmer Ade League Week Eight Results
Tatooine Sandkimmers @ Druckenwell Marksmenn (27-10)
Cloud City Sky Captains @ Concordia Crusaders (3-11)
Thyferra Force @ Atzerri Bandits (20-1)

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

 

IC: Alana Kirt
Scipio

(Why? Why not, I say!)​

“Why aren’t we in the Core?”

That was the question Alana kept asking. The Bank of the Core Bowl was not held, as anyone would reasonably expect, in the Core, but instead on the Outer Rim financial center of Scipio. Someone was falling down in their enforcement of truth-in-advertising laws.

Maybe the University of Csilla head coach knew. Thrawn Jr. over there certainly seemed to be able to handle anything Alana threw at him. He was being typically, frustratingly Chiss in his game management. The Blue Birds just couldn’t pull away. Every time they’d start to get a lead, Csilla would bring it back. Alana was beginning to think that their coach had analyzed not only every UBCS game she’d coached, but every Ojai North high school game she’d coached, every Little League Limmie game she’d coached/barely controlled, every ELL game she’d played in, every ELL All-Star Game she’d been in, that one dudes vs. ladies game she’d come out of retirement to do with the Rancor Pit, every UBCS game she’d played, and every high school game she’d been in--plus maybe the video of her wedding reception.

That would make so much sense.

But UBCS had the lead now and time was winding down. Csilla had called their last timeout and her opposite number was doubtless laying out his brilliant scheme for victory. Alana chewed the inside of her lip in thought as her team gathered up.

“What’s the play, Coach?” Rorie asked eagerly, sweat streaming down from underneath her HeadBANDAID in a testament to how ragged the opposition defense had run her today.

“Yeah, we just need one more good sequence and we got this,” Mahgan said.

Alana looked around her team. She honestly didn’t know what to tell them. The best she had was, “Play hard.” That was a motivational poster with a kitten chewing a boloball, not a strategy. Csilla had chewed up all her ideas and they were barely hanging on. She had nothing for the team.

Wait. That was it.

“You tell me,” Alana said.

That got everyone’s attention, even Gerald, who raised both his eyebrows. “Come again?” the Echani asked.

“They prepared for me,” Alana said. “They’ve figured out what I was going to do and had ready answers for them. It’s only because all of you have played so hard we’ve done as well as we have. So we’re going to go with our strength. You’re going to call the next play.”

The team looked at each other uncertainly. She could tell they didn’t think this would work. She could read in their eyes that she was the Hall of Famer, the one who knew what to do. If she was out of idea, what hope did they have?

“This is the play,” Alana insisted, trying to get them to believe in themselves. “You can do this.”

“The Pryss push,” Gerald said suddenly.

Everyone looked at the defender. Alana didn’t know what it was, but she didn’t care. That’s what they were doing. “Draw it up.”

---

The Pryss push was beautiful. It made zero sense, but it was the best thing Alana had ever seen.

A limmie field is built in ranks of five lines. The general idea is to hold your lines against the assault of the opposition team when they have the boloball. The deeper they got, the worse it was for you.

The Pryss push is the exact opposite. The Blue Birds let the Csilla players off the ball sail through their lines. A Pryss, as Gerald explained, is like an elephant (whatever that was). It can do a lot of damage if you try to stop it, but it’s got too much momentum to do much damage if you just let it go. Instead, you bog down the ball carrier. The opposition players rushed through, but unsure of what to do as the play broke down and too far away to help recover the ball.

Alana thought it looked like slightly organized chaos, but somehow the team grasped Gerald’s idea and pulled it off. They held the lead and became Bank of the Core Bowl champions.

The postgame handshake with the Chiss coach was everything Alana thought it would be. “The Pryss push...ingenious. I don’t think anyone’s pulled that since...202? Fascinating. You have my respect.” That was the Chiss equivalent of saying, You coached a hell of a game.

“You coached a hell of a game,” Alana said. That was the Alana equivalent of saying, You coached a hell of a game.

“I look forward to the rematch,” the Chiss said cryptically. Alana hoped not, but now someone was going to get it in their head that these teams needed a nonconference game against each other. Ugh.

Alana joined the celebration her players already had underway. The Bak10 championship-clinching victory in front of their home fans had been unbelievable. It was the sort of thing that couldn’t possibly be equaled in a neutral site game like this, even with the added stakes of the playoffs--and yet it somehow was, for Blue Bird fans were attempting to rush the field and trying the patience of arena security. There was an air of utter jubilation.

The reason why was simple. In days gone by, before the playoff had been instituted, when bowl games were not cogs in a corporatized system designed to feed a galactic broadcast schedule and sell sponsorships (OK, so they’d been that before the playoff, just to a lesser degree), they had been traditional matchups of specific conference champions. “Going to the Carnation Bowl” was shorthand for “winning the Bak10.” For a short time in the GCAA playoffs the Bak10 had continued to receive a Carnation Bowl berth and a guaranteed matchup with the Super 16 Conference.

Going to the Carnation Bowl had been the goal of every Bak10 team. As with so many other things when it came to success in limmie, there had been an interminable wait for the Blue Birds since their last Carnation Bowl. In fact, Alana was pretty sure there were some alumni who were stubbornly clinging to life (and thus withholding their promised estate gifts to the university) until they could finally see the Birds in the Carnation Bowl. Unfortunately, with the de-linking of the conference championship and the Carnation Bowl, the coincidences required for the Blue Birds to make it there were slim.

And yet.

Thanks to rotations put into place years ago, for the first time in 61 years, the Blue Birds would now advance to none other than the Carnation Bowl in the second round of the playoffs. The dream had become a reality.

They were going home--in the best way possible.

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Harle Quinn: “OK, OK, let’s just cut to the chase. You’re not here for the Miners and the lame ‘Oh if we win we still lose’ playoff scenario. But, contrary to what you think, you’re also not here for Carnation Bowl excitement. You’re here for my fantabulous, unpredictable press conferences where I dazzle you for hours on end! Yay!”
• “Let’s see, we did Stephana, Hallie, Bast, Revos...who else? We could talk about me, which would be great because I’m the most interesting being you know, but this isn’t about me. Or maybe it is because I’m the one talking. Who knows?”
• “Who am I forgetting? Of course! Bree!”
• “You all know that she’s the captain, our marvelous captain. That doesn’t sound right, but I’ll have to roll with it. I tell ya, she’s a consummate professional. Sure, it was fun when Horst was captain--mainly because there was candy--but Bree’s a really good captain. She says things like, ‘Harle, maybe you should practice instead of hanging upside-down from a hangar in the closet,’ and ‘Harle, stop throwing change on the field. The defenders aren’t going to stop to pick it up allowing you to score goals like you think they will,’ and ‘Harle, stop hitting me with that lightball bat,’ just like a real captain would!”
• “Besides, now that we have Grady we have a way more fit Horst on the team. We’re not suffering that much.”
• “Oh, next week? You want to know about next week and if we’re going to win. I dunno. Ask the Pirates if they’re going to lose because that’s more important.”

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422

 

​

IC: The Rancor Pitt

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

"Playoffs baby!"

"Playoffs? Are you talkin about..."

"Just stop, that joke is old."

"Sorry." There was a brief pause as Randy composed himself. "Still, Mercs are playoff bound following a 29 to 14 win over the Miners..."

"First time they've swept an opponent all year."

"...bringing the Mercs to six and three on the season, tied for first with just a week to go."

"Still have something to play for here in the last week against the Starkillers."

"Sure, sure."

"That's right Kitterich, tied with the Sens for first place, and they need a win combined with a Sen's loss to claim the top spot and a direct ticket to the Galactic Cup finals."

"Hosting rights up for grabs too."

"That's right, forgot about that, first time the Mercs have made the post season under this new format."

"Why again do the Mercs need a Sens loss?"

"Sens have the tie breaker against the Mercs head to head point differential..."

"That's right, they tied the season series."

"Yup, yup, yup."

"So if they both win or both lose, Sens get the tie break, but with them both at six wins, something no other team can get to now, that puts them fighting over the first and second seeds."

"Sure, sure, that all makes sense."

"Let's talk a bit about how the Mercs got here though, and that spectacular win over a Miners team that is still not out of the playoff picture yet."

"Well first off, Hurtle played a heck of a game..."

"Best game of his young career so far."

"... with seven points and three assists."

"No going back to the bench for him now."

"Nope, and all as Kor'le planned at the beginning of the season, bring him along slowly and make him earn it and he has."

"Shab yeah he has, and it's been fun to watch the progression for him week to week."

"He's had his off weeks, even working his way into the starting lineup, but after that performance I think it's safe to say he has found his own confidence as a starter, and I think Kor'le has confidence in him as a starter now too."

"And having that confidence from the coach can only add to his own I would think."

"Sure sure, he knows the playing time wasn't guaranteed, and can't be taken for granted, but he knows, really knows, now that he can do it, that he has earned it and it wasn't just given to him."

"Sounds like the mantra of the Mercs right there."

"One that starts from the top," Justin agreed, "One that starts from the top."

TAG: @Trieste

 

IC: Roh Var
Carratos

Another loss, and another step closer to being eliminated from the playoffs, of losing the streak that Iris had built up. This season started off strong and we could have locked up our spot so much earlier but no we had to drop half our games and sit on the bubble coming up to our last game. Everything was on the line, I couldn't lose this next game. I have to give everything I have. The playoffs won't matter if we never get there. I am prepared to push myself to the very edge. This isn't like last year, there wasn't no point in pushing beyond our limits. This was warranted, this was necessary.

I give no lip when I arrive to practice, and Coach Sabah looks at me with those burning eyes. I know what needs to be done, I think we all do. No one says a word back to her as we run through our tackling drills. I give everything I have, trying to find that step I lost, trying to make up for my lackadaisical play, and practice. I stay on my mark, a call up from the Carratos League. It wasn't time for a full scrimmage yet. I use every bit of my gangly frame to swallow up the passes sent towards the young forward. They do their best but we're motivated, our necks are on the chopping block. We need to pull out a win.

The young player tries a quick cut back route and to my shame I'm a step slow. She gets away but, she's not out of the woods yet. The pass comes in safely in front of my mark. However they didn't take into account my freakishly long arms. I stretch out as far as I can, my large palm and long fingers spreading out to nearly block the sun from the poor player's eyes. I feel the ball touch the tips of my fingers and instinctively I swat knocking the pass away. I watch the sphere hit the ground and I turn my hips into a hard kick that sends the ball flying into the midfield.

"Nothing gets past your long arms." The younger player says with a smile. I smile back.

"Long arm of the Var." I say going for a terrible pun. My mark just shakes her head. I set up again and I don't give up I keep with her. There was a time I was ridiculed for my long limbs and gangly physique. Called a stick, a freakshow, and many other names. I was a tall girl with big hands and big feet. Though it was secondary school and everyone had it rough. It's just mine was focused on how I looked. It didn't matter that I was my team's top defender, or that I was always in the running for defender of the year. All that mattered was I looked weird.

Today though, my frame is an asset, gives me just that little bit of an edge over my competitors. I might not be pretty to most but, I'd like them to face me on the limmie pitch. Here, I am purpose built, long arms long legs it's hard to get past me. I take a little pride in that, pride that my once mocked form is my greatest asset in the sport I love. It is going to take everything I have, every advantage I can muster out of myself. After another successful rejection I think for just a moment that Coach Sabah cracked a smirk.

That's just about as much as one was going to get out of Stoneheart Sabah. I call that a victory. It isn't everything of course it is still a long week to the final game. There's plenty of time between now and then to improve, and I'm certain that Sabah demands it. It is the final game, at home against the Smugglers. A team the coach has a long history with, long and storied. It is almost like fate that this final game that meant everything would be against this team. A team we have a feud with, that had very bad blood with.

We leave that day of practice a little worn, a little tired but, I don't feel sore, don't feel like I've been put through the ringer. I feel determined, something inside me is carrying me further, lessening the fatigue. This is it the last week of practice until we are left sitting out for the rest of the season, robbed of our chance at the cup. I know it is going to be an uphill battle, first the Smugglers, then either the Mercs and the Sens, it is going to be a gauntlet, and these teams are going to be out for blood.

I get home, set my bag down and start getting ready for bed. The first day of a long week in the books. I feel deep in my heart this fire, a burning determination to give my best to this game. I look into the mirror of my bathroom. I look like a different player, more focused, more driven. I see it in my eyes, a flame that isn't going to go out anytime soon. My mind is clear, the only things going through it are tomorrow's practice, and the game to follow. All other distractions faded away. There was nothing else.

I arrive at Arcadia, the day of the game, some fans are already set up outside, their Pirate flags blowing in the summer breeze. They know it is the last game, the one to decide everything, to dictate if their team is going to move on, to get another shot at the Cup that has been denied them. Some have banners, '7 Years and Counting' the number of back to back playoff appearances the Pirates would make if they won this game. It was a good little streak to be sure, they were closing in on a decade, 10 years of the Pirates always being in the conversation. I'll be damned if I let it stop now.

In the locker room, Logan looks at all of us his golden eye glowing.

"This is it, we have to give everything, don't worry about the playoffs, don't worry about the Mercs. Look these Smugglers in the eye and say no. Tell them we are not going to let them play the spoiler, we will not allow them to drag us down with them. Go out there, give them everything we have. Play like your lives depend on it. Show them that we will not go quietly into the offseason. Show them why we are the toughest, roughest team in the league. Tell the galaxy why we're to be feared, that the other teams need to watch their backs for us. That we are not out until you put us on the ground and keep us there. Because, We're Still Here."

TAG: @Vehn

 

​

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

"The college bolo ball tournament is now down to just four..."

"The Fantastic Four!"

"...so let's see how they got there."

"By winning."

"Real deep there Randy."

"Let's start at the top where the number one Keldabe Military Institute Warriors survived a late push by number eight Vertical City University..."

"Thought VCU was going to pull that one out there towards the end."

"Another minute and they might have."

"...in the Skimmer Ade Bowl. KMI your winners by a final of 22 to 19."

"Just one goal man, that was too close."

"The Dos Iziz Bowl was even closer as just two points separated the teams in the final score as number 15 Balmorra State University continued their winning ways upsetting number seven Coruscant Polytechnic Institute 20 to 18."

"Another tight game, we've been treated to some amazing matches throughout this tournament."

"They'll face University of Tatooine, Anchorhead in the Sweetner Bowl after number six UTA scored a bar point in the final minute to upset number three University of Agamar 21 to 20..."

"That one was even closer than the last two!"

"...in the Beskar Bowl, presented by MandalMotors."

"A three point, a two point and a one point win this go around, what could be better?"

"How about a Carnation Bowl hosting a Bak 10 team?"

"I was hoping for an OT game, but that'll do."

"And in the Carnation Bowl, number five UB Cape Suzette received a warm welcome, from not only the fans but from number four Royal College of Hapes who defeated the Blue Birds 24 to 22 to end Coach Kirt's..."

"About time you got that right."

"...first season as a college bolo ball coach..."

"A successful season I'd say by any metric."

"...in front of an appreciate home town crowd."

"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: @Trieste

---

GCAA 298 Bolo Ball Championship Tournament

Fantastic Four

Party Bowl: #1 Keldabe Military Institute (Mandalore) vs. #4 Royal College of Hapes
Sweetner Bowl: #15 Balmorra State University vs. #6 University of Tatooine, Anchorhead

 

IC Trazi Jul

I’m mortified. We just laid an egg against the worst team in the ELL. In front of my former high school coach, my mom, not to mention millions of others on Nar Shaddaa and billions at home. Those others I don’t have to face. My mom, she’s there to greet me when I emerge from the locker room. Even though I know she always tells me not to hang my head, I can’t help it.

“It wasn’t that bad,” my mom says.

I don’t hide my surprise when I look up. “What do you mean? We didn’t even score?”

“You just started in your second ELL game. In your rookie season and you only allowed 14 points,” my mom points out. “I’m proud of you. I told everyone in our section you are my daughter.”

“But we don’t even have anything to play for next week,” I say still frustrated.

“Sure you do. You could make the Mercs second guess themselves. Maybe even cost them the commissioner’s trophy. I already bought my flight and tickets. I wouldn’t miss it,” she says.

It takes me a while to soak it all in, “If I ever have a kid. I hope I can be as good as a mom as you are,” I say.

My mom surprises me even more by buying tickets for Carroll and Skip as well. Neither of them have travelled off planet before so they are really excited. It takes a lot of self-talk, but I decide to try not and obsess about this game. I want to enjoy it and remember it as a good time. It’ll be my last game for months.

It feels good to have a support team in the stands. It feels good to be an ELL player. Also I have the Sandskimmers play-offs to look forward to. They could finish #1 in their league and they could repeat as champions. I promise myself I’ll travel to the games. Somebeing on that team could be my teammate next year. Next year, I don’t want to think about next year. I want to think about today. The here and now. My chance to make a statement is now.

Tag: none

 

GM Post

Last week of the regular season and a few things to decide! Bonus potential for Bakura, Carratos, Mando'ade, and Ralltiir.

299 Week 10 Results
Ralltiir Starkillers at Mando’ade Mercs (27-12)
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Carratos Pirates (8-22)
Bakura Miners at Coruscant Senators (23-23, OT 23-25)

Final Standings

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

Galactic Cup Playoffs
Galactic Cup Semifinal
(3) Carratos Pirates at (2) Mando’ade Mercs

142nd Galactic Cup Final
Senators Stadium, Coruscant
??? at (1) Coruscant Senators

Premiership Playoffs
Quarterfinals
(3) Chandrila Patriots at (2) Alsaken Flyers (14-4)
(3) Kamino Waves at (2) Naboo Ducks (21-24)

Semifinals
(3) Chandrila Patriots at (1) Rydonni Prime Monarchs
(2) Naboo Ducks at (1) Euceron Officers

HSN Headlines

• Coruscant Senators secure Commissioner's Trophy with thrilling OT win over Bakura
• Carratos Pirates earn last playoff spot with victory against Nar Shaddaa
• Draft order determined by head-to-head tiebreak between non-playoff teams
  • Bakura had 3-1 combined record against Nar Shaddaa and Ralltiir
  • Ralltiir had 2-2 combined record against Bakura and Nar Shaddaa
  • Nar Shaddaa had 1-3 combined record against Bakura and Ralltiir

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Jedi Gunny @Runjedirun @SWNerd11 @Vehn (Reminder--season awards are due this week and draftees would be appreciated too!)

 

IC: Alana Kirt
Carnation Bowl, Gesco City, Bakura

​

Alana breathed in and let the moisture in the air fill her nostrils with its fresh scent. She could tell it was probably going to rain. Yeah, it was a Carnation Bowl kind of day.

They called it “The Grandmommy of Them All,” one of the oldest bowl games in the galaxy. Without the Carnation Bowl, Bak10 limmie probably wouldn’t even be on the map of GCAA limmie. Letting their automatic bid to the game go had been deeply divisive when the Bak10 had agreed to playoff reform. Anyone other than someone like Kerry Trieste made the case for it, there probably would have been a revolt.

But here they were, in the Carnation Bowl at last. Thanks to seeding, they were the visiting team, but the Blue Birds had played out of that locker room once this season and done just fine. In fact, this was where the Blue Birds’ nine game run of victories had begun.

Alana watched her players warming up. She was girded for battle in her sky blue polo shirt and white slacks. Her rain jacket was folded over the back of the bench, ready if her weather sense proved correct. There was only one variation today: the scarlet carnation pinned to her breast opposite the stitched UBCS logo. Bakuran horticulturists had developed several varieties of carnations: green ones worn by Fianna Fail candidates, goldenrod for Unionist candidates, and even bright blue ones that matched the UBCS color palette. Alana went with the classic red. It was what the university and fans deserved after so long: a proud acknowledgment that they were back.

“Let’s go,” Alana said to no one in particular.

---

The stadium was physically shaking with noise and stamping feet. It was going to be another down-to-the-wire finish. There had been a light rain throughout the second half, just enough for it to drip off the brim of Alana’s ballcap. She had one last decision to make today, maybe this season.

She had to choose someone to take the free kick that would be the last play of the game.

It was 22-24 in Hapes’ favor. The Birds were making their final push when Carp had been blatantly tripped outside the goal box. Alana hadn’t needed to raise her arms asking for a penalty since the officials had seen it immediately, but it was the habit of a head coach who wanted every advantage they could get.

It wasn’t a penalty kick, but it gave the Blue Birds the next best opportunity to win the game. The Hapans would have a line of players blocking a direct attack on the goal, so they needed a play. Alana had it.

“We’re going to play the Glen Cross,” Alana told the team. “Shasta, Rorie, you know what to do. Everybody else, create chaos. Birds on three. One two three.”

“BIRDS!”

Alana took up her better-hope-this-works stance: bent at the waist, hands braced against her knees, torso parallel to the turf, head bent up at the neck to watch what happened.

The team took up their positions and the official blew the whistle, signaling that Carp could kick when ready. The noise in the stadium seemed like it got even louder than it had been before, than maybe it had ever been. Thousands of UBCS fans had bought tickets off smug Royal College alumnae who had thought they could make some easy credits off the homeworlders and were happy to watch from home.

Carp looked down at the ball, looked up, and then started forward, head down, eye on the boloball. The moment the Ishi Tib’s foot hit the ball, the Miners started into motion. All the movement was a screen for the object of the play: the crossfield rush of Rorie McLita. It was a timing play--Carp was passing to a location, not to a being, and it was McLita’s job to get there and get the boloball. Rorie was jostled by a defender, but got by her. It made McLita a little late and she knew it. With her eyes on the arc of the boloball, she jumped forward, laying her body out.

The boloball made contact with Rorie’s head as she gave her noggin a jerk to add velocity and change the trajectory, now heading towards the net. The Hapan goalkeeper was ready, suspecting some kind of play like this, but the adjustment by Rorie put her a little out of position.

...as the ball went wide.

Alana dropped her head as the horn sounded, but had it back up a second later as she straightened her body and headed for midfield to meet the Hapan coach.

“What a game,” Alana said.

“One minute more and I think you would have had us,” the Hapan replied, putting her second hand on top of their clasped hands.

“I don’t know about that. Hapan efficiency won the day.”

“See you next season, Alana.”

Alana’s players had pulled themselves together to shake hands with the Hapans as the media watched and captured it. Some of the Hapans wanted to shake Alana’s hand and she obliged, but she made sure to get to the tunnel back to the locker room before any of her players were off the field. It let her pat each of them on the back as they left the field. It was the least she could do for them.

The tens of thousands of Blue Bird fans stood and applauded a season that had come to its end. They clapped and cheered not to signal that it was over, but to express their appreciation for everything it had been.

---

“All right, all right,” Alana said as she made the bring-it-on motion with her hands, “lay it on me.”

“Blew the Carnation Bowl? What a loser,” Kass said. The Kirt family walked down the empty hallways of the stadium, the fans long gone, the interviews over, the players changed and trudging to the team shuttle, and the cleaning crews the only others left at this point.

“At least when we lost the Papa Palpatine Bowl there was pizza in the locker room,” Olivar said.

“Cold pizza,” Kass pointed out.

“Pizza is pizza. You’ll understand when you go to university,” Olivar said. “Anyways, you can’t comfort eat flowers.”

“How about you?” Alana said to Niall. “What’ve you got?”

“At least I’ve still got a shot of winning the office pool now,” Niall shrugged.

“Oooh burn,” Kass responded. Clearly the namana didn’t fall far from the tree.

The jibes were all friendly at heart. It was just the dynamic they had.

“You did great, Mom,” Olivar said.

“You too kid,” Alana said, giving him a squeeze around the body. “It was a tough break against Agamar. Wish I could have been there for you.”

“They got theirs in the end,” Olivar pointed out. UTA had taken care of that this weekend.

“So what now?” Niall asked.

“I think I’ll sleep for two days, but then I’m gonna get Shasta drafted,” Alana said.

“Think it’ll be a hard sell?” Kass asked.

“She’s going to get drafted come Korriban or cold water,” Alana promised.

“On the bright side, at least we’ll be home in a couple of hours,” Olivar said. “Nothing’s worse than a cross-galaxy flight after you’ve lost a bowl game.” He spoke from experience.

“Ah, but nothing’s better than being with your family after you’ve lost one,” Alana said, putting her arms around her kids. “Anyone want some ice cream?”

“I could eat,” Kass admitted.

“Then it’s settled. Ice cream for everyone, on me,” Alana said.

The End

Spoiler

...for now…?

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik

 

Sub GM Post

Bonus Potential for: Concordia (28) Tatooine (28) Cloud City (28) and Atzerri (28)

Skimmer Ade League Week Ten Results
Tatooine Sandskimmers @ Concordia Crusaders (15-23)
Druckenwell Marksmen @ Atzerri Bandits (6-6) (OT (9-6)
Cloud City Sky Captains @ Thyferra Force (28-24)

Skimmer Ade League Semifinals
4 Atzerri Bandits @ 1 Cloud City Sky Captains
3 Concordia Crusaders @ 2 Tatooine Sandskimmers

Skimmer Ade League Finals
? @ ?

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

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Miners miss playoffs for first time in Dionne/Cavannaugh era.
  • Both their contracts are expiring.
  • Team chairman Declan Trieste declines to comment on “ongoing” discussions.
  • Dionne and Cavannaugh also decline comment on negotiations.
• Cavannaugh reflects on the season: “I think a step back in defense was to be expected with the departure of a veteran defender like Horst, but that’s no excuse. We expected better of ourselves this season.”
• Dionne: “If I’m here at the 299 draft, I know exactly what I’m going to do.”
• Veers on first season as captain: “We got knocked down, but you can bet we’re going to get back up.”
  • On whether the announcement of the offworld scores, including the Pirates’ win, by Senators Stadium public address at the end of regulation affected the Miners' play in overtime: “Yeah, we heard it. We also heard that the Mercs lost. That meant what happened in OT didn’t change the standings. I don’t think there was an effect on how either team played.”
    • BBC Sports commentator Aerax Skytrayn: “If you looked at the Miners in OT, they were flat. You could see they weren’t playing for anything and that robbed fans of a great overtime. The League should think about whether they want scores broadcast in stadiums so the players can hear.”
    • “Fans can follow their fantasy limmie teams on their datapads. They don’t need these announcements.”
• Quinn: “Come on! Just when everyone is over Bak10 limmie our season is done too! Laaaaaaaaaaame.”
  • “So I guess this is my last chance until next season to reveal my fantabulous plan. We’ve talked about Stephana, Revos, Bast, Bree, Hallie...all this has been building to my humongous announcement that we awesome females of the Miners are now going to be known by the super cool, you-can’t-ignore-us-now name of Birds of Prey. You won’t be able to not talk about us now!”
    • “...what do you mean someone else has that name already? I thought it up myself!”
    • “...copyright infringement?! What the heck is that?!”
    • “...I don’t even have all the right beings to use that name?!”
    • “...the ones I have aren’t not even all from the same universe?! That’s preposterous! What universe are you talking about?”
    • “...no, I was not making this up as I went along and forgot to check critical details! Who does that? Not me!”
    • “That’s it! I’m gonna get the police on this! I’m gonna get the Marines! I’m gonna get the Commissioner! I’m gonna get Liz! This will not stand! I got rights, doncha know! I will not be silenced! This won’t be the last you’ll hear of this! I--”
  • At this point in the press conference, Quinn’s mic was turned off.

TAG: @Jedi Gunny

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• BBC Sports reflects on their predicted order of finish for the Bak10:

1. UB Cape Suzette (predicted eighth, +7 places)
2. PCNS (predicted third, +1 place)
3. Evenvale (predicted second, -1 place)
4. UBSD (predicted, 10 +6 places)
5. Atalanta (predicted 5)
6. Fleet Academy (predicted 4, -2 places)
7. UBTV (predicted 1, -6 places)
8. CD&M (predicted 9, +1 place)
9. UBGC (predicted 6, -3 places)
10. Tiarest (predicted 7, -3 places)

• BBC Sports averaged 3 places off actual finish
• BBC Sports analyst: “I mean that’s not terrible, right?”
• HSN analyst: “If you want to be a small-time, one world network, yeah, that’s perfectly acceptable.”

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik who is always kind enough to tell me exactly how each team finished to enable this post

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Hallie Kendriick announces she will not return to the Miners.
• Kendriick: “It was time for something new. I’m grateful for my time with the Miners, the Galactic Cup we won, but I need to chart my own path.”
• A source inside the Miners say that the decision was not all Kendriick’s: “She wasn’t happy about the move to Full Forward. She wasn’t as successful there as she was in college on Ralltiir and that made things difficult for everyone.”
• Miners finished last in defense this season.

TAG: None

 

​

IC: The Rancor Pitt

"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE! From downtown Keldabe, on a sunny and warm 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 fall, but back into the playoffs anyway..."

"Yeah, not a good look for the Mercs, losing 27 to 12 to the Starkillers..."

"First to worst for them..."

"...but they still are going into the playoffs as a two seed..."

"... they get the first pick in the draft..."

"Barring expansion."

"...and get to host the semifinal game..."

"...just a year after hoisting the Galactic Cup."

"Everyone follow all that?"

"...and as it turns out, even a win wouldn't have ended up mattering for the Mercs as the Sens pulled out a win in OT against the Miners."

"Good thing that was all color coded, because there is no other way everyone followed all that."

"Yeah, so the Mercs would have been the two seed anyway, still just never fun to end the season with a loss."

"I get it, I do, I want them to win every week, but let's face it, this is the ELL, and every team here is amazing."

"Especially because they are all Player teams, no more NPCs."

"Sure, sure."

"And as it turn s out, the Mercs actually ended up beating every single team in the league this year..."

"While also losing to every team except the Miners."

"Take that @Trieste!"

"Yeah, parity reigns supreme in the ELL..."

"Which is why it's the best limmie in the Galaxy."

"And now the Mercs will face the Pirates..."

"Say it with us everyone!"

"...who I really hate for the rights to move on to the Galactic Cup Finals on Coruscant."

"Mercs went one and one against them this season..."

"Went one and one against most everyone."

"...losing 38 to four in a week two match up on Carratos."

"I remember that game, they just dominated us there."

"But beat the Pirates in the rematch at Meshla Vhetin in week 7."

"What was the score of that game?"

"13 to six."

"Oh yeah, I remember that one now, huge defensive struggle..."

"That was a physical game, which I think you can always expect from Carratos."

"Given how the Mercs got blown out by them the first time they met, I think that's the way they need to play in order to win. Stout defense."

"Going to be tough considering the Mercs had the league's second worst defense on the season."

"Yeah, it's a tall order, but I still think it's the key to victory."

"Meanwhile the Pirates had the best defense in the league, so doesn't that just play into their strength?"

"It does, and I don't know how Kor'le will play this, but defense wins championships..."

"You would say that."

"...so even though this is a match up of the league's best offense in the Mercs against the Piartes top arted defense, i think the way to win is to emphasize the defensive front and beat the Pirates at their own game..."

TAG: @Runjedirun and good luck to @galactic-vagabond422 here's hoping for a great contest between these two hated rivals!

 

​

"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."

"Well it's been a long boloball season for these young college athletes, but now it all comes down to this, the GCAA Boloball title game, and wow does this look to be a great one..."

"Yeah it does."

"Local fans here on Mandalore of course will all know that number one KMI defeated number four Royal College of Hapes 24 to 21 in the Party Bowl to punch their ticket to the title game."

"Two years in a row now for the defending champion Warriors, but a repeat championship is going to be tough..."

"It will indeed as they will take on the pre season number two team after number six University of Tatooine, Anchorhead dominated number 15 Balmorra State University 28 to 16 in the Sweetner Bowl."

"That UTA win puts an end to a string of upsets from the number 15 team here in the tournament, but now man what a finals they are going to have."

"Like the K-Man said, preseason number one and two vying for the title..."

"Almost like they knew what they were talking about."

"Yeah but Bardan puts together the ranking before he rolls the playoffs, so this is just luck."

"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 298 Bolo Ball Championship Game

• Nylonite Bowl: #1 Keldabe Military Institute (Mandalore) vs. #6 University of Tatooine, Anchorhead

 

IC: Trazi Jul

The season ended on the high note I hoped it would. To celebrate I bought Skip and I tickets to see the Sandskimmers play against the Crusaders on Tatooine. It turns out Carroll and I are a little on the outs. I hope we can be friends forever, but it’s complicated when you’ve been intimate. I can’t blame her for feeling left out when I’m with Skip, but I told her from the beginning we weren’t inclusive. So I’m frustrated she’s changed her mind about our relationship. I need to get away and Skip agreed to a few days on Tatooine. It’s perfect.

Tatooine is the craziest, hottest and the most frenzied planet I have ever been to. A lot of it has to do with UTA going to the GCAA Championship game. Another part of it is the Starkillers in their quest for their 2nd Skimmer Ade League title in row. I thought Skip and I were doing a pretty good job of laying low, but the second morning of our stay there are reporters waiting for us outside our hotel. They ask the most obvious question, “Will the Starkillers take Tyffanie Vigo in the draft?” “Would I like to be her teammate?”

“Of course I’d be honored to be her teammate,” I answer. “You’d have to be crazy to not want the best offensive player in the GCAA to join your team. She’s in the championship game for a reason.”

“Were you disappointed with the Starkillers overall record this season?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course I was. I’m looking forward to busting some ass next season,” I add.

When Skip and I get to breakfast we find news from back home on the holo. TJ Allin has a son. “Ty Allin the third,” Skips reads aloud. “Three.”

“What?” I ask looking up from my oatmeal.

“Three, they are going to call the baby, Three. You know because he’s the third. I guess they don’t want to call him Ty,” Skip needlessly explains.

“That is so goofy,” say sinking my spoon deep into the oats.

“No more goofy than, Skip. You do know that Seymore Kilvian the fourth is my name, right?”

“I guess, but Skip fits you and it’s been used before. I never heard of calling a kid, Three.”

“Well he’s not your kid, besides we came here to see the Sandskimmers. Remember Ylaine Del Donna? You told me she was going to hold the Crusaders to less than 5 points tomorrow.”

“She is, her and Abigail Ripley,” I add. “The Sandskimmers have an amazing defense.”

“Not as good as Cloud City,” Skip reminds me. “They will be tough to beat. Best defense and best offense in the Skimmer Ade League.”

“Well first they have to beat the Crusaders,” I remind Skip. “We’ll worry about Cloud City if and when it comes to that. So what do you want to do today? I heard they offer dewback rides on the far side of town?”

“Are you crazy? We could die.”

“I could die on the Limmie field just doing my job, I’m not afraid. Are you afraid?”

“Yes, I’m afraid.” Skip confirms.

I pull an extra head band-aid out of my pocket. “This will keep you safe,” I promise.

“How do you even know that works?” He asks incredulously.

“They’d shut down the whole league if they didn’t,” I remind him. “Please, we came all the way out here. I want to ride a dewback.”

“Okay,” Skip says bracing himself. Even though we haven’t even finished breakfast yet.

Tag: @Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Franc Danshire

Undisclosed Locaiton

Shortly before the 298 PLL Semi-Finals Week


The past week for Franc was supposed to be one of revelry and welcome rest before the biggest week of the season so far, but a message he received just after the final regular season game put a damper on it. Having clinched the top record in the PLL on the hands of Ari’ann’emartell and the Monarchs’ outstanding defense, the Monarchs earned the right to take the week before the Semi-Finals off as they waited to see who their opponent would be. But then he was called to a meeting of the heads of the Five Families of Rydonni Prime.


Somehow Franc knew that, as the Monarchs made their case to be reinstated into the ranks of the Elite Limmie League, this meeting was inevitable. He figured that if the Monarchs only achieved mediocre success, that the other Families would pay them little mind. But when half of your team’s wins were accomplished by holding your opponents to 1 point or less, you tend to get everyone’s attention.


Not to mention that Franc’s “side business” was also showing record profits.


Meetings of the Families were not as common as most people are led to believe. In the mainstream holovids, the crime bosses always held their meetings on the top floor of some high rise office building, looming over the sprawling metropolis they reigned over. They would all be seated at some sort of large conference table flanked on either side by members of their Family packing blasters.


In reality, the Heads of the Families tried not to be seen in the same place at the same time. It tended to draw unwanted attention. Additionally, as per an agreement laid down several generations ago, only the Heads of the Families could be in the room. No hired blasters or muscle allowed, not even a lieutenant, unless certain circumstances called for it.


Tonight was one of those special circumstances. Tavish McNosh was getting along in years, and as such required the use of a mobile bacta tank. He also has difficulty speaking out loud, so the other four Families agreed to let his second, Janus Greco, to be present and speak on his behalf. Franc did not like Janus, he did not trust him any further than he could throw him.





The kid always came off to him as cocky and arrogant. Acting like he was untouchable because he was Tavish’s chosen one. Since McNosh did not have any children of his own, Janus had filled this void as a type of adopted son. But there was something about young Greco that made Franc’s skin crawl… he was a schemer.


Franc hated schemers. He knew that moment he found an opening to completely replace Tavish, Janus was going to take it.


After a few moments the other heads filtered into the room: Ross Gillepsi...




Shel Tomas…




And Acula Grettach.




Acula was the last to arrive and Shel was the first to speak up, “Finally! Can we get this over with already?”


Ross chuckled, “What, you got a hot date tonight or something?”


“No, but I thought we said to be here by 1800, it’s 1845!”


“Cool your heels Shel,” Acula chimed in while slowly removing his hat, “My driver got turned around. He’s new to this part of town.”


“It’s fine,” Franc added calmly, “We’re all here now, so let us have a seat, drink a few drinks, and then we can proceed with our evenings.”


They all sat down in fine bantha leather chairs which were in the middle of a mostly empty warehouse. Tavish’s hovering bacta chair floated into the center of the chairs, where the other four men could see him easily. He mumbled something practically inaudible to all in the room except for Janus.


“We want to thank Mr. Gillepsi for allowing us to utilize one of his fine warehouses and to everyone arriving on such short notice.” Janus translated for everyone.


The four gentlemen nodded their heads and raised a glass to one another.


Tavish continued on, “I am sure we all know the reason we are here? To discuss Mr. Danshire’s recently acquired sports franchise.” All eyes turned an focused on Franc, “So tell us Franc, how do you plan to keep the Crown, or worse the Republic, out of business?”


Franc had his suspicions that that last part was not something that Tavish was asking, but that Janus wanted to hear.


“For one”, Franc started, “my team books are clean. There is nothing untowards about the way that I am running the Monarchs, or any business venture tied to the Monarchs. So if anyone in this room comes anywhere near my team, then we will have a problem.”


“So,” Ross piped up, “how can you explain the record profits of your bookies?”


“Easy, we don’t accept risky investments.” Franc was growing tired of his present company and wanted to make something abundantly clear, “Listen, I am only going to say this once - stay away from my team and my players, and I will give you my assurance that I will no longer accept wagers on Monarchs games.”


“How are you going to do that?” Acula queried.


“I’ll forward the wager and the credits on to our associate, Harold Rossum, on Coruscant.”


Silence hung in the air as each head contemplated how that was going to affect their individual house. Shel asked a direct question “And what do you plan to do if one of us happens to start cutting deals with someone on your team?


Franc appreciated Shels bluntness and awarded it with a direct response of his own. Franc drank down the rest of his beer in one gulp and said,”Then it is War,” and walked out of the meetin.


TAG: @Trieste

 

IC: Roh Var
Mandalore

We did it, we came out, won our game and made it to the playoffs. In the span of one game we went from on the outside looking in, to being in and a threat. I know we still have a long way to go, but at least we have a shot now. I'm more determined than ever to put my best into the upcoming games, and so is Coach Sabah. The practices are going to get harder, I can feel it, but that isn't going to scare me, not anymore. We have yet another chance at the cup, we just need to carve our way thought the Mercs.

It wasn't going to be easy, though the hate was real. It was almost poetic, fate that we would face them in the semis. The history and rivalry between my team and the team from Mandalore was legendary. The battles had, the hard hits, and fights for Skywalker supremacy going all year long. Everyone knows it won't be easy, that it will take everything we have. There is no question that this year we will not give up. I won't give up. This year has been up and down, and been on the edge of falling apart.

Now I am stepping into the playoffs as part of the #1 defense in the league, even with a lackluster offense. This was the year the defense carried. Not that Iris didn't do her part, she did all that and more, but finally we stepped up, the defense did our jobs and kept the score sheet in our favor. I take pride in that. That our phenom didn't have to carry the whole team on her back. That we backed her up and helped win, helped push our team into the playoffs. This year we took back the title of stiffest defense, regaining some of our defensive reputation that had fallen in the past years.

I know that numbers are just that numbers, but it shows how much effort we, that I've put in. After my first year of being a bit of a roller coaster, and this one being much the same, I glad to finally feel like I should be here, that I should be a starting defender. All doubts, and insecurities have melted away leaving only what and who I am. A rough defender from Bar'ton ready to slam some mandalorians into the pitch and keep them there. To break up their plays every chance and get, and snatch the ball out of the air with my long arms and wide palms.

I lace up my cleats looking to the others on my defensive unit. I see the same determination, the same fire to win, to keep pushing until there is nothing left in us. To see this fight to the end. And I am one of them.

Coach Manx-Sandin sits in the middle looking around to us.

"We're still here, we are still fighting. We aren't done, we will not be done until we lift the cup above our heads again. So dig deep, find that fire, the desire to show the Galaxy what we can do, show these mercs that we will not go quietly, that we will not just lay down so they can win yet again. Go out there and give them everything we've got. Take everything."

"Yes Coach."

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik

 

GM Post

Playoffs. Enough said.

Bonus potential for Carratos and Mando'ade.

Galactic Cup Playoffs
Galactic Cup Semifinal
(3) Carratos Pirates at (2) Mando’ade Mercs (7-35)

142nd Galactic Cup Final
Senators Stadium, Coruscant
(2) Mando’ade Mercs at (1) Coruscant Senators

EDIT: Oops! Got so excited I forgot about the Premier League! Bonus potential also for Rydonni Prime.

Premiership Playoffs
Semifinals
(1) Rydonni Prime Monarchs* at (3) Chandrila Patriots (30-11)
(2) Naboo Ducks at (1) Euceron Officers (23-29)

Premiership Final
(1) Rydonni Prime Monarchs* at (1) Euceron Officers

*Rydonni Prime is the higher seed, but played as the visiting team due to stadium renovations
TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Jedi Gunny

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Miners reach deal with GM/head coach tandem of Dionne & Cavannaugh for new two year deals
• BBC Sports: “The Triestes traditionally give no longer than three year contracts to their front office personnel. I’d say the failure to make the playoffs probably cost them each a year of job security.”
• Sources say both Dionne and Cavannaugh are receiving “top credit” annual salaries.
• Dionne: “I’m glad that we didn’t dilly-dally around. Now is a critical time for draft preparation.”
  • The Miners sit behind the Starkillers in draft order.
  • Dionne announces she will spend remainder of 298 season with the Cloud City Sky Captains to deepen ties with the organization.
    • “We are separate organizations, but integrated.”
• Cavannaugh: “The expectations of ownership and fans are clear: championships. In that, we are in complete alignment.”

TAG: None

 

Sub GM Post

Bonus Potential for: Concordia (28) Tatooine (33) Cloud City (28) and Atzerri (28)

Skimmer Ade League Semifinals
4 Atzerri Bandits @ 1 Cloud City Sky Captains (16-23)
3 Concordia Crusaders @ 2 Tatooine Sandskimmers (16-20)

Skimmer Ade League Finals
2 Tatooine Sandskimmers @ 1 Cloud City Sky Captains

Tags: @galactic-vagabond422 @Trieste @Bardan_Jusik

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Commissioner Lokensgaard meets HSN Sports in one-on-one interview in runup to Galactic Cup Final
  • Lokensgaard (all quotes): "Expansion is very much on the table for 299."
    • "We have teams we're considering. New blood and old favorites."
    • "We're watching the Premiership championship game closely."
  • "We're also considering whether to expand the ELL Season Awards next year to be more inclusive of what's going on throughout the galaxy in limmie."
    • "We'd look at opportunities to honor beings in the Premier League, SkimmerAde, GCAA, high school, even Little League. It would be a celebration of limmie, not just the ELL. We exist in an ecosystem, not in isolation."
• ELL releases the 298 season award ballot
  • Pirates lead with a nomination for each award
  • Mercs receive two nominations
  • Miners and Starkillers round out with one nomination each
• With expiration of their ELL entry-level contracts, Cloud City Sky Captains sign Ahona Va (goalkeeper) and Leilu Grabbert (full forward) to SkimmerAde contracts.
  • Cloud City GM: “We had three party talks as the season wound down. The Miners weren’t looking to retain either of these players, but they’ve been excellent fits for us. We were able to offer competitive terms to keep them here rather than see them go to free agency elsewhere.”
• New contracts include ELL call up provisions that trigger transfer fees to Cloud City.
  • GM: “We’re the ones who were willing to sign them, so it’s appropriate we get something if we agree to let them move up.”
• Clause gives Miners right of first refusal on any callups.
  • GM confirms that Cloud City has the ability to transfer players to other ELL teams if Miners pass
  • GM: “We’re trying something new.”
• “Our affiliation agreement with the Miners doesn’t prevent this. I’ve talked with Shay and she feels if we’re talking about our contracts, not theirs, it’s fair that they can’t veto things. We’re not a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Miners. We’re partners.”

TAG: None

 

GM Post

HSN Headlines

• Miners announce signing of Gasket Gaskin (midfielder) to a one year contract.
• Dionne: “Gasket’s got skills and we think that a second ELL season is going to let her truly shine.”
• Miners reportedly pressed for a longer term at current value, but Gasket’s agent balked at being locked in at that rate.
  
  • Sources say that Gasket took this make-or-break contract to prove she’s worth more.
  • “The risk for Gasket is she could get dropped after this season. The risk for the Miners is that if she does well she’s going to rightfully demand a big payday--much bigger than she would have gotten now if they’d made a long-term deal.”

TAG: None

 

GM Approved

Character Sheet
Name: Horst Penn
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Birth Year: 255
Physical appearance:
Homeworld: Agamar
Relation to Team: Broadcaster
Brief Biography: The man. The myth. The legend.

The one. The only. The...the...something that starts with O. Or maybe L, depending on how this works.

You thought he was dead? So did the Prime Minister’s enemies.

That’s right. It’s Burt Macklin, Federal Marshal.

...just kidding! It’s really Horst Penn, three-time Galactic Cup champion, two-time Salbukk winner, Ingbrand nominee, two-time Duchess Eldin winner and four-time nominee, four-time all-star, and former team captain. Come to think of it, that’s almost as awesome as being in the Marshals.

Horst spent all of 298 as a retired being--or, as his wife called it, “unemployed.” Pointing out that she is technically still his agent, Trixie has gotten Horst a job as a broadcaster with the BBC. While Horst is excited he gets to be around limmie once more, he is disappointed that he is going to have to start wearing pants again.

 

​

IC: The Rancor Pitt

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

"Didn't see that coming!"

"What? A win?"

"Well a win or a loss is a roll of the dice..."

"I see what you did there."

"...just didn't expect a win that big, not against that team"

"And win big they did, as the Mercs advance to the Galactic Cup finals on the strength of a 35 to seven blasting of the hated Pirates in front of a raucous crowd at the Meshla Vhetin."

"Never saw the Mercs putting that many of the league's best defense."

"I don't think anyone did..."

"Didn't see the second worst defense only allow seven in a high stakes playoff game either."

"Yet both things happened in what became a breakout game for rookie Toemash Hurtle out at corner forward while the defensive effort was anchored behind stellar play by Stargazer..."

"I see what you did there too."

"...between the pipes."

"Not to mention the fantastic play at midfield that just helped keep the ball in the Mercs offensive zone for prolonged periodj of time."

"Yeah any time it looked like the Pirates might get something going, the midfield turned the tables on them and reversed the field."

"And of course the overall game plan just seemed to work to perfection..."

"Plenty of accolades to go around, and I know we'll get to them here all eventually, but the big question is, can they repeat this performance against the Sens to take home the Cup?"

"Well, that's the 64,000 credit question isn't it?"

"Sure is."

"And the simple answer is, who knows? I mean that was a pretty spectacular confluence of events to allow this kind of win, and we're unlikely to see it play out the same way against the Senators."

"Who are actually a very similar team to the Pirates when looking at the metrics."

"Second rated defense, behind only the Pirates, and only by a small margin."

"Right, so for the second week in a row the Mercs forwards are really going to have their work cut out for them."

"And on the other end of the field?"

"Going to need the defense to step it up again, because I don't see the offense being able to pull off this sort of effort two weeks in a row, not in the playoffs, and not with the stakes so high."

TAG @galactic-vagabond422