Star Wars OPEN Elite League Limmie

Sub GM Post

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

Skimmer Ade League Week 6
Atzerri Bandits @ Cloud City Sky Captains (26-4)
Tatooine Sandskimmers @ Kamino Waves (13-1)
Concordia Crusaders @ Druckenwell Marksmen (12-6)

Tags
@galactic-vagabond422 @Trieste @Bardan_Jusik @Vehn

 

IC: Vienna Harlow
Salis D’aar, Bakura

Even if Vienna didn’t enjoy going to Miner games, sometimes it was worth the effort. Usually, it was when the head coaches said, “Defense? Who cares about playing defense?”

The Pirates and the Miners had hammered each other all day long. It was looking like a last-score-wins kind of day and everyone was loving it (perhaps with the exception of the defenders and goalkeepers). In fact, Vienna was so deep into the game that she jumped when someone put a hand on her shoulder.

“Sorry,” Shenandoah apologized. “Do you have a minute?”

Of course. The game was actually interesting and someone wanted to pull her away from it. It helped slightly that it was Doe, one of her cousins who was bearable. As Vienna stood and shimmied down the row of seats she wondered why Doe wanted her now. Usually Shenandoah was into the game. (With good reason: odds were she had a decent shot at one day inheriting the team since her father was Taoiseach.)

“What’s up?” Vienna asked as she followed Shenandoah into the back of the box. From here she could only seen the far side of the field, and not much of it at that.

“Sit,” Shenandoah said gently, lowering herself onto a couch. With her head tilted in inquiry, Vienna followed suit. “I thought you’d want to see first. Everyone’s so into the game that you’ve probably got a head start.”

Shenandoah handed over her handheld datapad. It was open to a HoloNet article with the picture of her and Gerald Riviera…and a picture of her in the box two weeks ago, watching the game when Shay Dionne had visited the family.

WITCHER’S FLAME IS A TRIESTE

Vienna’s chest constricted in one sudden clutch.

Shenandoah took her hand. “I know you don’t relish the attention. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Vienna said automatically, still processing.

“I don’t think the cameras can find you back here, if that’s important to you,” Doe said. Vienna nodded her head. “And of course this happens during a close game.”

The outcome of the game was irrelevant to Vienna now. Her parents would get mad if she left now, so she had to stay. Wait.

“Oh no,” Vienna said, putting her head in her hands.

“What?” Shenandoah asked.

“They’re going to be waiting for me when I leave. The media, aren’t they?”

“How’d you get here?”

“Mom and Dad brought me.”

“You can slouch in the back of the speeder,” Shenandoah said. This was the kind of thing she’d dealt with as a Prime Minister’s daughter. “Though no one would expect you to leave through one of the general exits. Maybe that would work.”

Vienna shook her head. “Someone will probably recognize me if I take the monorail back to campus. That’d be worse. I’ll go with Mom and Dad when they leave.”

Vienna saw Shenandoah’s eyes flit side to side as her brain whirred. “What are you going to do when you get back to campus?”

“I…” Vienna didn’t have an answer. She hadn’t thought that far yet.

“I’ll get Regan. She’ll know what to do.”

Vienna stopped Doe before she could rise. “No. We’ll wait until after the game. She shouldn’t have to miss it.”

“I think she’ll understand,” Shenandoah reasoned.

“With how the Miners are playing this season? She’ll fume if she misses one of their rare wins.”

“I hate to admit it, but you have a point.”

Vienna shrugged with a what-can-you-do smile.

“Here, we’ll watch the vidscreen. What do you want to drink? It’s on the House,” Shenandoah said, shifting her body towards one of the screens mounted in the box.

For once, Vienna was glad to partake in the bounty her family commanded.

---

“Thank you, Yeorg,” Regan said, ending her comm call. “Yes, see you at Founders Day.”

Bakura Gardens was quiet. The fans had dispersed, buoyed by a thrilling return of the power offense. Though they weren’t back in a playoff position, they were nipping at the heels of the rest of the Skywalker Conference.

The Chief Justice turned to Vienna, Ginnifer, and Rickard. “The campus is aware of the situation. When Vienna is on campus, she won’t have to worry about the media. Security will prevent them from entering campus. This isn’t the first time they’ve protected the privacy of a student. They know what they’re doing.”

“Thank you, Regan,” Rickard said.

She waved her hand. “Please. It was nothing. They can’t afford to have me be mad at them.”

“What about students with their datapads?” Vienna asked.

“That can’t be helped. If someone makes a pest of themselves, you’re to let campus police know. They’ll remind them of the code of conduct. I’ll give you their contact info before you go. By the time you’re back, everyone in your dorm will have a message reminding them that under Bakuran law capturing images and other recordings requires consent from the subject when taken indoors. So you know, posing for a photo constitutes consent,” Regan explained. Vienna nodded to make it clear she understood. “If you keep your head down, this will blow over soon. Call me if anything happens beyond the random holo.”

“No, call me,” Trixie said from where she was reclining on a couch. “Tiarest is in my jurisdiction. I’ll charge them all with invasion of privacy offenses.”

“Call me,” Regan instructed Vienna, disregarding her daughter.

“Hey, has anyone thought about the fact Tiarest sounds a lot like Trieste?” Trixie continued. “Anyone ever check to see if one of our ancestors founded it?” No one bothered to reply.

“We appreciate it, Aunt Regan,” Ginnifer echoed.

“I got the all clear from Gardens security just before I spoke with President Arcos,” Regan said. “You should have a clear path to the garage now.”

“Thank you,” Vienna added before she left with her parents.

The Harlows rode the turbolift down to where they parked their speeder. Vienna waited for what she knew was coming. Sure enough, it came before five seconds had passed.

“You know—” Ginnifer began.

“Darling, let’s not,” Rickard gently interrupted, taking her hand.

They all knew what Ginnifer was going to say. That there was an opportunity here. That having a public profile opened up lots of possibilities, personally and professionally. That Ginnifer had used hers to do good work, help charities, do interesting work.

Vienna was never more thankful for silence.

---

Even silence had its limits.

Vienna stood in front of her roommate, who hadn’t said anything. Not out loud, at least. Her eyes, on the other hand, spoke volumes. They told Vienna that her roommate had already seen the article, that everyone in the dorm had, and they knew why they’d gotten the preemptive warning from the university about taking holos.

“So what do you want to know about my family?” Vienna sighed.

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422

 

​

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 reigning Galactic Cup Champion 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."

"So close, oh so close."

"Yeah Mercs made it close in a game they had every opportunity to win..."

"Just couldn't quite execute down the stretch."

"Strugglers defense had a lot to say about that."

"...as they lose to that team from Nal Hutta's moon 22 to 19 and boy does this one ever hurt."

"Drops the Mercs into a three way tie now there at the top of the ELL standings..."

"Had a chance to pull ahead there with the Gangbusters losing too."

"...in a season where only the top three make it to the post season."

"Yeah Mercs, Gangbusters and now the Strugglers all with identical four and two records there with four weeks left to go, lots of time left to the season to change things up, but no doubt it's tight right now there at the top of the standings."

"It is, it is and you're right, there will be movement there at the top. Mercs have yet to face the Gangbusters yet this season."

"Sure, sure, Strugglers and Gangbusters are done with each other for the season though, each earning a win on their hoe field against the other..."

"Who wins on points differential?"

"Uh...hold on let me check..."

"Of course the Mercs lost this match to the Strugglers, but have a chance to even things up next week..."

"Strugglers have a plus 13 against Gangbusters, so they hold that one on one tie break."

"...which makes this game against that team from nal Hutta's moon about as close to a must win as a game can be without actually being must win."

"Especially with Miners at three and three breathing down the necks of the teams at the top"

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."

"Last week of the college bolo ball regular season, so last chance for those non power five conference teams..."

"And the Power Five guys not leading their conferences."

"...to make their last impression on the rankings voters."

"Top five all did well."

"All the top five teams won this week, sending three of them, KMI, University of Tatooine and Citadel University of Anaxes to their respective champion ship games."

"Those will be for seeding.."

"And pride, don't forget pride as a powerful motivator."

"...as they are all assured a top 16 finish and a playoff berth."

"Meanwhile even with Number six University of Zeltros' loss they should still be post season bound."

"You know who isn't playoff bound?"

"Besides your StarBucks?"

"Yeah, besides Ord Sabaok..." Justin was so dejected he forgot the The.

"Who?"

"The Bak10."

"That's right, not a single Bak10 team in or even near the top 16..."

"None are even ranked."

"Neither is Ord Sabaok."

"...which is the first time in my memory that such a thing has happened."

"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

---

HSN Top 25 after Week Seven (LW)

1. Keldabe Military Institute (1)
2. University of Tatooine (2)
3. Citadel University of Anaxes (3)
4. Chandrila A&M University (4)
5. Enarch Technical University (5)
6. Ralltiir University (8)
7. Brask Yashuvhi University, Csilla (7)
8. University of Kuat (9)
9. University of Zeltros (6)
10. University of Mon Calamari (11)
11. Imperial College of Bastion (10)
12. University of Denon, Eastlake (12)
13. Coruscant Polytechnic Institute (13)
14. Consortium Technical School (14)
15. Concord War College (17)
16. Ackbar Air Fleet College, Dac (16)
17. University of Tatooine, Anchorhead (15)
18. Albanin-Baxel Defense Academy, Clantaano III (19)
19. University of Zeltros, Paradise (18)
20. Laswell College of the Sciences (20)
21. Sanctuary Moon University, Endor (24)
22. Grand Vulpter System University (21)
23. University of the Northern Industrial District (NR)
24. Venderwell University, Bespin (NR)
25. Nessem University (NR)

Dropped out: Royal College of Hapes, Taanab A&M University, University of Csilla

---

Championship Week Schedule

• BIG 20: (Rimward) #21 Sanctuary Moon University, Endor vs. (Coreward) #9 University of Zeltros
• Super 16: (Crendan) #22 Grand Vulpter System University vs. (Kayl'hen) #3 Citadel University of Anaxes
• SEC: (Beskar) #1 Keldabe Military Institute (Mandalore) vs (Cortosis) #11 Imperial College of Bastion
• Rim 10: (Innies) #14 Consortium Technical School vs. (Outies) #25 Nessem University
• RAAC 10: (Raddus) #10 University of Mon Calamari vs. (Syndulla) #2 University of Tatooine

 

BBC Sports headlines

• Bak10 regular season concludes with UBCS triumphing over rival Bakura Fleet Academy to secure the conference championship.
  • Blue Birds take home their fourth championship in five seasons.
• Natt Borrie becomes the first non-Human head coach to win a Bak10 championship.
  • Borrie, a Kurtzen, was recommended by Alana Kirt as her successor.
  • Borrie defeated Kirt in the 292 All-Bakura high school playoffs.
  • Borrie: "I stand in the footsteps of Coach K. Not only did she put my name in consideration when it probably never would have come up, but the roster we have is one of her making. She might be on Mandalore, but she is still with us."
• UBCS won a three-way tiebreak, courtesy of head-to-head wins against UB Gesco City and last season's champion Atalanta.
  • BBC Sports analyst Horst Penn: "That tiebreak really did the Bak10 in. Nobody was going to get a look at the playoff with a muddy situation like that."
  • "I'm not even sure a playoff game would have helped them stand out."
    • BBC Sports analyst spouse Trixie Penn: "Who won the championship? My Blue Birds? That's right. Bow down."
• Bak10 Commissioner Kerry Trieste: "The voters don't reward parity, which is a shame. Fans love it. With three weeks left, there were still six teams who could have won the conference. If that's not exciting, I don't know what is."
  • "I'd put any of our top three against any playoff team and I bet they could win. But that's not how the system works. It's a system that worked for us not so long ago and a system that will work for us again."
  • "I promise you right now that the 303 season is one you won't want to miss."

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik who always knows how to get headlines out of me

 

IC Louise Till

The win against the Gangbusters feels good. It’s the best when you play defense and only one goal gets scored against your team, well I guess the best is when no goals are scored, but it was a good feeling and a good game. Best of all we get to play the Gangbusters again this coming week. This time at home, in front of our fans. Well Starkiller fans. I’m the captain of the team, but I’m not a very popular player. I don’t have a lot of fans. My jersey is in the team store and no one buys it. When you’re out walking around Cambrielle on an average day you never see anyone in a Till jersey. NEVER.

That’s why sometimes I feel so good recently, because James likes me. He chats with me all the time and even after meeting me he still wants to hang out. I never really had any friends. My mother hired a tutor to home school me. My family and teammates are the only people I even know. That’s why I joined this dating app. I just can’t believe it worked. So much so, that I prepare myself almost every hour for the moment when James calls this all off.

I promised James I’d meet his roommates this week. He suggested we meet up at another park, but I told him I want to see his place. This time my brother’s husband gives me a ride. When my brother, the owner of that big house in front of ours and the Starkillers themselves, saw that speeder on his security holos he almost flipped his lid. He thought someone came to rob mom and I. He was not happy I called a ride share or invited anyone I didn’t know over to our property.

I didn’t appreciate his getting in my business one bit. I haven’t told James about our spat yet, but I am really pissed at my older brother right now. I’m 21, a legal adult and I still can’t live my life. Maybe all those articles on the holonet are right. Maybe I should move out of my mother’s house and get my own place. It’s tough being famous. The entire Galaxy thinks they know how I should live my life. Which is completely ridiculous. Plenty of people my age still live at home. And what do they expect me to do, leave my mom alone. I mean, she’s old. My mom had me really late in life and she’s only a year shy of 70, what if something happens to her?

My mom is responsible, in a way, for me being so sheltered and having no friends. She’s also not so bad. She didn’t flip out when James showed up. It was Richard who flipped out and he’s never even met James. In fact mom has been really nice about the whole thing. I know she has 100 questions, but mostly she’s bitten her tongue.

So I’m sitting next to Ryan, my brother’s husband, in an overpriced speeder as we wait for another city light to turn to green. James lives fairly close to Ralltiir U, in a nicer part of town. Ryan parks the speeder in an overpriced garage. I may be rich, but even I know the price of parking here is ridiculous. You can park your speeder at a Starkillers game for less. Ryan insists on walking me to the door of James’ place.

James lives on the 8th floor and he answers almost before I finish knocking. “You can go now,” I tell Ryan.

Ryan shakes his head. “Gotta check this place out. I promised your brother.”

“You checked it out already,” I insist.

James opens the door fully to reveal three guys curiously peaking around the doorframe. Their jaws drop collectively. “You dating a famous girl.” One of them blurts out.

I give Ryan a light push, but not too light. “I’ll call you when I need a ride home.” I walk in the apartment and close the door. I won’t be surprised if poor Ryan stands out there in the hallway for the whole time I’m here. I’m sure he promised Richard I wouldn’t leave his sight. But this is my time and I get to choose who I spend it with. “I’m Louise,” I say to the brash young man that called me famous.

I’m taller than every one of these guys. That’s the first thing I notice. I also play defense for a professional Limmie team. Which means I’m stronger than them too. I want to open the door and yell at Ryan to go home already. I can take care of myself. The apartment is one that would be described as cozy in an ad. The living room barely fits a sofa and there’s a kitchen and one bedroom with two bunk beds.

I give myself a tour because the four guys that live here all seem too stunned I even showed up to know what to do, even James is too nervous and quiet to do much but follow me around. “Um, so have a seat.” James finally says sitting on the lone sofa in the living room. “This is CJ. Jamal and Winston. My roommates.”

They all kinda wave. It was Jamal who called me famous. He’s the most talkative, “How’d you meet James?” He grabs a chair from the kitchen and brings it into the living room to take a seat.

“One of those dating aps,” I explain.

There’s collective laughter from all three roommates. And that breaks the ice. No one, not even James and myself can really believe we met on a dating app. James apparently had a really steady girl for a while and hasn’t dated anyone since. The guys tell me he was really broken up about it and they encouraged him to join the app, but they didn’t really think it would work.

After a bit Jamal offers to order us all some take out. James doesn’t think I’ll like the food in their kitchen and he’s probably right. Apparently Jamal’s parents have some credits. Enough to pay for more than half of the rent on this place and enough that he can afford take out for five. It’s a sort of nice visit. Except there’s nowhere for me and James to be alone.

After a few hours I call Ryan. He did leave the hallway, but he is still close by. I want to see James again before the Gangbusters game. It’s hard. My brother doesn’t want James at my house. He still thinks James could rob us. Not to mention it’s a short week when you play Limmie professionally. There’s a lot of work to do between one game and the next. Lots of tape to watch, lots of work outs to get in, you need the right amount of sleep and the perfect diet to stay in tip top shape.

I don’t want to let my team down. I don’t care if they like me or not. It’s not about them, it’s about me and my legacy. I want to be the best Limmie player. I decide to tell James to take public transit to the nearest station to my house. It’s about a mile. I walk there and meet him, then we walk to my house. That way Jamal’s speeder isn’t on the security cameras. My mom seems okay with this when we walk in the door. She doesn’t say a word as I lead James up to my room. My room is probably the size of the apartment that James shares with three other people.

You know what that really doesn’t matter. What matters is the time I share with James. We don’t talk much, we just make out. Like in the holos. I think he wants to do more, but I tell him straight up I don’t want to go too far, not yet. I’m a virgin and I’m okay with that. I live my life how I want to live it. When it starts to get dark out, I walk James back to the public transit station and I make sure I transfer him four tickets to the Gangbusters game. “They aren’t great seats,” I say. “I also have this,” I say as I tap my data pad. I send James a few hundred credits for concessions.

“Woah,” he says. “That’s enough for a whole season.”

“You can buy stuff at the team store with that too,” I suggest. I stop short of telling him to buy my jersey. I don’t want to admit that I wish I had fans. I should probably be happy James talks to me, that he kissed me for an hour alone in my room. The public transport train rolls into the station and I tell him to have a safe ride home. “Goodnight.”

“Bye, Louise. I’ll text you when I get home.”

Tag: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

Sinee Traivut
Bakura

Sin let out a laugh at a silly joke that Dyo had said. For the first time in a long time they'd been able to have a date night. Between her working her butt off, and him with his varying work schedule it was hard to make time for them. Though they had found an evening where it would be just them. A simple meal that they had cooked together, they didn't even dress up for the occasion. A very informal date but all that mattered was that they were together, finally. He smiled at her over a glass of whisky, a warm meal in front of him.

"We should really do this more often." He said taking a swig.

"Yeah we really should…" She added.

"You've been working so hard lately it's hard to find time."

"I know babe, but, I'm so close just a few more shifts and I'll be there."

"You know I can help. I mean, I can't pay the rest of it but I could save you from doing a few more shifts."

"I can't…" She shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Because this is just for me. I can't ask you to give up money for something only I'd get the benefit from."

"I would get to see you happy and that's enough for me."

"That's sweet and all but I can't. This is something I've wanted for a long time. I've wanted this more than anything in my life. But, I can't ask or even take your money. This is my dream, my want and it would be selfish of me to take money you need for something that is just for me." She reached across the small table taking his hand. "It is really sweet though, really really sweet."

He pulled her hand to his lips planting a kiss upon it, rubbing her knuckle with his thumb.

"Well, I'll let it go, but if you need it, the offer is there…"

"I know babe…"

"And honestly, should you really make it this year?" He asked, setting her hand down. "The Pirates aren't doing too well."

"But," Sin gasped, "That's why they need me, I might be the voice that finally get them to the playoffs, the little bit of positive energy they need to finally pull out of this slump." She looked away, "They might need me more now. I can't just give up on this dream…"

"I mean wouldn't you want to be there when they're on the upswing, or when there's something on the line?"

"If I wait for the perfect time to go then I'll never go and I'm so close."

"Ok, ok," Dyo put up his hands, seceding the fight on this. "I hope you have fun."

"I will…"

He took her hand again rubbing it and looking into her eyes with a smile on his lips. She smiled back letting out a little giggle. His eyes shone in the dimmed light, making her feel a little warm.

She leaned in, he followed, coming closer and closer, their lips nearly touching when her comm rang. The moment broken she turned to if finding that it was her mother.

"Hey mom, what's up?" she answered Dyo sat back rolling his eyes a little.

"Sinee I was just checking on you seeing how you are doing."

"I'm doing fine mom, just uh…"

Dyo set his glass down just a little harder than he was expecting, cause it to rattle the small table.

"Someone else there?"

"It's just Korren mom…" Sin could watch Dyo's face fall hearing that. She smiled trying to make things better.

"Oh good to see you getting on with him…"

"Yeah mom, we're getting on well…"

"Well I won't take up too much of your time then. Love you Sinee."

Dyo finished off his drink looking away.

"Love you too mom…"

Dyo poured another drink a double of whisky.

Sin hung up and looked to him an apologetic look on her face.

"Do I not exist?"

"Babe I'm sorry but, I couldn't…"

"Oh sorry, you want to say sorry after just erasing my existence in your life. Pretending that your middle class acceptable human boyfriend was here."

"I didn't want to have to explain…"

"Explain what? That you have a boyfriend, one that isn't a boring accountant?"

"No, me and Korren made a deal, you know, to keep our parents off us."

"So I mean less than a promise made to a fake boyfriend?"

"No, I just...I wasn't…"

"It's been seven months Sin, seven months of hiding in closets, of not being real." He put his head back looking up at the ceiling. "When we started I thought this would be a one month fling. It'd be fun, and exciting and amazing, and it was, but then I saw that you were amazing, fun, with a wicked sense of humor and just great to be around. I fell for you and when we first started I got it, I know I don't look like a guy you bring home to mother but I thought eventually…"

"I can't my mom would die if she saw you. And I love my mom, I...I couldn't deal with that look she'd give me, that disapproving gaze that…"

"So you don't love me…"

"No I do, I really really do but, everytime I think about what she would say. I can't find the courage."

"I can't keep doing this Sin…" Tears fell from his yellow eyes. "I can't keep being your dirty little secret. I deserve to be acknowledged. To be seen as yours, as a part of your life." A sob left his chest. "Damn it Sin I love you, but I have needs too."

"What do you want from me? I'm doing the best I can."

"Call her, call your mom back and tell her I exist, that your real boyfriend is a tatted up swoopbike racer."

It was her turn to cry tears rolling down her blue cheeks.

"I...I can't…"

"You can, just pick up the comm and say the words. Please Sin…"

"I…"

He shook his head.

"Call her or I'm gone…"

"No," She copied him shaking her head. "You can't, you can't just…"

"Do you know how much it hurts every time you hide me away, how deep it tears my heart when you say I'm just a friend? I can't keep taking that pain...I love you but…" He got up walking to the door.

"No please wait, wait, please…" She pleaded pulling the comm to her mouth. Hand shaking as she hovered over the numbers. Letting out a breath she tried to press them, but all she could see was her mother's cold stare, feel that tone of disappointment as it cut her to the bone.

"Please Sin…" Dyo said hand resting on the door control.

"I can't!" She cried planting her head on the table with a thud, a deep sob leaving her. "I can't...I'm sorry I can't...I can't do it…"

"Then...I…" He swallowed hard, "I'm so sorry, I really didn't want it to come to this. I didn't want to do this…"

"Please...Please stay?"

"I...I have to go...I...I hope you find something that makes you happy…"

"You...You make me happy…"

"I'm sorry…" He opened the door and walked out.

Leaving her alone with her thoughts and crying, tears unending...

TAG: No one

 

GM Post

Bonus potential for Bakura, Carratos, Mando'ade, and Ralltiir.

Week 7 results
Geonosis Gangbusters at Ralltiir Starkillers (15-30)
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Mando’ade Mercs (3-14)
Bakura Miners at Carratos Pirates (24-0)

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @jcgoble3 @Runjedirun @The Jedi in the Pumas @Vehn

 

Sub GM Post

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

Skimmer Ade League Week 7
Kamino Waves @ Tatooine Sandskimmers (21-25)
Druckenwell Marksmen @ Concordia Crusaders (22-19)
Cloud City Sky Captains @ Atzerri Bandits (16-24)

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

 

BBC Sports headlines

• With a 5-5 record their best possible outcome, a Cloud City Courier op-ed suggests “Sky Captains’ affiliation with Miners may be in no one’s best interest.”
  • “Even after Shay Dionne’s state desire to contribute to the Captains’ rebuild by placing young ELL talent with the team, the Captains remain basement dwellers.”
  • “Is this such a bad thing? We’re a team visiting fans love to make a road trip out of: have a good lunch, lay by the pool, watch your team win, hit the casino at night. It’s a system that works and the home fans accept. The only beings this doesn’t serve are the top ELL talent who are subjected to the crushing grind of disappointment this brings when management and fans alike aren’t invested in long-term success.”
  • “If we’re being honest, the economy would probably bring in more credits if the Captains were in the Premier League.”
• Sky Captains GM: “The idea that we’re not trying to win championships is ludicrous. We’re not here to go through the motions and be just a great road trip for opposing teams.”
  • “Our affiliation with the Miners is a bedrock part of our team. Alana Kirt. Bree Veers. Our history is deeply linked to the Miners, regardless of affiliation.”
• Shay Dionne: “Fortunes can change quickly in limmie, but we never planned on this being an instantaneous rebuild. We are laying a foundation for continued success.”
• Bakura’s affiliates (Bison in the Premier League, Cloud City in the SkimmerAde League) have never won a championship.

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Vienna Harlow
Salis D’aar, Bakura

​

It had been a weird week, but thankfully it was almost over.

The eyes (and datapad cameras) of her fellow Tiarest Burgundy had followed her from all Centaxday as she went from classroom to library to dining hall to dorm room. Everyone kept their distance, but Vienna could hear them whisper. She was no longer a random student. She wasn’t even Vienna Harlow. She was now Vienna Trieste, heir to a political and financial dynasty. Never mind that none of that was true—it was what Bakurans automatically thought when they heard that name.

Luckily, Tiarest was a pretty small place. As a private institution, enrollment numbers were smaller than a UB campus. If you really tried, you could run into anyone you wanted. Everyone who wanted to run into Vienna had done so over the course of the week. That sated their curiosity. Soon it was only the occasional snap of the head or double take that intruded on the periphery of her awareness.

Like Regan had predicted, things were returning to normal. It was just as Vienna realized that her great-aunt was right that, as if she’d sent the thought through the Force, the Chief Justice called her.

“Hi.”

“Vienna.” It was less a greeting and more a statement. “I asked a reporter I trust at the Times to let me know if there was anything coming related to you.” Vienna didn’t like where this was going. “There’s going to be another article. Do you have any more classes today?”

“No.”

“Get some things for a few days from your dorm. I’m sending a speeder to pick you up. I think it’s best you stay with us at the Plaza for a few days.”

---

Vienna sat in the posh…what was she even supposed to call this room? She would have called it a family room, but there wasn’t even a holoprojector here. Was it a receiving room? Did Regan and her husband Atticus even use it that often? The Plaza always felt this way to Vienna: a fancy building with too many rooms. The fact that most of the Plaza was uninhabited only supported this feeling.

At the moment, what to call this space was less important than the article that had just been released.

VIENNA HARLOW: THE NOBLE HOUSE’S NEW IT GIRL

It went through her family history: the “storybook” romance of her wounded Marine father and famously beautiful mother. Her dad’s role at CEO of The Rivers and now at BRC Lightspeeder, making her “Bakura’s starship princess.” Her Minister of State grandmother. Her family “connections”: politicians, lawyers, holo personalities, soldiers, limmie champions, explorers, philanthropists, royals, doctors, even the criminals. Her Arden in-laws and cousins, scions of the great founder of Bakura (nevermind that the Kurtzen were here first).

And then there were the images. They’d found them all. Not just pictures of her at Miner games in the box. Not just the one with Riviera that everyone had seen. There was the one of her and Corrine at the Draft (supporting the claim that Vienna was “a trusted member of the Hapan royal family’s inner circle”). They’d even found whatever sleazebag had been outside the club that one time. The droid had been lucky, catching a good pic of Vienna with its first shot before she’d realized what was happening. She’d been smiling, flush from a fun evening of dancing and no worries.

Worries were all Vienna had now. She put her head in her hands. Just when she thought this was all over, it was worse than ever.

Regan didn’t try to say otherwise. “This is not the sort of thing that’s going to go away quickly,” she stated. “It will get better, but you’re going to have to deal with increased attention in public spaces for the foreseeable future. If you’d like protection, we can arrange for that.”

“We can have a room prepared on this floor or we can have a floor opened for you,” Atticus said. He’d always had a kindly, understanding vibe. Vienna had always liked his easy, calm manner, but the was the first time she’d felt how comforting it was.

“How long do you think I’ll need to be here?” Vienna asked.

“That’s up to you,” Regan said. “If you want to go back to your dorm, we can deal with that. Tiarest will continue to take appropriate measures against media on campus. My impression from when we were at the game was that you would prefer your privacy, at least to start.”

“You were right,” Vienna confirmed.

“I’d give it a week, at least,” Regan guessed. “If I didn’t think it would make things worse, I’d say you should get offworld for a while, come with us to Carratos.”

“I’ll pass,” Vienna responded immediately. She caught the hint of a smile from Atticus out of the corner of her eye. “Maybe if you have a room on this floor where I won’t bother you?”

“Of course,” Regan said, already motioning to a waiting droid.

“And I don’t suppose I could get out of here for a bit?” Vienna asked. “I think I just need some fresh air.”

“Do you want me to get someone to go with you?” Regan said. “We have an account with a company that provides this sort of thing.”

“I think I’ll be OK if you can get a speeder to take me somewhere no one’s going to know who I am. Somewhere far from Tiarest,” Vienna said.

“I’m sure we can get a driver who knows a place like that,” Atticus said.

---

That was how Vienna found herself standing in front of the Pack and Rook. It was far from the Plaza, Bakura Gardens, or the cozy confines of the Tiarest campus. In fact, Vienna didn’t even know where she was. She’d let her mind wander as the speeder had wended through the capital city.

The pub was one of the many neighborhood establishments that dotted the Bakuran landscape, a social hub as much as a place to get a drink. She wouldn’t know anyone here and no one would know her. That was fine with her.

Vienna headed inside and found a barstool. She slumped against the bar with a sigh that released all the weariness of the day. She’d gone from feeling like she was in the clear, her life about to return to normal, to having all of that disappear in a blink of an eye and feeling even further away than ever. Vienna wasn’t a hard drinker, but today seemed like a good day for a stiff one.

Out of all the bars in all of Bakura she had to come walking into hers. Sinee was still behind the bar smiling away, even though her Pirates had taken a long long slump this season. That didn't matter she was almost to her goal and she couldn't go getting all glassy eyed about a losing season.

The young woman, about the Pantoran's age leaned over the bar with a look Sinee recognized, it's the 'Poodoo has happened and I need to forget, or have enough alcohol that the stink is covered by the booze.' Doesn't happen often but you know the signs.

"Hey," She gave a warm smile, "What can I get ya'."

Vienna bit her bottom lip in thought. “Uhhhh…I don’t suppose you have any of those drinks where you can’t taste the alcohol in them, do you? I wouldn’t say no to one of those tiny umbrellas either.” It was a most un-Bakuran drink, the kind of thing more suited to the Gold Beaches of Corellia or some other tropical locale. “Sorry if that’s an annoying thing to ask. I bet the last thing you need is a customer who doesn’t know what she wants.”

"First time drinking?" The bartender asked tilting her head to the side. "And it's ok, I like getting people that don't know what they want...let's me try out some different recipes." With a wink she turned around and started pulling down some ingredients. "So," she started looking over her shoulder towards the new patron. "What brings you here? See our add in the UBSD student newspaper?" Sinee shook her head, boss thought it would be a good way to get more college kids in the bar. Though any college kid that was going to come here would already know. She bit her bottom lip a little grabbing a small bottle of rum that was kept on hand...for in case a Carratosian came wandering in off the streets deep in enemy territory.

Vienna smiled despite her mood. “I just…” Want to forget? Shots would do that quicker than a fun, sweet drink. Be somewhere else? Not really. She liked her homeworld. Be someone else? She was herself, but nobody else seemed to see it. Vienna sighed in frustration. “I thought things were going to be different. New place, new beings. Instead, I’m exactly where I never wanted to end up.” She lowered her head to rest her chin on her hands, which were folded on top of the bar. “I guess I want the drink I thought I’d have, not the one everyone seems to want to give me. How am I doing in the barstool therapy category? I bet you’ve got plenty of experience.”

"Well that's a new one." Sinee said turning back to the bar with some fruit juice and rum. "The drink you thought you'd have huh?" The bartender mixed together the juice and the rum stirring it gently to mix. "Lots of people move places looking for something different and just fall back into old habits." She took a citrus fruit and cut it taking slice and putting it on the rim of the glass. "Change is hard, change is messy and sometimes we find ourselves in old habits because it's easy. Your whole life is uprooted and sure it's exciting but then you have to ask yourself, what do I do...You have a blank slate in front of you you could do anything. I think I heard a writer once call it the tyranny of the blank page. I see it as the horror of a long drinks list. There's a lot to choose from and you don't know what you want. Some ask their friends, 'hey what should I get.' Or they ask me, or they look at their datapad." She opened a little umbrella putting into the brightly colored drink. "I think you might want to ask, What do I want out of this move. What do I want. And then tell everyone else to just get out of your way." She slid the drink forward. "A little liquid courage, to get the gears turning, or find the courage to tell those people to politely frak themselves."

Vienna picked up the drink, lifted in a brief toast to its creator, and sipped it. “That’s not half bad. What do you call it?”

"Ahh, it's called the Cyclone." Sinee said looking away slightly embarrassed. "It's not on our usual menu but if you see me next time just ask for it and I can make it." She smiled again.

“It’s exactly what I didn’t know I wanted.” Vienna smiled. “Though…speaking of what I want…I just thought maybe…” She paused and drank again as she thought about if she wanted to say what was really on her mind. For all she knew this bartender was going to run straight to a tabloid with a story about her getting sloshed. But Vienna doubted it. The Pantoran seemed like a good being, and Vienna trusted her intuition. “…maybe now I could be normal. But nobody sees me as normal.”

"What is normal? And why would anyone want to be it?" The bartender said with a cheeky smile. "Being normal is overrated, why be like everyone else when you could be you. And I get not knowing what you want to be. It can take some time to find what that is. My advice, try a lot of things. Like don't go crazy or do something illegal, but if something sounds interesting do it. Keep trying new things until you find something you like. I kinda fell into this whole bartending thing. It was just a way to make money, and now I can't imagine myself not doing it. Take your time, and see what's out there. It's a big galaxy lots to do, and lots to try."

“I would argue with you, but I tried the Cyclone and it’s pretty good.” Vienna smiled as she had some more. “So what about you? Is this what you want to do?” Vienna put a hand to her forehead. “Maker. I must have sounded like such a jerk just then. What I meant to say is: how’s this philosophy working out for you?”

"Hold up, this isn't about me..." Sinee said looking slightly askance, "This is about you and what you need. But, I do love this job, so there's that...it could pay a little better." The last part she said quietly only for her and the patron to hear. "But I love it. Getting to talk to people and hear their stories. I wouldn't trade it for the galaxy. And I got dreams and stuff, I'm working towards...slowly. And it's worked out...decent." Again she looked away. "But, you know I've had more fun just trying everything than I did back home no doubt and what is life if not a series of fun events separated by working to attain those events huh?"

Vienna thought her mother would agree with the bartender’s philosophy. It sounded better coming from the Pantoran. “I guess I’ve always just wanted to do something with my life,” Vienna admitted. “Something important, that makes a difference.” What she didn’t say was that she wanted to prove she wasn’t just a rich girl who had everything handed to her, coasting off her family.

"Big goals then." Sinee replied giving the other woman a smile, "There's a lot of different ways to do that. I mean their not for me. I'm here for a good time not a long time..." She waggled her eyebrows a little. "I'll be honest with your here, I've got no clue how to go about making a difference. I mean you can volunteer for good causes. My mom does that from time to time, you know help the homeless and the like. Though between you and me I worry she does it for the social cred rather than the goodness of her heart."

“Yours too?” That sounded a lot like Ginnifer Lynd. Vienna lifted her glass for a toast. “To socially ambitious mothers: may they do a lot of good even if it’s for the wrong reasons.”

"May it not come back to bite them on the rear." Sinee added finding an empty glass to cheers with. "Want me to keep those coming?" she asked gesturing to the drink.

“Nah, thanks though. I think I got what I needed,” Vienna said. She drained the remainder and then pulled out some credits. “What do I owe you?”

"Well, it's about 4 credits for the drink taxes and all that bring it up to 5 something...one sec." on the bartop she ran the math and turned it towards Vienna. "That much..."

Vienna searched her pocket and fished out some credit chips. She placed a 10 credit chip on the bar. “Keep the change,” she said as she stood. “Consider it my contribution to your fun fund. I just wish…” Vienna’s voice trailed off as her brain suddenly drew connections across the evening.

The bartender took the credits with a smile. "Thanks..." She paused for a moment looking to the other woman with a inquisitive gaze... "Wish what?"

Vienna knocked the bar with the knuckles of her right hand twice as she nodded to herself. “I think I’ve been looking at things the wrong way. You’re right. I’m going to try something new. Thanks for everything. See you around.”

Vienna got into her speeder to head back to the Plaza. She’d been thinking that she was a victim of circumstance. She now realized that it was just the opposite. If Bakura wanted to obsess about her, then she was going to take advantage of their attention in her own way. It wouldn’t be how her mother would do it.

She’d do it the Vienna way.

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422 who kindly collaborated on this post

 

​

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 reigning Galactic Cup Champion 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."

"Back on track..."

"That's right, the Mercs are back on track and back on top following a 14 to three win over the Strugglers that pushes the Mercs record to five and two while the Strugglers fall to four and three..."

"Combined with that Gangbusters loss it puts the Mercs all alone in first place with three games left on the season."

"Two of which are against that Geonosis team, one that always seem to give the Mercs fits."

"And the other is against the Pirates..."

"I still hate those guys."

"...whose only win this season was a dominating shutdown of the Mercs 36 to one."

"Yeah they always play us tough too."

"So good news, bad news for the Mercs as they sit in first place, but have three very tough games left on their schedule."

"Still they are winnable games and the Mercs right now have another advantage in their race for the playoffs."

"Yeah what's that?"

"They have the head to head tie breaker now with three of the teams they are competing against for a playoff spot."

"Do they now?"

"Two wins each against the Starkillers and Miners and now they have the edge in points differential with the Strugglers after this week..."

"That could mean a lot, it could mean nothing as with three weeks to go no team has been assured of a playoff berth and no team has yet been eliminated."

"Just three games left and nothing has been decided, it's part of why I love this game."

"Hard to believe the Mercs are doing this all without the services of their offensive leader Toemash Hurtle."

"Coach Kirt has kept them all together and focused on one goal, defending their Galactic Cup crown.

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."

"Just five games this week as Championship week and the Power Five conferences took center stage and did they ever entertain..."

"Had some good games this week!"

"...starting right here at home at the top as number one Keldabe Military Institute defeated number 11 Imperial College of Bastion for the SEC crown."

"That should seal the deal for KMI as the number one overall seed in the tournament, while ICB should still make it to the playoff...'

"Will hurt their seeding though."

"Sure, sure, but it seems to be a right of passage now this time of year, seeing those two teams face off in the SEC Championship game."

"Clearly those two are the class of the conference everyone else is looking up to."

"Number two University of Tatooine had a tough time with number 10 University of Mon Calamari in the RAAC 10 championship before finally defeating UMC 24 to 22..."

"Though Tatooine was going to fall there, but give them credit they pulled off the win."

"Yeah they will stay there are number two then, don't see them dropping after a win, even if it was close."

"Think UMC is still in?"

"Think so, but it will be close."

"Meanwhile number three Citadel University of Anaxes didn't fare quite as well as they lost 23 to 20 to number 22 Grand Vulpter System University in the Super 16 title game."

"Citadel will still make the playoff, they're too good to be left out."

"Absolutely, question is did GVSU do enough to vault themselves into consideration?"

"Doubt it, that's a big reach to go from 22 to 16."

"You would say that, anything to keep the Pilots out..."

"Likewise number nine University of Zeltros survived a late scare from number 21 Sanctuary Moon University, Endor..."

"Won by just one there 27 to 26."

"...in the BIG 20 championship."

"Yeah, look for the Dancing Ewoks to drop out of the rankings now."

"Too bad, I like them."

"The RIM 10 championship was even closer as it took overtime to decide the match between number 14 Consortium Technical School and number 25 Nessem University..."

"That was a great game!"

"Yeah it was, tied at 18 after that late shot..."

"...where Consortium Tech scored three on a goal to Nessum's one OT bar point, Consortium Tech your winners and RIM 10 champions 21 to 19."

"That puts them squarely in the playoff bracket too."

"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

---

Final HSN Top 25 (LW)

1. Keldabe Military Institute (1)
2. University of Tatooine (2)
3. Chandrila A&M University (4)
4. Enarch Technical University (5)
5. Ralltiir University (6)
6. Citadel University of Anaxes (3)
7. University of Zeltros (9)
8. Consortium Technical School (14)
9. Brask Yashuvhi University, Csilla (7)
10. University of Kuat (8)
11. University of Denon, Eastlake (12)
12. Coruscant Polytechnic Institute (13)
13. Concord War College (15)
14. Ackbar Air Fleet College, Dac (16)
15. University of Tatooine, Anchorhead (17)
16. Albanin-Baxel Defense Academy, Clantaano III (18)
17. University of Mon Calamari (10)
18. Imperial College of Bastion (11)
19. Grand Vulpter System University (22)
20. University of Zeltros, Paradise (19)
21. Laswell College of the Sciences (20)
22. University of the Northern Industrial District (23)
23. Venderwell University, Bespin (24)
24. Taanab A&M University (NR)
25. Cloud City University, Bespin (NR)

Dropped out: Sanctuary Moon University, Nessem University

---

302 GCAA College BoloBall Championship Playoffs: The Starting 16

• Carnation Bowl: #1 Keldabe Military Institute (Mandalore) vs. #16 Albanin-Baxel Defense Academy, Clantaano III
• Party Bowl: #2 University of Tatooine vs. #15 University of Tatooine, Anchorhead
• Sweetner Bowl: #3 Chandrila A&M University vs. #14 Ackbar Air Fleet College, Dac
• Nylonite Bowl: #4 Enarch Technical University vs. #13 Concord War College
• Jogan Bowl: #5 Ralltiir University vs. #12 Coruscant Polytechnic Institute
• Republic Bowl: #6 Citadel University of Anaxes vs. #11 University of Denon, Eastlake
• Papa Palpatine Bowl: #7 University of Zeltros vs. #10 University of Kuat
• Incom Bowl: #8 Consortium Technical School vs. #9 Brask Yashuvhi University, Csilla

 

IC Louise Till

This game coming up against the miners is big, no huge, our whole season is riding on this game. I want to be laser focused, but my mind keeps wondering to James. I considered taking a week off from dates, I know how important it is for me to have my head 100% in the game. I’ve never had a distraction like this before. How do players with spouses and Galaxy forbid, kids, do this? James admits he has a busy week too, with exams and papers due. It doesn’t stop me from deciding to go visit him after practice one evening. It’s a much easier ride on the public transport from the stadium.

When I get there I expect to find James on his data pad, studying furiously. That’s what I’ve been doing when I’m not physically at practice this week. I’ve been studying game tape. Instead I find James and all his roommates playing a holo game. Clearly James wasn’t expecting me to pop in like this. Was this studying thing a lie? Does he just not want to spend time with me? James insists that this holo game tournament has been scheduled for months.

I don’t understand. There’s never been holo games in my household. My mother considers them the route of all evil, they’re violent and addictive. Why would anyone be wasting their brain cells and precious time on a holo game? I ask James how long this is going to take.

“Well, we’ve been planning this since the beginning of the semester, it’s all night event.”

“All night?” I repeat. “When will you sleep?”

“Ever heard of an energy drink?” James says picking up the aluminum can next to him and displaying it towards me.

“That’s disgusting and so unhealthy,” I argue.

James is watching the screen, not even paying me any mind. “It’s just one night. I only have two classes tomorrow. I can rest later.” He says casually.

I’m broken inside. I thought James was better than this. I didn’t realize he was just some dumb kid who played holo games all night. So I storm out. James appears in the hallway calling my name as I reach the lift, but I hop on and ignore him. I need time to sort this out. If I’m going to get serious with a guy I want him to be the right guy. A grown up, a mature, responsible man. Cleary, at least tonight, James is not that guy.

I catch a ride back home on public transport. At least it will still be light enough for me to walk home. Now it’s doubly hard to concentrate on the upcoming game against Bakura. I get texts from James off and on all night. He wants a “do over” and begs me to come over tomorrow. I text him to “bug off.”

The following day I ignore James’ texts completely. I miss his company and our conversations, but I just can’t shake that he’s not for me. I even go back on the dating app and start scrolling around looking for someone else, I stop just short of messaging an older man. I mean he’s not that old, but he’s 29, hopefully too old for holo games.

The following evening there’s a buzz from the main gate outside our house. My mom tells me it’s James, “Does your brother know you invited him here?”

Instead of telling my mom I didn’t invite him I say, “I don’t need Richard’s permission to have a guest.”

I press our code into the console and let James in. He’s driving Jamal’s speeder. I just know my brother’s going to be over here any moment to check him out. I can’t decide if that’s good or bad. Do I want to humiliate James further or spare us both? James gets out of the speeder with a bouquet of flowers and a small box. I stop dead in my tracks. A guy bought me flowers? I never thought in a billion years any guy would buy me flowers. Unconsciously, I pick up the pace to go retrieve the flowers. “What’s in the box?” I ask.

“Chocolates,” he says almost embarrassed. “I didn’t realize just how expensive they were so I had to get the sample size.”

I laugh and thank him. I even kiss his cheek. I’m such a sucker. But outside of family no one’s ever given me a gift. I invite James up to my room and make sure to watch out my window. Sure enough when Richard gets home and spots Jamal’s speeder he doesn’t even go in his own house first. He parades right for our house. “Stay here.” I tell James and I rush down to chase him away.

“Is that boy here again?” My brother wants to know.

“Maybe,” I say smartly. “None of your business. This isn’t your house. Go home.”

“It’s my property. I have a right to know who visits. Come on Louise, I just want to meet him?”

“You want to check him out. You said yourself he might try to steel our stuff,” I quiet my voice as much as I can hoping James won’t overhear. “You don’t trust me. Well frak off, Richard.”

“I never said I don’t trust you. Maybe your right,” he concedes. “Maybe I should let you introduce me when you’re ready.” I can’t believe it. I don’t let go of my evil stare though. I have years of practice on the Limmie field. Intimidating offenders, intimidating my brother isn’t any less entertaining. “I’ll see you around,” he says casually.

Once he’s gone I nearly laugh out loud. My mood is 100% improved. I rush back upstairs to hang out with James. Except we don’t just hang out. Somehow we end up lying in bed together. He’s tired from holo games, I’m tired from preparing for the Miners game. I wake up the next morning and they we are fully clothed on top of my covers. I realize my whole family is going to think I took this relationship to another level now.

I shake James awake. I have to go to the kitchen and pour him a caf for him to be awake enough to drive home. My mom’s there, reading the news on her data pad, like she does every morning. “Good night?” She asks.

“We fell asleep,” I explain as I head back upstairs with the caf. Eventually, James feels awake enough to fly back to his place. Me, I have practice and I’m less focused than ever. I get to see James one more time before the game. Saturday afternoon we have lunch at a café. It’s awkward, being in a relationship is awkward. I just hope I can focus on the game tomorrow. I don’t want this relationship getting in the way of my purpose in life.

Tag: @Trieste

 

Sinee Traivut
Bakura

She didn't want to go to work, she just wanted to lay on her couch and drink herself into oblivion. Why couldn't she tell her mom? Why was she so scared of disappointing mother? Wasn't she already a disappointment. Did she just not want to make it worse? She didn't know anymore, and now it's all gone. There was barely any reason to get off the couch. She rolled over her gaze falling on the cup of credits that represented her only goal left in this world. To reach that goal she would have to work. Though now not having to organize a game day and buy chips and dip meant just a little more money to throw that way so...she could maybe not take an extra shift…

You know that thing Dyo wanted her to do. Though what would she do with a day to herself. Normally she spend it with her lover...but… so maybe she should just take those shifts, just to avoid having to deal with this yawning emptiness in her heart. Though the alcohol was helping, at least making her numb to the pain for a bit.

That was an advantage to working at a bar...access to cheap liquor. No one really questioned why you were walking out with a bottle of some of the cheapest stuff in the bar. Checking her datapad she saw that her shift was coming up...it was game day, Miners vs Pirates. Normally she'd be enthused for this but, with the season the Pirates were having and her own woes there was just nothing to get excited about.

Rolling off the couch she took a quick shower, remembering that it had been a bit since she'd done so. Pulled on her clothes, not a uniform, the Pack and Rook was not that kind of place. And headed out the door looking one more time at the cup. She was still going to go, just a few more shifts, end of this week she should have it and she'll salvage something out of this bad run.

She was almost there.

The shift itself wasn't bad, it was just the 'entertainment' the game was on and the Pirates were getting trounced. Nothing was working, Iris was running all around like a madwoman but couldn't find any space. They even brought in Taal to try and get some offense going, or to rile up Hypertravels but it was a losing battle. As the game got further and further in, Sin found herself drinking more and more attempting to take the sting out of what she was seeing. It seemed everyone else was having fun though seeing the once dominant Pirates getting dismantled. At least someone was having fun.

A little bit of that fun got into her as she made a little game out of stacking her glasses as she tore through them. First in little pyramids, then lines, and finally a star shape on the bar top. It was certainly more entertaining than what she was watching on the screen.

At the end of the night she just felt so exhausted, and drunk, in equal measure. It was rough plastering a fake smile on your face when someone needed your attention. It was even harder when you yourself is plastered. And in the end the Pirates never even put up a point. A complete failure in every respect.

The only thing left to do was go home, drink more and collapse.

As she made her way into her apartment building she found a scratch on the door, and the controls slightly scuffed. Furrowing her brow she opened the door and her heart dropped.

The place was a mess, more of a mess than when she left it. The couch was torn up looked like with a knife, her holo projector sparking and cracked open, likely to get at the internals which could be more valuable than the projector itself. Her eyes looked with horror as on the shelf there was just a blank space where her 'Carratos Fund' used to be…

When it rained it poured…

Her legs gave out from under her and she fell to the floor covered with stuffing from her pillows. The thief was thorough, left nothing of value, even ripped open the fridge for the wiring…

All of that paled in comparison to the loss of her final dream. The one thing she'd wanted more than anything else in the galaxy gone in an instant…

Now what did she do?

What was there left to do?

TAG: @Trieste

 

GM Post

Bonus potential for Bakura, Carratos, Mando'ade, and Ralltiir.

Week 8
Geonosis Gangbusters at Mando’ade Mercs (15-32)
Bakura Miners at Ralltiir Starkillers (23-32)
Carratos Pirates at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers (2-6)

HSN headlines

• HSN projects Carratos Pirates have been eliminated from the Galactic Cup Playoffs
• HSN declines to project if the Mando'ade Mercs have secured a playoff spot
  • HSN analyst: "Unlike wave hosts, we actually have other things to do with our time, like talk about smashball and blob racing."

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @jcgoble3 @Runjedirun @The Jedi in the Pumas @Vehn

 

Sub GM Post

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

Skimmer Ade League Week 8
Kamino Waves @ Concordia Crusaders (10-10) (OT 10-13)
Cloud City Sky Captains @ Tatooine Sandskimmers (1-0)
Atzerri Bandits @ Druckenwell Marksmen (14-23)

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

 

The ELL Playoffs: Clear as Mud
An HSN Euceron Online Exclusive
By Tendra Nalo, staff reporter

Since I retired from the playing field, I've been in search of ways to keep my brain active and hopefully stave off the effects of CTE (which I'm happy the new generation of players won't have to deal with). One of the best and most fun ways I've found to do so is to analyze playoff scenarios near the end of a season, and while it's interesting to look at them in any sport, nowhere is it more fun than in limmie.

While the Officers might not be in the Elite League anymore, ELL games still get some of our highest ratings, so I took the time to whip up a fancy spreadsheet and calculate every single one of the 64 possible scenarios covering the final two weeks of the ELL season. Ready? A word of caution before we dive in: out of the 64 possible scenarios, over half of them involve ties that go to point differential, which means scores, and not just wins, are very important over the next two weeks. Also, these point differential tiebreaks make things very confusing, so read carefully.

Here we go:

Mando'ade Mercs: The Mercs have clinched a playoff berth and are virtually, but not completely, guaranteed a home playoff game. The single scenario that leads to the Mercs going on the road in the Galactic Cup Semifinal involves five of the six remaining games and point differential: Pirates, Gangbusters, and Smugglers each win this week (over the Mercs, Miners, and Starkillers respectively), and then in Week 10 the Gangbusters beat the Mercs and the Smugglers beat the Miners. (The Ralltiir/Carratos game is the only game irrelevant to this scenario.) If all five of those results happen, then the Mercs and Gangbusters tie at 6-4 and split head-to-head, going to point differential. Even in that case, the Mercs currently hold a 73-point advantage in that category over Geonosis, so even with five games not going the Mercs' way, three of them would have to be blowouts for the Mercs to play two in a row on Geonosis.

There is a slight variable on the above scenario: if the Miners defeat the Gangbusters this week and everything else is the same, then the Mercs finish outright 2nd and get their home game.

Every other scenario (all 60 of them) gives the Mercs at least a tie for first. So what does it take for the Mercs to clinch the Commissioner's Trophy and the right to host the Final? The simplest way is for them to win out, beating Carratos and Geonosis on the road to give them an untouchable 8-2 record. If they can only win one of those games, they can still claim the Commissioner's Trophy outright provided Nar Shaddaa loses at least one.

There's even a handful of ways the Mercs can back into the Final without winning either of their last two, although it gets super-complicated. In that case, they first need the Smugglers to lose at least one. It then depends on which of Nar Shaddaa, Ralltiir, Bakura, and Geonosis finish at 6-4. The Mercs can win the following head-to-head tiebreakers outright in this scenario: Mercs/Smugglers/Miners; Mercs/Smugglers/Starkillers; Mercs/Starkillers/Gangbusters; Mercs/Starkillers/Miners; Mercs/Miners. Topping off that list is one of two potential "tiebreaks of death" we'll discuss in this article, a four-way mess involving the Mercs, Smugglers, Starkillers, and Gangbusters all at 6-4 that the Mercs would come out on top of.

There's also a number of ways the Mercs can end up in a head-to-head tie for first place requiring point differential to solve. The simplest of those scenarios is if the Mercs win exactly one of their last two and the Smugglers win both. The Mercs lead the Smugglers by 25 points in point differential, so it's not inconceivable that the Smugglers could overtake them. Beside that, if the Mercs lose both, the Smugglers win exactly one, Ralltiir wins no more than one, and Geonosis wins both (including the Week 10 tilt against the Mercs), then you have a three-way tie between the Mercs, Smugglers, and Gangbusters that all goes to point differential.

Finally, two unique scenarios: if winners are CAR/BAK/RAL Week 9 and CAR/GEO/NS Week 10, then the Mercs and Smugglers go to point differential alone. Swap GEO for BAK in Week 9 and BAK for NS in Week 10, and the teams going to point differential are the Mercs and Gangbusters.

Confused? So am I. Not having conference records in play and an even number of games against each team makes point differential much more likely to happen, but also that huge potential mess at 6-4 is dreadful. However, things should be much clearer after Week 9 concludes.

Let's see if the rest of the league is any simpler.

Nar Shaddaa Smugglers: Thanks to the glut of teams one game behind them, the Smugglers have clinched nothing yet. That said, clinching a playoff berth is easy: win one of their last two games and they're in. There's also an odd scenario where they could possibly get in without winning either; that requires Geonosis to lose both and Carratos to beat Ralltiir. In that case, it goes to point differential against Ralltiir, who the Smugglers lead by 15 points.

As for getting a home game, the water is much murkier. To clinch that and avoid point differential, the Smugglers can just win out and they're good. If they don't win out, however, they need help and might get mixed up in the mess of 6-4 tiebreaks.

If the Smugglers beat only Ralltiir (and lose to Bakura), they need Geonosis to beat Bakura or else the Smugglers are on the road for the semifinal. However, if also the Mercs beat Carratos and Geonosis beats the Mercs, then the Smugglers must beat the Gangbusters in point differential (the Smugglers lead by 48) to host the semifinal. Alternatively, if the Mercs lose both (and Geonosis still beats Bakura), then you have a three-way tie going to point differential involving the Mercs, Smugglers, and Gangbusters.

Conversely, if the Smugglers beat only Bakura (and lose to Ralltiir), then it's more confusing because we get into the giant mess at 6-4. Honestly, the scenarios here are so convoluted that I can't untangle them neatly, so I'll give you raw data. Given the two results just mentioned in the Smugglers games, the four remaining games are MAN@CAR, GEO@BAK, RAL@CAR, and MAN@GEO. The following sets of respective winners in those four games produce the stated result for the Smugglers:

• CAR/GEO/CAR/GEO: Mercs, Smugglers, and Gangbusters go to point differential for 1st place
• ***CAR/BAK/CAR/GEO***; MAN/GEO/CAR/MAN; MAN/BAK/CAR/MAN; MAN/BAK/CAR/GEO; CAR/GEO/CAR/MAN; CAR/BAK/CAR/MAN; CAR/BAK/RAL/GEO: Smugglers clinch a home game
• MAN/GEO/RAL/MAN; MAN/BAK/RAL/MAN; MAN/BAK/RAL/GEO; CAR/GEO/RAL/MAN; CAR/BAK/RAL/MAN; CAR/GEO/RAL/GEO: Smugglers and Starkillers go to point differential (Smugglers lead by 15)
• MAN/GEO/CAR/GEO: Smugglers and Gangbusters go to point differential (Smugglers lead by 48)

Anything not covered about leaves the Smugglers without a home playoff game.

Oh, you want the Commissioner's Trophy scenarios as well? That, thankfully, is much simpler. To win the Commissioner's Trophy outright, the Smugglers must win both games and have the Mercs lose both. If the Smugglers win both and the Mercs win one, the Mercs and Smugglers go to point differential. The same occurs in the scenario noted ***like this*** in the bulleted list above. Otherwise, if the Mercs lose both, Geonosis wins both, Ralltiir loses at least one, and the Smugglers win one, then it's the same three-way point differential previously mentioned between the Mercs, Smugglers, and Gangbusters.

Ralltiir Starkillers: Let's start with the simple scenarios. If the Starkillers win out, they will clinch a playoff berth. If they lose out, they're watching the playoffs from home.

If they win exactly one, they need help. If the Starkillers beat only Nar Shaddaa (and not Carratos), then they want Geonosis to win exactly one of the last two games. If that happens, the Starkillers are in the playoffs. If Geonosis loses both, the Starkillers must beat the loser of the Nar Shaddaa/Bakura game on point differential to make the playoffs. The Starkillers currently trail the Smugglers by 15 and lead Bakura by 17. If Geonosis wins both, however, the Smugglers are out.

Conversely, if the Starkillers beat only Carratos (and not Nar Shaddaa), then if Bakura beats Geonosis in Week 9 and both of those teams lose in Week 10, the Starkillers must beat the Miners on point differential to make the playoffs. Otherwise, provided neither Geonosis nor Bakura win out, the Starkillers are in the playoffs. If one of those two does win out, the Starkillers are out.

To get a home game, the Starkillers' options are more limited. Beating the Smugglers in Week 9 is mandatory to have any hope of a home game. Assuming they accomplish that, they can clinch a home game by winning their Week 10 game against Carratos as well, plus help from a Geonosis win over Bakura in Week 9 and a Bakura win over the Smugglers in Week 10. They can also clinch without the Miners beating the Smugglers if the Mercs beat Carratos and lose to Geonosis.

Other than that, if the Starkillers win out, the only way they are completely left out of a home game is if the Mercs lose both, Bakura beats Geonosis, and the Smugglers beat the Miners, putting the Starkillers on the road for the semifinal despite their best efforts.

If the Starkillers and Bakura both win out, the Starkillers have to beat Bakura on point differential. If the Starkillers win out and the Smugglers beat Bakura in Week 10, then the Starkillers need to beat the Smugglers in point differential.

Finally, there's one hope to get a home game without winning in Week 10. That requires Geonosis to beat Bakura, the Mercs to beat Geonosis, and Bakura to beat the Smugglers. This is yet another "tiebreak of death" scenario in which the Starkillers would emerge on top of a four-way tie at 5-5.

If you're holding out hope for a Commissioner's Trophy, though, I have bad news: the Starkillers can't get there. While there are a handful of scenarios in which the Starkillers tie for first place at 6-4, they can't win the head-to-head tiebreaker in any of those scenarios, largely because they were swept by the Mercs, who would be involved in any such tiebreaker. The best Starkillers fans can hope for is a home semifinal.

Bakura Miners: Like the Starkillers, if the Miners win out, they are in the playoffs. If they lose out, they're out. If they win only one, they need help.

If they beat Geonosis but not Nar Shaddaa, then they want Ralltiir and Geonosis to both lose out. If that happens, the Miners are in the playoffs. Otherwise, they need Ralltiir and Geonosis to win a combined total of one game and no more over the next two weeks. In that scenario, they must beat the team of those two that does win a game on point differential. Bakura trails Ralltiir by 17 and leads Geonosis by 16. If the Starkillers and Gangbusters win a combined two or more games, Bakura is out.

If the Miners beat Nar Shaddaa but not Geonosis, the situation flips. They would need Ralltiir to beat Nar Shaddaa and Carratos to beat Ralltiir at minimum to avoid elimination. Then it depends on the outcome of the Mercs/Gangbusters game. If the Gangbusters win, the Miners are in the playoffs (winning a three-way tiebreak). If the Mercs win, then the Miners are in a four-way tie for 2nd, and come out of the head-to-head step in the middle, in a two-way tie for 3rd with Geonosis. What happens next depends on the details of the tiebreaking procedure: if the League proceeds to the next step, then the Miners can get in by beating Geonosis on point differential. If they restart from step one as soon as the size of the tie decreases, then the Miners are out, having been swept by Geonosis.

For a home game, it's mandatory for the Miners to win both of their remaining games to have any chance. If they do that, they're guaranteed to at least go to point differential against Ralltiir. They can avoid point differential and claim the home game directly with at least one Ralltiir loss. No other games matter in this scenario.

Like Ralltiir, Bakura is out of the Commissioner's Trophy race. They can tie for first at 6-4, but like the Starkillers, they were swept by the Mercs, making it impossible to win the Trophy and forcing them to go through the semifinal to reach the Galactic Cup Final.

Geonosis Gangbusters: The Gangbusters are in an odd position: they don't control their own destiny for a playoff berth, yet they have an extremely small chance at the Commissioner's Trophy. (How small? Read below to find out.) Let's state the obvious up front: if the Gangbusters lose both games, they're out.

The simplest path to the playoffs for the Gangbusters is to win out and get one of three other games to fall their way. They would need Ralltiir to lose at least one of their games or for the Smugglers to beat Bakura.

If the Gangbusters beat Bakura but not the Mercs, it becomes a mess of 5-5 tiebreaks. Assuming those two results, and noting that the Mercs/Pirates game is irrelevant, the Gangbusters would need one of the following sets of results from the respective games NS@RAL, RAL@CAR, and NS@BAK: RAL/RAL/BAK, NS/CAR/BAK, or NS/CAR/NS. If the result set is RAL/CAR/BAK, the Gangbusters end up in a four-way tie for 2nd and come out of the head-to-head step in a two-way tie for 3rd. If the League continues to the next step, the Gangbusters must beat the Miners on point differential (they trail the Miners by 16). If the League starts over from step 1, the Gangbusters clinch by virtue of sweeping the Miners. Any other set of results from those three games leaves the Gangbusters at home for the playoffs.

If the Gangbusters beat the Mercs but not the Miners, they better pray to the limmie gods as they need three other games to go their way: Smugglers over Starkillers, Pirates over Starkillers, and Smugglers over Miners. Then on top of that, they have to beat Bakura on point differential. That is the only way the Gangbusters can get into the playoffs without beating the Miners.

There are a handful of scenarios that could allow the Gangbusters to clinch a home game. TO start, they must win both of their remaining games or they have no chance. Given that, there are only one situation in which they outright claim the home game: they need Ralltiir to beat Nar Shaddaa, Carratos to beat Ralltiir, and Bakura to beat Nar Shaddaa. If that fails, then they need a tie at 6-4 with only Mando'ade and/or Nar Shaddaa and nobody else. That will split head-to-head (since each of those three teams will have split with each of the others) and go to point differential. Here's the bad news: the Gangbusters trail the Mercs by 73 points and the Smugglers by 48 points, which is a lot to overcome in two weeks.

The good news is in that a few of those scenarios, the tie is for first place instead of second. Not only does that mean the Gangbusters only have to overtake one of them in those scenarios to get a home game, but if they can manage to overtake both, they would win the Commissioner's Trophy!

So which scenarios are they? Well, the four non-Geonosis games are MAN@CAR, NS@RAL, RAL@CAR, and NS@BAK. The Gangbusters need one of the following respective result sets:

• CAR/RAL/CAR/NS; CAR/NS/RAL/BAK; CAR/NS/CAR/BAK: These create a three-way tie for first place with the Mercs, Smugglers, and Gangbusters.
• CAR/RAL/CAR/BAK: This is the golden scenario for the Gangbusters: a two-way tie for first, locking them into a home game, with a chance at the Commissioner's Trophy.

Now how likely is it that the Gangbusters come back and win the Trophy and the right to host the Final? I'll be honest: it ain't happening. In addition to winning both of their last two games (including one against the current first-place Mercs), three of the four scenarios require the 1-7 Pirates to somehow win their last two games, and all of them require said Pirates to at least beat the 6-2 Mercs. Even if you manage all of that, both Geonosis wins have to be blowouts as do both Mercs losses, plus (except in the golden scenario) you need the Smugglers to produce one extremely close win and one massive blowout loss. The odds of all of that happening are not zero, but they are so small that they round to zero at any comprehensible level of precision. The Commissioner's Trophy battle is for all intents and purposes a battle between the Mercs and Smugglers.

Carratos Pirates: The easiest team to discuss. The Pirates not only are eliminated from playoff contention, but have clinched the #1 selection in the ELL Draft should they elect to participate (barring any expansion teams). That said, they can still play spoiler, not just for the teams they are playing against, but also by messing with the potential 6-4 and 5-5 tiebreaks. Sometimes a team with nothing left to play for is the most dangerous team to play against, so the Mercs and Miners ought to watch out and the rest of the League should keep one eye on them.

Summary: What a mess. As I said after the Mercs section, this will be a thousand times clearer after the Week 9 games are in the books, as then the 64 scenarios will be whittled down to just eight, making the analysis a whole lot easier and simpler to discuss.

After all of that (which took about four hours to wade through everything), I need a break. Talk at you later. ⚽

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @Trieste @Runjedirun @The Jedi in the Pumas @Vehn

 

IC: Vienna Harlow
Tiarest University, Salis D’aar, Bakura

“You must really like this work.”

Vienna looked up from her microscope at her labmate Alix. “Of course. It’s fun. Not to mention we’re advancing our knowledge of science,” she replied innocently. The innocence came in solely because she knew why Alix raised the topic.

“I think everybody likes it or we’d all have easier majors,” Alix replied, “but I don’t think anybody else here is setting up their own lab.”

“I am not setting up my own lab,” Vienna rebutted.

“But you are changing labs at the end of the semester, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I let Kalling know I won’t be reupping after the break,” Vienna admitted. “She understood and was glad I was following my research interests.”

“Yeah, well when you get to your fancy new lab, just do one thing, will you?” Alix asked.

“What’s that? Enjoy my fancy new microscope?”

“Ask if they’ll hire me as another lab assitant. Otherwise it’s going to be super awkward when you show up for limmie brunch,” Alix said with a smile. “Oh, I almost forgot, it’s a good holo of you.” She tapped Vienna’s datapad sitting on the lab bench to bring up a BBC article. “They should have put you at the top.”

Vienna rolled her eyes with a smile and went back to her work.

---

TIAREST TO BEGIN KURTZEN RESEARCH PROJECT
Private research grant estimated to be the biggest medical grant outside of Humans on Bakura since the Rebuilding

Tiarest University has received a 100 million credit grant to advance knowledge of Kurtzen biology. The grant will span the next 5 years with the goal of creating organ replacement therapies for Bakura’s original inhabitants.

“This is a historic investment, one that will improve health outcomes for Bakura’s second-largest population,” the president of Tiarest stated at an announcement event yesterday.

Funding for the research comes from the Prytis Accords Foundation, founded by former Miner Falene Trieste. Elfie Ralter, the Foundation’s executive director and Trieste’s cousin, said, “The Prytis Accords Foundation was founded to help the beings of Kitokaime adjust to life in the known galaxy. This work is not done for the Kurtzen community. Kurtzen have below average health outcomes compared to Humans on Bakura, largely due to the lack of access to organ replacement procedures.”

Tiarest announced that the grant will be used to start new labs that will focus on non-Human biology. The majority of the funds have been earmarked for young faculty members who the president said, “are eager to expand our expertise into a new and exciting field.”

…

When asked why the Foundation chose Tiarest for this investment given the Noble House’s long-standing ties to UB Salis D’aar (from which Ralter holds a degree), the executive director said, “My attention was brought to this critical gap in scientific understanding by my niece, Vienna Harlow. She’s a Tiarest student and knew professors who were eager to do this research, if only they had the credits. We had the credits, so we made it happen.”

---

Gameday, Salis D’aar, Bakura

“Elfie’s not nuts for the spotlight herself, but she does care about getting beings to pay attention to the social issues she’s trying to fix,” Vienna explained at limmie brunch with her friends while the Miners game played in the other room. “I said she was happy to drop my name at the media event if she thought it might do some good.”

She was glad that things had settled into a new normal with her Tiarest friends. It had initially been a little awkward to suddenly be famous with a “famous” being, but that was kind of par for the course at Tiarest. Vienna knew that one of the brunch attendees was the child of a senator and another was the child of an executive whose company was worth vastly more than BRC. It made the transition easier for the group to realize Vienna wasn’t that different, just more visible than the others.

“If you were just going to give out millions of credits, I could have used a condo,” one of them said.

“And exactly what social issue would that be helping?” Alix challenged.

“Encouraging home ownership among young professionals.”

Everyone laughed.

“I think it’s neat that you care about these kinds of things and are willing to do something about it,” a second friend said. Before he could continue, a burst of cheers from the other room interrupted, signaling a Miners score against the Starkillers. Vienna was pointedly ignoring the game taking place in Cambrielle.

“Soon enough they’ll be on to something else,” Vienna said.

“They already are,” one of the limmie fans said as she passed through the room to get a drink.

“What? Did some Belden do something stupid and everyone’s obsessed with it now?” Vienna asked hopefully.

“No, they’re already onto your next thing.”

“I didn’t know I had a next thing…” Vienna wasn’t sure where this was going.

“You mean you weren’t responsible for the article this morning on The Mine Shaft?”

“No…”

Half the brunch crew were already on their datapads, looking it up. Vienna leaned over Alix’s shoulder to see what came up.

---

VIENNA HARLOW: THE DRAFT IS BAD FOR LIMMIE

She’s the Trieste everyone’s obsessed about (including Gerald Riviera, which might explain why the GCAA champion has been bringing down the entire Miner defense—no small feat when you’re playing next to a Salbukk winner like Hypertravels), she’s in the news for solving Kurtzen public health issues, she’s a friend to the next Queen Mother, she has a direct line to the Bak10 Commissioner, and she’s…the next ELL player’s union president?

You read that right. Vienna Harlow might sit in the owner’s box, but her heart is in the locker room.

TMS has obtained one of Harlow’s papers from a business course at Tiarest and let’s just say it puts actual financial reporting to shame.

Harlow argues that the ELL Draft is—excuse the self-reference here—shafting the players.

“An ELL team can replace 9 positions over the course of 3 drafts. That’s 60% of its starting roster. With the minimum entry-level contract length running 3 years, that means that ELL teams can continually churn their rosters, dropping the best players in the galaxy in favor of new blood that will be cheaper than veteran talent.”

Harlow points out that ELL teams find a few gems in those sets of 9 draftees, who they keep, filling in the other 6 slots on the roster. Teams that get 7 or more star players can shunt the excess into their reserve squads or SkimmerAde teams.

And what of teams that can’t find stars? Harlow says no problem: the free agent market is so glutted by teams dumping players at the end of their ELCs that veteran talent can be acquired on the cheap—sometimes for league-minimum value (which, shockingly, is less than the floor for ELCs).

“The system predominantly favors owner interests, specifically keeping player costs down to maximize profit,” Harlow concludes. “This isn’t just bad for players, but bad for fans and bad for limmie. The credits need to follow the product, and no one has ever paid credits to see the owners.”

How would Harlow fix the system?

“Abolishing the Draft is not practical. Not only is it popular and a revenue generator for the League, there were recruiting wars among teams to sign the best young talent before the Draft began. The ELL should extend the length of ELCs, increase the ELC minimum salary, or both.”

Harlow doesn’t stop there. In fact, she’s come up with the most intriguing personnel proposal TMS had heard in a long time. “Alternatively, the League could create tiers of players: entry-level, journeybeing, and veterans and either cap how many of each a team could have on its roster or set floors for certain tiers. If the number of ELCs were capped, this would likely force more ELCs into the SkimmerAde League. This could have a knock-on effect of improving competitiveness in the SkimmerAde League and making it into the developmental league it was always intended to be. Players could be more ready for the ELL level if seasoning in the SkimmerAde League was more standard.”

Yeah, that’s right. Not only is Vienna Harlow fighting for player’s rights in the ELL, she’s also trying to fix the Cloud City Sky Captains (something that Shay Dionne has yet to do, despite protestations to the contrary).

We know most beings think she’s just a pretty face (and don’t get us wrong—it’s the consensus opinion at TMS that she is), but Vienna Harlow might understand limmie better than her entire family.

Is it too early to start the Harlow for Chairwoman campaign for 303?

---

When Vienna finished reading, she looked up at her friends. “This is unbelievable.”

“Yeah. Someone leaked your paper? It’s got to be your professor or a TA. Who else would have access?” Alix reasoned. “You could get them fired for that.”

“No. What I can’t believe is that I only got a B+ on that paper,” Vienna admitted.

“I might ask to have it regraded,” the being who’d originally brought it up said.

Vienna couldn’t help but laugh.

TAG: @Runjedirun

 

​

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 reigning Galactic Cup Champion 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."

"Smashball opening tip is tonight..."

"Yeah looking forward to the big game there, though I'll be splitting time between that and the blob race."

"All this time and I didn't know you were a fan of blob racing!"

"I never was before, but this rookie racer McQueen has piqued my curiosity."

"He's lightning fast."

"He is speed."

"But first, let's talk about what's near and dear to all our hearts, that's the beautiful game and our Mando'ade Mercs who look to be going back to the playoffs after a 32 to 15 win over the Gangbusters."

"Yeah, it's still a tightish race there at in the standings but the Mercs look to have separated themselves a bit going to six and two on the season with just two left to play."

"Can't count out the Strugglers yet though, they sit just a game back at five and three."

"Sure, sure, and let's face it the Mercs still have a tough road to travel as they take on the Pirates..."

"I hate those guys."

"...a one an d seven team that has been eliminated from playoff contention, but one that would like nothing more than to play spoiler and sitck it to the mercs one more time."

"Their only win was against this Mercs team, and it was one in which Carratos dominated all game."

"That was a tough loss for the Mercs, and it was the game they ended up losing Hurtle for the rest of the season, but I think the players rallied around coach Kirt after that one and they have played fantastic limmie ever since."

"You know it's a game she wants too, a revenge game after that embarrassing week three loss."

"Not only that but a win there would really solidify the chances of the Mercs going to back to back Galactic Cup Finals."

"That's right, I forgot the new with league contraction that the overall number one seed goes straight to the Galactic Cup Finals..."

"Hosts them too."

"Wow, that's a huge. Commissioner's Trophy and direct to hosting the finals, it's a goal any team would strive for."

"Even without all that you know Coach Kirt wouldn't take her hand off the throttle."

"Probably never even considered it."

TAG: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

​

"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 post season field is set and the first round is now behind us in the college bolo ball playoff where number one overall Keldabe Military Institute defeated number 16 Albanin-Baxel Defense Academy, Clantaano III..."

"Say that three times fast."

"...25 to 18 in the carnation Bowl."

"Bakura always such good hosts to the Mandalorians."

"Speaking of hosts, Meshla Vhetin is hosting the college boloball championship as the Beskar Bowl, and KMI looks to be on track to play there in what would amount to a home game for them..."

"Thought we all agreed that home field doesn't matter."

"Still fun."

"Meanwhile number two University of Tatooine defeated rival number 15 University of Tatooine, Anchorhead 30 to 21 in the Party Bowl."

"Always neat to see such big rivals duke it out in a playoff game."

"Number three Chandrila A&M University was the higest ranked seed to go down, they were upset 22 to 21 by number 14 Ackbar Air Fleet College, Dac in the Sweetner Bowl."

"How sweet an upset was that?"

"While number 13 Concord War College upset number four Enarch Technical University 21 to 19 in the Nylonite Bowl."

"Both close close games, but to the victor go the spoils."

"The Jogan Bowl was host to yet another upset there as number 12 Coruscant Polytechnic Institute defeated number five Ralltiir University 26 to 25."

"Three upsets by a total margin of victory of only four points."

"I love it!"

"Number 11 University of Denon, Eastlake managed another mid seed upset as they won 31 to 20 over number six Citadel University of Anaxes in the Republic Bowl."

"Yeah, that one wasn't so close."

"Number seven University of Zeltros righted the ship for the higher seed defeating number 10 University of Kuat 18 to 15 in the Papa Palpatine Bowl."

"Watching that one always makes me hungry."

"And in the Incom Bowl, number eight Consortium Technical School defeated number nine Brask Yashuvhi University, Csilla 26 to 16."

"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

---

302 College Bolo ball Playoff: The Enduring Eight

• Bank of the Core Bowl: #1 Keldabe Military Institute (Mandalore) vs. #8 Consortium Technical School
• SoroSuub Bowl: #2 University of Tatooine vs. #7 University of Zeltros
• Mining Guild Bowl: #14 Ackbar Air Fleet College, Dac vs. #11 University of Denon, Eastlake
• Sienar Bowl: #13 Concord War College vs. #12 Coruscant Polytechnic Institute

 

IC Louise Till

The game against the Miners is so much fun. As a defense we don’t crush them, but we get the job done. My favorite part no doubt is the look on Jimsey’s face when we beat him. He’s a smug son of a gun who doesn’t appreciate what my brother did for him and went to play Limmie on a whole different planet. You know I don’t care, but I love it when he loses. I don’t bother to exchange words with him or make eye contact when we go through the stupid handshake line at the end of the game. I hate that part of the game, it’s my least favorite part. No one means it when they say “good game”. What we should all be saying is “Ha, you lost!” Or “We’ll get you next time.” That’s what we’re thinking.

My cousin TJ is back in full form after last year’s injury now. You can tell by the score and the fact that he’s looking for anybody to look after his three kids so he can spend quality time with his wife. That is the last thing anyone with three kid’s needs. And my mom is stupid enough to agree to take the kids. I come home from practice to find them all running around our house. I’ve invited James over, but I don’t panic. Either he can tolerate my family or he can’t.

My mom and Penni are baking while Joy sits in a high chair observing. Three is not interested, he’s tossing a Limmie ball in our living room. No, not tossing throwing it wildly. My mom who had 7 kids of her own pays him no mind. Kids don’t phase mom. When James shows up Three follows us upstairs. James knows who he is, so he welcomes the kid in our room. “Don’t you want to go downstairs and make the cookies with grandma and Penny?” I ask, I may as well try.

“You eat the cookie, it goes in your tummy, it makes poop.” He says.

James nearly busts a gut laughing at Three’s response. You have to wonder who taught a four year old boy to say something like that. Probably his father. James seems pretty comfortable at my house now. Much more than that first day when he spent 20 minutes staring into our pantry. He has dinner with me, my mom and TJ’s kids. Once TJ’s kids leave I drag James back up to my room.

I really like James. He’s not even a distraction to Limmie this week. We play the Smugglers. One of the best teams in the league. We win and we control our own destiny getting into the play-offs. But we are in this position almost every year. We can never get our act together and win early, every year we come from behind. It’s routine for the Starkillers, so I’m not worried. What I want to do is go all the way with James. I wasn’t ready last week, but now I’m ready.

“You sure you want to do this?” He asks me as I start making moves that I’ve only seen in holos.

Instead of answering I just keep doing what I’m doing and luckily James goes right along. Once it’s over I make a decision. James is the one. I’m going to ask him to marry me. I’m not sure a girl in my family has ever proposed, but I don’t want to wait for James to propose. Besides I have a proposition for James. I want him to move in here after we get married. I don’t ever want to leave my mom alone. I grew up here, mostly just me and her. I don’t remember my dad being alive. I just know what I want and the only way to get what you want is to do something about it.

The very next day after practice I go buy a ring. I don’t tell anyone, because this is my decision. Who would I tell? My mom will be happy, or she will never know. I wouldn’t want it to not work out and upset her. I have the perfect place to propose all thought out. Simple Lake Park.

When we get to the park James is confused. “I thought you hated this place,” he says.

“Well it’s kinda pretty,” I admit. “As long as you don’t plan on eating at the dirty tables.”

James laughs nervously. Maybe he knows something is up. He can probably sense it.

This time I lead James down the path to the lake. It’s just as chaotic as ever, beings escaping the city for the afternoon to try their luck at fishing and boating. Kids running around, parents calling and chasing them. I pull James over to an empty table and sit down next to him. I open my purse and pull out the box. “I want you to marry me.” I say as I hand it to him.

James' eyes nearly pop out of his head. He doesn’t immediately take the box so I shove it in his hands. “When the season is over,” I explain. “And I want you to move in with me and mom. What do you say?”

James is stunned. I knew he would be. I didn’t think I’d be nervous, but I am now. He fidgets and twists the box in his hands. Then he opens it and peaks inside. Male wedding rings are pretty boring, this one is pretty standard. “Okay,” he says.

“Yes!” I scream despite myself. I stand up jump in the air and pump my fist. Just like I did when the clock hit 0 and we beat Bakura last week. Several beings in the park turn around and stare. James stands up and pulls me in for a kiss. Some beings actually cheer for us and they must recognize me because some data pads come out to take holos. “We’re going to be on the news tonight,” I tell James.

Quickly I text my mom so she finds out from me what just happened. I get a text back immediately.

NO.

YES. I text. The exchange goes back and forth three times before she calls to confirm. I’m laughing and in a genuine good mood. “Let’s go get dinner.” I tell James.

Dinner doesn’t go off so well, because news is all over the holonet and reporters find us once we get back to the city. We try to eat, but there’s flashes going off and reporters shouting questions. “Buzz off!” I say as I try to eat.

It’s the best week of my life, despite the chaos that surrounds me during all the press conferences. I’m not used to all the attention, but I just tell every reporter to mind their business or ask me a Limmie question. My personal life is no one’s business, but mine.

I take the field with a purpose. There’s still a Limmie game to be won here. Still a play-offs to play for. I aim to stop the Smugglers in their tracks and get my team back to where we belong.

Tag: @Trieste @Vehn

 

Sinee Traivut
Bakura

How long had it been? How long had she been laying here on the floor? Was there anything else for her to do? She'd called the Seccers, they asked their questions and said they would do what they could. The chances of them recovering anything was slim, this was her life now, a vast yawning casem of nothingness. There wasn't even any alcohol to take the edge off, it was just her and her thoughts.

It was so close, she was nearly there, she could have made it, would have finally achieved her dream, the only dream she had left. Now it was gone, and she had nothing, not even a bed to sleep on. First Dyo now this, it seemed the universe was dead set on making her life as painful as possible as quickly as possible.

There was a little voice in her mind that told her to get up, to pick herself off the floor and do something. But it was swallowed up by the black hole in her heart that consumed everything, all her emotions, all her drive, all her motivation. She was just a shell containing nothing.

Her comm rang, rolling her head to the side she saw it right next to her, she'd used it to call the Seccers and just didn't have the energy to put it back on the counter.

"Hello?" She said the word rolling out of her mouth.

"Sinee…" Oh, this would be good...her mother. "How are things? It's been a while since we talked…" It had been quite a long time, maybe two weeks...since Dyo broke it off with her. "I know you've been busy with Korren." Sin couldn't help the roll of her eyes. "But I just wanted to see how things were going? I'll be over in a few minutes to take you to dinner...If you're not too busy with Korren." Her mother let out an uncharacteristic giggle, like a little school girl.

"Not tonight mom…" Had it really gotten that late? Where had the day gone? "Not feeling too good."

"Oh, then I'll bring you some soup."

"Mom, I'm not feeling up to it."

"I'll just bring you some soup."

"Mom,"

"I'm your mother I'm supposed to take care of you."

"Mom, I'm grown up now. I can…"

"I'll be there soon…"

"Mom.." A long growl left her throat as she slammed her fist into the floor. Seems she can't stop her mother once again. She looked around the room, stuffing from the couch everywhere, intervals of the holo projector strewn about the place like a grizzly droid murder. She should pick up before her mother gets here but, what was the point.

Soon, or maybe not so soon Sin wasn't sure, the door chimed. Actually using the door bell for once, that was a change.

"Come in," The patoran called from the floor.

"I hope I'm not interrupting any…" Mom started as she opened the door, her words were stopped seeing the state of the place. "My goodness Sinee," The older woman maintained her composure putting the large pot of soup on what remained of the kitchen counter. "What happened?"

"Eh…" Sin rolled her head shugging her shoulders. "I had a break in."

"What?"

"It is what it is…" The defeated tone in the young woman could be felt by anyone listening.

"Did you call the Security Force?"

"Yes,"

"And…"

"They say it's highly unlikely they'll recover anything."

"How, they should be putting all their might behind it...I'll have to have a word…"

"Don't mom, it won't help anything."

"But look at this place? They took everything."

"Yep slashed up my bed too."

"How did you sleep?" Mom replied looking into the bedroom mortified.

"The floor's not too bad."

"Sinee, why didn't you call me?"

"Cause I knew you were going to do this."

"What, make a fuss, care about you?" The older pantoran had already found a broom and dust pan starting to clean up the space, ever the good homemaker.

"And I really didn't need that right after I found out."

"You could have at least stayed over at our house, or with Korren, he has a lovely place…"

Sin looked away curling up on the hard floor.

"Do you any insurance? To replace all this?"

"Nope,"

"What, you could have gotten it, some of these items…"

"I know mom."

"Well, maybe you could move in somewhere, with Korren.."

"Stop it!" Sin snapped pushing herself up off the floor for the first time in a long while. "Just stop...Me and Korren...we aren't a thing…"

"Oh, did you two break up?"

"No, mom, no, we were never a thing."

"Then what about all those…"

"They were just an act, to get you and his parents off our backs."

"Why would you...why couldn't you just tell me you didn't…"

"Because I knew you'd just try to set me up with some other acceptable boyfriend."

"I was just trying to help you, it wasn't good for you to be on your own."

"I had someone," Tears stung her eyes, her voice raised into a shout. "I had the most perfect man, kind loving caring."

"If he was so good why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you wouldn't have approved…"

"If you were happy I would have…"

Sin got to her feet righteous anger in her eyes. Grabbing a holo sphere she turned it on showing it to her mother.

"Really, really would you not have looked down your nose at this man?"

Mom couldn't hide her reaction to the tall tattooed red skinned twi'lek that greeted her that furrowed brow and narrowed eyes.

"See. Already you've made up your mind."

"Sinee, I just want what's best for you."

"And he was what was best for me. He was there for me when I needed him, he was fun, and now he's gone. Gone thanks to you."

"What did I do?"

"You, you never would have accepted him. And he couldn't take being a secret."

"I was unaware that my judgment of your partners was of such concern. You didn't seem to care about my thoughts when you took that job, when you moved in here." She looked around the destroyed place. "And it seems I was right."

"Don't you dare. You don't get to be all I told you so."

"I told you this was a dangerous place, that you should find somewhere else. And I dropped it because you weren't going to listen to me."

"I needed to get out of that house. I needed to get away from you."

"Oh because I'm such a monster." Mom's voice broke.

"You took away everything I wanted. You killed my dream."

"How, what dreams did you have? I would have helped."

"Like hell you would have."

"I would have, I only want what is best for you."

"Really, then you would have let me join the limmie team?" Sin's voice was now full for fire and fury.

"What?"

"When I was going into year 5 I tried out for the school team, remember."

"Yes."

"And then after my try out you gave me that look, that disapproving look. And said, 'well it will be difficult to get to all the practices," Sin's tone became a mocking impression of her mother. "'and you won't be able to make a career of it.'"

"I just wanted you to be realistic."

"I wanted to play the sport I loved, I wanted to be a limmie player. And you made it sound like I wanted to be trash collector. You killed the thing I wanted most in this world. Snuffed out just like that."

"I...I would have taken you to all the practices, all the games."

"And then I'd have to sit through lecture after lecture about my future, the future you wanted for me."

"I only wanted you to succeed."

"No you wanted me to be perfect, you wanted someone to brag about to your book club. You didn't want me to pursue my dreams."

"I may not have agreed but I would have supported you."

"Would you mom, really, if I kept going with limmie would you really have."

"Yes," The older woman's voice finally broke, "I would have done anything for you...absolutely anything. I'm sorry if you felt like I disapproved I just, I didn't understand it. But if you'd told me that was what you wanted I would have done it. I would have moved heaven and earth for you."

"Well it's too fracking late…"

"If you had told me…"

"How? You never listened, ever! When I told you I didn't want to get set up on the date you didn't listen, when I told you that I didn't want to go to dance classes you didn't listen, when I begged you to let me go to the Limmie game you didn't listen."

"I...I just wanted you to talk to him, to get to know him, and I thought you loved your dance classes. And we didn't have the money to go to a game."

"I only said I did so you wouldn't give me yet another guilt trip about how learning to dance is important, that I wouldn't want to get to my wedding and not know how to dance."

"I just wanted you to know the basics."

"I went for years."

"Because I thought you liked them…"

"You couldn't tell? How quiet I got as we drove, how many times I said I had a stomach ache to try and get out of it?"

"I just thought you were being dramatic."

"See, you never cared about what I wanted. Or my dreams."

"I only ever wanted what was best for you, and I wanted you to be happy…"

"Good fracking job...now I have nothing. I had one last dream...to go to Carratos and see a game but, now...thats gone...and I have nothing, absolutely nothing…"

"And I'm sorry you felt like I didn't listen, that I killed your dream…" Tears fell from her eyes as she reached out for her daughter. "I'm sorry, I just...I just wanted you to thrive...I thought I was doing what was best for you."

"You were killing me...and you didn't even notice." Sin stepped away… "Thanks for the soup...now get out."

"Sinee…"

"Just go…"

With that, her mother left head hung low…

"I love you," she said tearfully as the door opened…

Sin sat on the floor again tears in her eyes as well, that emptiness in her chest growing bigger and bigger, feeling as if it could consume all of her...

TAG: No one

 

GM Post

Bonus potential for Bakura, Carratos, Mando'ade, and Ralltiir for a week that will make many things clear(er). Oh and Euceron too. Again.

Week 9
Mando’ade Mercs at Carratos Pirates (31-3)
Geonosis Gangbusters at Bakura Miners (20-38)
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Ralltiir Starkillers (12-10)

HSN Headlines

• HSN projects the Mando'ade Mercs and Nar Shaddaa Smugglers have secured Galactic Cup Playoff berths
• Mando'ade secures Commissioner's Trophy on +8 head-to-head point differential with Nar Shaddaa
• HSN declines to project the scenarios for the remaining spot

TAG: @Bardan_Jusik @galactic-vagabond422 @jcgoble3 @Runjedirun @The Jedi in the Pumas @Vehn

 

Sub GM Post

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

Skimmer Ade League Week 9
Concordia Crusaders @ Atzerri Bandits (19-21)
Kamino Waves @ Cloud City Sky Captains (13-27)
Druckenwell Marksmen @ Tatooine Sandskimmers (4-24)

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