Star Wars OPEN Elite League Limmie

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: Euceron Stadium
Time: 1933 (27 minutes before kickoff of home game against Spies)

Standing on the sidelines, Marte turned away from a conference with offensive coordinator Lisan Rett'tey and watched his players going through pregame drills. Most were working on ball control, but a few of the forwards were taking target practice on the new goalkeeper. Sailan Lukvam had arrived on Euceron late Friday night and had needed only one practice session to integrate herself into the Storm. She was now diving one way, then the other, stopping shot after shot from the forwards. As Marte watched, Sailan dove again, but this time didn't get back up right away.

"Are you okay?" Marte called. Sailan didn't respond immediately, but got up slowly and limped over to the sideline. Marte dropped his clipboard and ran over to her. "What happened?"

"I twisted my ankle." Sailan replied. "It'll be okay; I just need to rest it for a few minutes."

"Nonsense. You're not going back out there until we've confirmed that it's not something more serious." Marte looked behind him to find the team's trainers walking up to him.

"What's going on?" asked Mrolak Prukel, the head trainer.

"Just a minor ank?" started Sailan.

"I'll do the talking, thank you," interrupted Marte. "She says it just a minor ankle twist, but I want to make sure it's not something worse."

"But the pain's already going away!"

"Stop whining before I lose it. You're getting a full evaluation and that's that."

Sailan sighed in defeat as Mrolak helped her up and placed her on the hovercart. "We'll check her out," Mrolak said as he began to drive away, "though I suspect she's right."

"Thank you!" Sailan said.

Marte turned to Renica Nerik. "Get some warm-ups in. We may need you tonight." As Renica ran out onto the field, Marte sighed, I hope Sailan is right, or the defense had better come though big today. We can't afford to lose this game.

 

IC: Owen Narada
Hanna City, Diplomatic Sector, Record Keeping Building

No one could touch him, not a single one.

Owen seemed to be lost in a haze of bliss for the entire week. Not even Cole could penetrate his blissful aura, and that was saying something.

For those in the know, nothing could make Owen happier than the Patriots winning against the Senators at home. Why even thing of what would have happened if they had lost, especially since that not at all how things played out.

It was interesting to know that a such times, Owen was ALWAYS early to work and ALWAYS the first to finish all his assignments, even to the point that he didn't even complain if he got extra work. Not even a frown.

The Limmie Season was going rather well indeed!

And then, came the "Friendliest Rivalry in Limmie."

Owen would have literally teleported home if it were possible, so he did the next best thing. He got home right on time to view the simul-cast. As he watched on the screen, he cheered his fellow Chandrilans who were at Bakura, and hissed and booed Aileen Wynn with them, as if he were right there with them.

The Bakuran fanbase began to sing their own songs and Owen countered with a green-song of his own.

Despite the high emotional content, it was all done in 'jest' and in a competitive and friendly manner.

The game was soon to start, and Owen felt that pang of anxiety hit him then. What would happen next? Would the Patriots beat the Miners at home?

Saying a pre-game prayer was Owen's custom. So silently, he closed his eyes and asked for yet another miracle.

 

GM Post

Well, after seeing the Ducks almost lose this weekend, I'm finally back and it's time for Limmie! Bakura, Chandrila, Coruscant, Euceron, and Nar Shaddaa are all rolling bonus rolls today!

Elite League Limmie
Week 6 Results
Chandrila Patriots at Bakura Miners (39-10)
Alsakan Flyers at Coruscant Senators (11-29)
Kashyyyk Rangers at Ralltiir Starkillers (34-18)
Nar Shaddaa Smugglers at Ord Mantell Scrappers (36-20)

Premier League
Week 7 Results
Bothawui Spies at Euceron Storm (32-10)

Premier League Playoffs
Adumar Aces win East Outer Rim Conference Championship
Bothawui Spies win Mid Rim Conference Championship
Corellia Rebels win Core Championship
Denon Demons win Inner Rim Championship
win Expansion Region Championship
Tatooine Sandskimmers win West Outer Rim Conference Championship
Conference champions automatically receive top 6 seeds in the playoffs.

(16) Iego Angels (3-4) at (1) Adumar Aces (7-0)
(15) Naboo Ducks (3-4) at (2) Corellia Rebels (7-0)
(14) Kuat Triforce (3-4) at (3) Bothawui Spies (6-1)
(13) Fondor Freedom (4-3) at (4) Denon Demons (6-1)
(12) Kamino Waves (4-3) at (5) Tatooine Sandskimmers (5-2)
(11) Corulag Swoops (4-3) at (6) Vandelhelm Jets (5-2)
(10) Euceron Storm (4-3) at (7) Hapes Consortium Buccaneers (6-1)
(9) Commenor Gundarks (5-2) at (8) Mon Calamari Mariners (5-2)

Tag: Everybody! And yay for some early playoffs!

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: Euceron Stadium
Time: 1958 (2 minutes before kickoff of home game against Spies)

Marte saw Mrolak Prukel walking out from the locker room with a somber look on his face. "What's the word?" called Marte.

"Sprained ankle, and it's a pretty bad one," replied Mrolak. "She's out for tonight's game and possibly next week as well."

Marte started to curse, then stopped himself as he realized there were HSN holocams hovering just meters away. Cursing on a galactic broadcast is the last thing I need to do, what with the suspension appeal pending and all that. He nodded, then turned to Renica Nerik. "You're playing tonight. Get out there and try not to give it away, okay?"

"I'll try," she replied, as she headed out onto the field.

---

[i]Time: 2143 (7:41 remaining in second half)[/i]

[i]If she's trying, she's not doing a good job of it,[/i] thought Marte as he watched the Spies score their seventh goal of the game to go up 30?7. The Storm's offense?the Premier League's second-best entering the final week of the regular season?had been all but shut down by the Spies' defense. The two times Eurkett Nan'sar had been able to get one-on-one with the Spies' replacement keeper, he had proven pretty easy to beat for a goal, but otherwise the Storm had only been able to score one point.

Marte resigned himself to the fact that the Storm were not going to get to play any playoff games at home. As he watched the conclusion of the game, Eurkett picked up the ball, slipped past the Spies' defense, and scored another goal as the final buzzer sounded, but it was too little, too late. [i]Time to start planning for the playoffs, I guess,[/i] he thought as he gathered his things and headed for the locker room. [i]I need to find out who we're playing.[/i]

[hr]
[i]Location: Press room, Euceron Stadium
Time: 2236[/i]

Marte took a deep breath. [i]Here we go,[/i] he thought as he randomly picked the first reporter out of the crowd. "What's your question?"

"After all the hype about Sailan Lukvam facing her old team, why didn't she play?"

Marte had expected that to be the first question. "She sprained her ankle in pregame warm-ups and had to be pulled for the night. Next question... red shirt in the center."

"Will Sailan be able to play next week?"

"It's too early to tell. We'll have to take it day-by-day, and I probably won't be able to be more specific until late in the week. Next." Marte pointed at another reporter near the front.

"Do you think you can win your suspension appeal, and if you don't win, can the Storm win on the road without you?"

"Yes and yes. Next."

"Why didn't you appeal the fine and probation also?"

"Because I want the appeals committee to recognize that I do take responsibility for my actions. The fine and probation were completely justified; the suspension, however, I felt was out of proportion to the incident, especially when compared to previous incidents. No more questions about the sanctions against me; let's keep the questions focused on the team, please."

"What happened to the offense tonight?"

"Give me a couple of days to review the holos, and I might be able to answer that. Until then, I'm as confused as you are." This drew scattered laughter from the assembled reporters. When it quieted, Marte pointed at another reporter. "Last question for tonight."

"You're starting the playoffs on the road against the Buccaneers. What do you think your chances are against them?"

"Well, I didn't know who we were playing until you told me, and I'm not familiar with Hapes, so I would need to review the holos and numbers before I could answer that question. On top of that, a lot depends on our goalkeeper situation, so I basically have no clue what our chances are." Marte stood. "That's it for me for tonight. Hopefully, I'll see you next week on Hapes."

He left the room, nearly bumping into Eurkett and several other players that were on their way in. "They'll probably ask you about it, so just to let you know, we're playing the Buccaneers on the road to sta

 

IC: Aileen Wynn
Bakura Gardens, Salis D?aar, Bakura

Thirty nine frigging points.

What an utter embarrassment. And the Miners didn?t even threaten the Patriots all game long. It was utterly embarrassing and Aileen glowered at her players all game long. Her postgame press conference had been less than cheerful too.

?A win today would have put us in the top spot in the League, hands down,? Aileen said, ?And we completely blew it. There is nothing good you can take away from a 29 point loss. Today was ridiculous. This wasn?t a game of Limmie?at least not on our side of the ball. The only thing we can take away from today?s game is that the Patriots showed us how you play Limmie coming down the stretch. We have got one game with which to secure a spot in the playoffs next week against Coruscant.

?I think the math speaks for itself. We can still not make the playoffs. A loss next week and wins by Ord Mantell and Alsakan bounce us from the playoffs. This team needs to win next week. If we go into the playoffs on a slide, then we are going to get eaten alive by whoever we play in the first round.?

?Is that a vote of no confidence in your team Aileen?? a reporter asked.

?It?s a statement of fact. This team has yet to prove to anyone that they can play to the level of expectations and be champions. I know they can do it, but they haven?t proven it yet,? Aileen said.

?So would that be a challenge to the players??

?After a 29 point loss, obviously something?s broken and changes need to be made. We need to make those adjustments fast because Coruscant has proven all season long that they are the most potent offense in the League. They?re 4-2 for a reason. Gark S?rily has completely turned that franchise around from basement dwellers to competitors. Once beating the Senators was an expectation. Now it shows your team can play with the big gundarks. There is nothing casual about next week?s game. The Commissioner?s Trophy is potentially on the line for them, the playoffs are absolutely on the line for us.?

And so, at the end of a long day of Limmie, Aileen Wynn did something she?d never done before in all her years of coaching.

She went back to her apartment where she was greeted by the arms of her lover. For someone who didn?t watch Limmie, Corbett was incredibly sympathetic to how badly her day had gone.

Tag: Jedigunship

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: GM's office, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 1024, 4 days before road playoff game against C-Bucs

Marte watched the holocomm as the image of the appeals committee disappeared, replaced by the Premier League logo. The nine-being committee, having heard the evidence from both sides, was now in private deliberations, where they would decide whether Marte should be suspended. Marte had argued that the suspension was out of proportion to the incident, drawing the committee's attention to a nearly identical incident two years prior for which he had only been fined. The representative from the disciplinary committee had argued that the repeat offense warranted a tougher penalty than the first time, but Marte had countered that the increase in the fine amount from 10,000 to 25,000 credits and the addition of the probation, neither of which he had appealed, were more than sufficient to serve that purpose.

After considering the situation for some time, he turned to Mellena and asked, "What do you think they'll do?"

"I know what I hope they'll do, but as for what I think they'll do, I haven't the foggiest clue. This could very easily go either way."

Marte agreed. "If they uphold the suspension, what's our coaching plan for Sunday?"

"Lisan and Kalma would act as co?head coaches," she said, referring to the offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively.

"I guess that would work." Marte checked his chrono; the committee was taking a very long time. Figuring that it would take a while longer, Marte dug into his bag and pulled out a book?not a holobook, but an actual physical book with paper pages, which he preferred for the ability to write notes on the pages.

Mellena took one look at the book and sighed. "When are you going to throw those things away and use modern holobooks instead?"

"When they make a holobook that I can write notes next to the text. And I mean write, not type."

"What's wrong with typing notes, you know, like everybody else?"

"Writing gives me greater freedom to?" Marte's response was cut short by a crackle of static from the holocomm unit as the image of the appeals committee returned.

"Both sides have made compelling arguments in this case," said the committee's head. "While it is true that the fact that this is a repeat offense does warrant a greater penalty, we feel that there are limits as to how much greater the penalty should be and that the suspension exceeds those limits. It is the opinion of this committee, by a vote of seven to two, that the unappealed fine and probation are sufficient to serve the purpose of punishing a repeat offense, and therefore, the suspension will be canceled and stricken from the record." The holocomm made a whirring noise, then powered off.

"Well, that was a good result," said Marte.

"Indeed," replied Mellena.

"I need to find Mrolak and ask about Sailan's ankle."

A deep voice behind Marte responded, "I'm already here," and Marte jumped. Mellena, who from her position had seen Mrolak Prukel, the head trainer, enter the room, chuckled. When Marte recovered, Mrolak continued, "Whether she'll play Sunday is still up in the air, but it's looking better every day. Regardless, I don't want her putting her full weight on the ankle until Friday at the earliest."

"Okay, I'll put her on the injury report as questionable, and we can upgrade her to probable if the situation improves."

"Alright, see you later." Marte turned to Mellena. "And I'll see you later as well. The players should be trickling in, and I need to get ready for the team meeting at eleven hundred hours."

"Alright, bye."

 

GM Post

From Limmie Weekly, ?The Galaxy?s Finest Source for Limmie News?

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK IN LIMMIE

Who will win the Commissioner?s Trophy?

It?s come down to a four way race. Ralltiir is in the driver?s seat, having beat Chandrila and Coruscant, so a win for them clinches it. A Patriot win and a Starkiller loss brings the Commissioner?s Trophy back to Chandrila for the first time since Tan Strensky was coaching there. However, should the Starkillers and Patriots both lose, the Senators can grab their first Commissioner?s Trophy since the award?s inception in 246 with a victory at Stoney End. This is obviously the most exciting finish to a regular season since Commissioner Kayl?hen has taken the reins of the League and with three separate games to watch this week, it?s a Limmie fan?s dream. These three teams all have playoff spots locked up?it?s just a matter of who finishes where.

Will the Smugglers fire Tover?

It?s been a long time since Tover Micjaa flew into the Vertical City as the seeming savior of Smugglers Limmie. Their 261 Galactic Cup was the fulfillment of his promise and his mantle is full of more Langann Awards than almost any coach in history. But at 1-5, the Crew is getting restless. Public calls for the firing of Micjaa are growing louder and louder and there?s a lot of pressure on the Vehns to shake things up and send a message. The nature of the Elite League is usually to focus only on the present, but Micjaa?s past makes this decision tough. Do all of his many contributions to the franchise now get thrown out the window, or do the Vehns stand by their man and risk fan displeasure? With only one game left and a victory last week against the Scrappers, we won?t know until after the Smugglers offseason begins what way the wind is blowing here.

Are the Miners going cold at home again?

For a Big Four team, the Miners are an embarrassment at home. They have only won 2 of 13 home games in the last three seasons despite talent-laden rosters and a dedicated fanbase. In fact, season ticket subscriptions dropped off this year for the first time in decades. For all of the problems Mick Hancock had in his final season, Aileen Wynn?s have been greater. Under Wynn, the Miners have played their best Limmie in the middle of the season and that?s a major problem (the 262 Senators are the poster children for playing your best Limmie at the end of a season). The Triestes signed Wynn to only a 2 year contract which means how she performs down the stretch is going to determine whether she comes back--especially seeing as Kerry Trieste is not someone who indulges mediocrity.

Is a Revolutionary War Cup Final possible?

The Patriots and the Senators have combined for some epic playoff matches, but it?s been a few years since we?ve gotten that treat. However, with Ralltiir faltering it?s very possible that both teams could go 5-2 and earn the top two seeds, which would mean that they couldn?t meet until the Galactic Cup Final?something that has never happened in the 108 year history of the Galactic Cup. Ralltiir has turned in two atrocious performances in the last week so it?s entirely possible that this could happen. If it does, expect one of the most bitter Finals in years as the Patriots, who have played second fiddle to the Senators for the last two years, try to prove that they?ve still got it.

Who will win the Premiership?

Lest we forget about the other major galactic league, the Premier League begins their annual 16 team tilt this season. Obviously the Aces and Rebels are the favorites with their 7-0 records, but some feel that they played weak schedules and will be sorely tested in the Quarterfinals. However, in the Opening Round don?t be surprised to see them easily down Iego and Naboo.

Everybody?s always looking for the sleepers in the Premier League and for our money, Vandelhelm and Fondor are your best bets. Vandelhelm?s Expansion Region Championship might have them highly seeded, but they?re still a the bottom t

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: Marte's home, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 0014, 2 days before road playoff game against C-Bucs

Lying in bed, Marte glanced through Limmie Weekly, his mind on strategy for the upcoming playoff game. As usual, the holomagazine had mostly ignored the Premier League in favor of expansive coverage of the Elite League. Hopefully, that's where we'll be next season, thought Marte. He started to toss it aside, but the word "Euceron" caught his eye before he could do so. Putting the strategy for Sunday's game out of his mind for a moment, Marte read the article closely. When he saw what the holomag had said about the Storm's chances on Sunday, he exploded.

"What the kriff?!? Have those idiots not been watching this seas?"

Marte was interrupted by his wife slapping a hand over his mouth. "Hush!" Jaria hissed. "You'll wake the kids up." Almost on cue, they heard crying from the baby monitor. "Now look what you've done."

"But have you seen what this thing says about?"

"Whatever it says, it's not worth waking up me and the kids for." Marte shut his mouth; Jaria had won the argument, as she always did. As the crying continued, she told Marte, "Now, since you woke up Jado, you can take care of him. I'll look at the holomag while you're doing that."

Marte headed down the hallway. When he returned a few minutes later, Jaria was looking at Limmie Weekly. "See what I mean?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Now instead of wasting energy yelling and screaming about it, show it to the players tomorrow and let them use that for inspiration."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Now how about shutting off the light and going to sleep?

"If you insist."

"Oh, I do."

Looking away from her, Marte rolled his eyes as he shut off the light.

---

[i]Location: Locker room, Euceron Stadium
Time: 1252, 2 days before road playoff game against C-Bucs[/i]

Marte walked into the locker room, his copy of [i]Limmie Weekly[/i] under one arm. The players, some in the middle of getting dressed for practice, looked up in surprise; Marte usually waited for the players on the practice field.

"What's up, coach?" asked Keln Kutran.

"This. The latest issue of [i]Limmie Weekly[/i]." He held it up. "Let me quote. 'One team that surely will go deep are the under ranked Hapes Consortium Buccaneers, whose only loss came to division champions Denon. As always, the C-Bucs are chock full of talent developed from the mighty Consortium Junior League. They should easily roll over Euceron, who have struggled since the start of the decade despite dominance in the 250s.' "

The players' reactions were mixed. Some sat in silence, digesting what they had just heard. Others responded in anger, cursing the holomag. Ryric Nertrayn, the team captain, silenced them. "You heard that," he said. "If the most popular bolo-ball holomagazine in the galaxy has no faith in us, then [i]let's show them how wrong they are![/i] On three! One! Two! [i]Three![/i]"

The team responded in unison, "[i]ELITE![/i]" Marte smiled. The yell had been invented by Ryric after the loss to the Spies to represent the team's ultimate goal of getting into the Elite League, but it hadn't been met with much enthusiasm until now. The reading of the passage from [i]Limmie Weekly[/i] had had its desired effect. [i]Well, maybe not the author's desired effect, but certainly mine,[/i] he thought as he watched the players race to the practice field.

 

IC: Gark S?rily
Press Room, Team HQ

The questions just never ended. Being a good team in the Elite League required a lot of media attention, mostly involving questions about the last match of the season. The Senators were preparing to face-off against the Bakura Miners, a team that had been trying to shed its status as a recent bottom-feeder. A win by the Miners wouldn?t make the world end for the Senators, but the media firestorm would then begin. Of course, if Coruscant won, then they would still have a chance to claim the Commisioner?s Trophy and the Number One overall playoff seed. Although not guaranteed, Gark felt good that his team could take on the Miners. They had proven that, despite a few injuries and some team personnel issues, they could still play hard and win matches.

It felt so odd to be able to say that it was HIS team. Even though he had never before coached Limmie, he had picked up his first win as coach the week before with minimal strategy. However, the practice leading up to this weekend?s matchup had been a lot more than him just glossing over the playbook. He had actually tried to make a few new play calls, making sure to stay away from the simple plays he had been familiar with before. He had even instituted a trick play, something that he was sure to call out for the match against Bakura if the time came where they needed some points. No one outside the team knew about it, or, at least he hoped so. Limmie was such a popular sport that it was easy to lose such a strategy to spies for opposing teams, even though it was supposed to be a friendly match. Limmie was funny that way. People would go to great lengths, and Gark had to hope that his new genius wasn?t stolen and ending up somewhere in another team?s strategy.

?Any word on the coaching situation for next season?? asked a reporter.

?Our season isn?t over yet,? Gark said bluntly. ?We?re trying to get through this season before preparations begin for next year. That?s what?s interesting about Limmie. You just never know what?s going to occur before it happens.? There were some laughs in the crowd.

?Any word on your injured coordinators??

This was a sore subject for the franchise. Ever since the crash that had sidelined several coordinators several weeks before, Gark had tried to keep this question from coming up. It was true that the offensive coordinator had gotten out of the hospital, and was now resting at home. However, Defensive Coordinator and former interim Head Coach Aspa Bursya was still in Intensive Care. She had been in a coma for three weeks, swelling affecting her brain tremendously. Although the doctors said that brain damage was going to be minimal, they weren?t exactly sure what was going to happen due to the situation. She had a grievous injury, one that couldn?t be fixed with just rest. Her coaching career was in jeopardy, but that wasn?t important as her life. The players had been greatly affected by her injury; they had great respect for her, especially the Defensive Unit she had coached.

?No comment,? he said plainly. It was at this point that an assistant walked up to the podium and handed him a note.

?You won?t like it,? she said before walking away.

Gark opened the note. He quickly read the contents, and his heart sank. It had happened, and now his team was going to have to undergo another shock. The room had gotten quiet after the note came in, and they kept their breath held as Gark studied the note. He couldn?t believe his eyes; he blinked, hoping that the note would just disappear. But it hadn?t, it?s papery feel still in his hands. He wanted to crumple it up, to rip it up and burn its remains, but it would still haunt him. How would the team recover from this?

?I have . . . bad news,? he said shakily, trying to keep a straight voice. It was hard, as his hands were shaking. ?Aspa Bursya was taken in . . . for another emergency surgery for brain swelling. However, during

 

IC: Rhia Grames

Nar Shaddaa Smuggler Training Facility, New Vertica-One Day Before Match with Patriots

"Gather around," Rhia Grames called on the tail end of an ear shattering wail from Tover Micjaa's whistle. "Gather around, I have something important to say. Take a knee, relax."

Tired, sweaty, and looking like they had just been playing in a blow out loss, the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers knelt down in front of General Manager Rhia Grames, looking up at the legend. Many of the players still could not believe that Grames was so heavily involved in keeping the Nar Shaddaa Smugglers a well oiled machine.

Neither can I Grames thought as she examined the young faces. Many would not be here next year. That had already been decided in her mind. The defensive unit would be overhauled the most. Time to bring in some fresh talent and maybe a few new coordinators as well.

"Tomorrow is a historical match up for us. Our arch-nemesis, the Chandrila Patriots, think they're going to come to Six Boroughs and pick up an easy win. They are wrong. I see in each and every one of you a strong desire to fight and keep the Cleats of Glory here on the Smuggler's Moon," Grames said, referring to the trophy that the victor of the Burgundy and Green Brawl took with them following the completion of regulation.

"So what are the Cleats of Glory? One cleat, welded to a scrap of junk metal, is from me. A Smuggler legend, some claim. The other, belongs to Tan Strensky, a legend and a good man in his own right. It represents the classic struggle our two franchises have endured over the years, going back to the days when I was your age and could still play the game, if you can believe that," Grames admitted drawing a few laughs.

"The Burgundy and Green Brawl, ladies and gentlebeings. So named after our team's respective colors. It is a match up that I want you to always remember and cherish. Every time you step on that pitch against the Chandrila Patriots, you add a new wrinkle to the annals of Limmie rivalry. Though we may be out of the playoffs, we are not out of pride, respect, or a desire to fight. I know some of you have been to the Galactic Cup. Some of you have won it, some of you have experienced defeat. Tomorrow is our Final. Play like it is the most important game of your lives and I promise you the bitter taste in your mouth from the season ending prematurely will be over. Now, let's give the Chandrila Patriots something to remember this franchise by when all is said and done. Go, rest, and have dreams of victory," Rhia said, smiling in turn at every Smuggler player.

"Dismissed. Get out of here," Grames added, watching the burgundy jerseys fade away.

Tover Micjaa stayed behind. His graying hair blew in the artificial wind of the practice facility. He looked tired. His face had the look of a man who was worried about a great many things beyond the game tomorrow against the Patriots.

"Spit it out, Tover, we're old friends," Rhia said as the two began a slow walk around the edge of the pitch.

"I haven't seen my family in some time. I get home late at night, rise early in the morning, can't really remember the last time I held my newborn child. My wife and I are becoming strangers to one another. Limmie has really driven a wedge into our relationship and now there's pressure from so many different directions. They're calling for my head," Tover admitted, his voice shaky, Rhia looked up and saw tears in his eyes.

"Twelve years, countless trips to the playoffs, one Galactic Cup victory, one loss," Tover continued. "I've done all a man can do, haven't I? Rhia?"

Rhia nodded her head. Had expected this conversation. Just wanted to wait until the end of the year to reveal her own hand as to her plans for the franchise but now that Tover was openly inviting the criticism, well, perhaps now it was time to make her move. "I've been thinking-"

"You're going to release me at the end of the season?"

"Yeah, Tover, how did you?"

"I know, Rhia. In fact, I was hoping you would. I need to go home. Need to rep

 

GM Post

Bakura, Coruscant, Euceron, and Nar Shaddaa have bonus rolls this week!

Elite League
Week 7 Results
Chandrila Patriots at Nar Shaddaa Smugglers (9-10)
Ralltiir Starkillers at Ord Mantell Scrappers (26-20)
Kashyyyk Rangers at Alsakan Flyers (19-8)
Coruscant Senators at Bakura Miners (3-17)

Final Standings
1) Ralltiir Starkillers (5-2)
2) Chandrila Patriots (4-3)
3) Bakura Miners (4-3)
4) Coruscant Senators (4-3)
5) Kashyyyk Rangers (4-3)
6) Alsakan Flyers (2-5)
7) Nar Shaddaa Smugglers (2-5)
8) Ord Mantell Scrappers (2-5)

The Ralltiir Starkillers win the Commissioner's Trophy. Ralltiir and Chandrila earn Quarterfinal byes and home field in the Semifinal.

Galactic Cup Playoffs
Galactic Cup Quarterfinals
(6) Ord Mantell Scrappers at (3) Bakura Miners
(5) Kashyyyk Rangers at (4) Coruscant Senators

Premier League
Premiership Opening Round
(16) Iego Angels at (1) Adumar Aces (27-24)
(15) Naboo Ducks at (2) Corellia Rebels (5-26)
(14) Kuat Triforce at (3) Bothawui Spies (7-18)
(13) Fondor Freedom at (4) Denon Demons (21-31)
(12) Kamino Waves at (5) Tatooine Sandskimmers (33-14)
(11) Corulag Swoops (4-3) at (6) Vandelhelm Jets (0-6)
(10) Euceron Storm at (7) Hapes Consortium Buccaneers (19-19, OT 24-22)
(9) Commenor Gundarks at (8) Mon Calamari Mariners (12-23)

Premiership Quarterfinals
(16) Iego Angels at (2) Corellia Rebels
(12) Kamino Waves at (3) Bothawui Spies
(10) Euceron Storm at (4) Denon Demons
(8) Mon Calamari Mariners at (6) Vandelhelm Jets

Season award nominations for the Elite League will be released later this week.

Tag: Everyone! What a busy week!

 

IC: Owen Narada
At Home

Who the heck were these Starkiller people!!!??

Owen wondered as he raised his hands in the air in frustration then passed them through his hair. It was all he could do to maintain a tenuous grasp on reality, as it were. He looked at his vid-screen in sheer disbelief, mouth agape, which he soon closed once he realized how silly he must have looked. Sure, the Elite League never ceased to have its surprises, as a matter of fact, they were even expected (from the usual suspects even), but this was unprecedented!!

Still, Owen was a happy camper, though he could have been a happier one for obvious reasons, but at least the Patriots fared better than the Miners and the Senators, as the numbers showed.

"WOO HOO!!! GO MEAN GREEN MACHINE!! GO PATRIOTS!!" he shouted excitedly at the top of his lungs! Dammit, he had to let it out somehow!

Owen didn't care if his voice rang outside the hall, he was amped as he looked at the sports-cast!

A dark thought quickly crossed his mind. If Cole even dared to show up to work with a 'Starkiller jersey'?..grrrr! best not to entertain that thought! Owen chuckled in resignation, as he already set his mind to expect such a stunt from his office-space-nemesis. Some people needed to get a life. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to the screen before him.

He felt a rant growing inside of him, so he looked over at his com, tempted for a brief moment to call Ben and chat about the latest news in Limmie, but he knew better than that. Ben's new girl hated it when he took up too much of his friend's time, so perish that thought?.ugh! Relationships.

Keeping small disappointments at bay, Owen decided to take a trip to Stoney End Park where he knew there'd be a crowd of fans celebrating. Yeah, that was the ticket. A smile was already forming on Owen's face, and since he was already wearing his Chandrila Patriots Jersey, all that was left for him was to grab a light jacket and dash out the door.

Putting thought into action, Owen did just that. It was time to celebrate! For better of for worse ( though always for better), Limmie was the greatest game he knew!!

For the wearing' of the Green!!! Go Patriots!!

***********

*Starkillers indeed!

 

IC: Aileen Wynn
Bakura Gardens, Salis D'aar, Bakura

"Gentlebeings, today the Bakura Miners wish to pause for a moment of silence before the start of today's game in honor of Senators Defensive Coordinator Apsa Bursya, who died earlier this week from injuries sustained in a speeder crash earlier this season," the public address announcer said.

Aileen Wynn stood on the sideline, tight lipped as Bakura Gardens fell still. The two teams were lined up at midfield and Aileen saw the Miners shift from foot to foot as they stood there, waiting for the game to begin. They were simply anxious to start playing. It had to be a completely different feel for the Senators after everything they'd gone through. Even so, the emotions would make the Senators a dangerous team today. She had told her players as much. They would need to take control of the game early and keep the Senators from feeding on that emotion.

"Thank you," the announcer said.

And then the cheers begun again. They knew that the playoffs were likely at stake in today's game. They wanted to see the Miners do it right, win today rather than just slip in on the heels of someone else's loss. Aileen was right there with them.

---

At the end of the day, the Miners had done everything that she'd wanted out of them. 17-3 victory. They'd gotten the jump on Coruscant early and they'd gotten back to their defensive principles. It was a good way to make the playoffs and it had Aileen in a good mood for the postgame press conference.

"We've got a lot of history with the Senators. It's a big win for us, no question. To make the playoffs on such a win is big for us. To get some momentum going at home is something I'm very happy about, especially because I think this is going to position us well for home field advantage depending on what else happens today."

"The Miners have historically been very bad at home in the playoffs," one reporter asked, "Are you worried about getting home field advantage here?"

"That's an insulting question," Aileen said, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but it is. We've gone 2-2 at home this year. We have made it a mission to win games at home for our fans. We want to be at home in the playoffs. We know that we'll have to work hard because it's the playoffs, but anything can happen now. That includes putting history behind us."

"Are you concerned about the state of your offense?"

"We're obviously not the most prolific offense, but I think we score when we need to. We'll be working on all elements of our game in preparation for the playoffs," Aileen said.

"Any preference on who you play in the playoffs?"

"No, because if we play our game for 60 minutes, we can win against anyone," Aileen said, "Now excuse me, but the preparation for that begins right now."

[b]Tag: No one[/b]

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: Royal Limmie Grounds, Hapes
Time: 2203, 19 seconds remaining in second half

Marte put his face in his hands as the Hapan full forward faked out Sailan Lukvam and put the ball in the back of the net to take the lead, 19?18. Sailan hadn't started due to concerns that her ankle wasn't fully healed, but down 16?6 at halftime, the decision had been made to put her in anyway at the start of the second half due to lack of performance by Renica Nerik. Sailan had done her part in the Storm's comeback, shutting out the C-Bucs' offense until now. But the C-Bucs now had the lead, and with less than twenty seconds remaining in the game, the odds of Euceron being able to score again were slim.

As the referee blew his whistle to put the ball back in play, Marte watched his midfielders and half back pass the ball around, desperately trying to find a hole in the C-Bucs' defense. As the clock ticked down to eight seconds, Jesru caught the right side of the C-Bucs' formation sleeping and sent the ball upfield to Terrrsk Lyu'tey. Unable to find a hole to advance the ball further, Terrrsk reared back and kicked the ball high into the air toward the goal. The ball sailed over the crossbar as the buzzer sounded. Thinking Terrrsk had scored to set up overtime, Marte was stunned when one of the assistant referees signaled no score because time had expired before the ball had passed over the crossbar.

As the C-Bucs streamed onto the field in celebration, Marte, shaking his head in disbelief, slowly became aware that whistles were blowing all over the place and that the officials were herding the C-Bucs back to their sideline. The referee and his assistants conferred briefly, then the referee turned to the press box and announced that the play was under review. Marte could barely breathe as the referee stepped into the replay booth. Holo replay was extremely rare in limmie; it could only be used to determine the question of whether a player had scored, and even then could only be initiated at the referee's discretion. Putting the replay out of his mind momentarily, Marte turned to his assistant and made sure the players were hydrating themselves in case they did go into overtime.

Within seconds, the referee stepped back out to the center of the field and announced, "After review, the ball passed between the uprights and over the crossbar simultaneously with the expiration of the clock. By rule, the point counts. We will proceed into overtime."

Marte visibly sagged in relief as he began preparations for overtime. Just then, an assistant gave him the news that the top-seeded Aces had gone down to the Angels in the final minute. Marte gathered the team around him for a quick pep talk. "Look. We have fifteen minutes to win this thing. The number one seed just went down, so anything is possible. Go out there and get it done! One! Two! Three!"

"Elite!" the team responded before racing back out onto the field.

---

[i]Location: Visitors' locker room, Royal Limmie Grounds
Time: 2239[/i]

In the end, the overtime period had been no contest. The Storm scored a goal and two points early, and the C-Bucs had been unable to do anything until a goal with three seconds left, but that was too little, too late. After a few minutes of celebration on the field, the players had taken the celebration into the locker room, where Marte was now.

[i]We need to get focused on next week,[/i] he thought as he rapped on the wall for silence. "Alright, enough celebration. The press is out there ready to attack you guys, so I won't take long here. You guys played your hearts out today, and it paid off. Now, we need to do that three more times. We're on the road against Denon next week, and they're going to be tough. I want everybody to get a good night's sleep on the shuttle tonight so you're ready for practice tomorrow." The players groaned; the day after an away game was usually a rest day with no practice. "We can't rest on our laurels here. Now, you guys get to do your favorite thing: deal with the m

 

GM Post
Elite League Limmie Headquarters, Coruscant

?Good afternoon, gentlebeings,? Commissioner Kayl?hen said as she stepped up to the podium in the League?s press briefing room. The room seated 100 journalists, had room for three dozen holocameras, and could support many more in standing room. When operating the galaxy?s most successful field sport league, one had to be able to accommodate the demand.

?Now that the regular season has commenced, we of course have our annual season awards to take care of,? Kayl?hen said, ?Firstly, this year as you know, because of the three-way race for the Commissioner?s Trophy taking place in three different games, the Commissioner?s Trophy was not awarded to Ralltiir last week despite their outright win on record. It will be presented at the Semifinal at Esselian National Bank Field in two weeks? time.

?Now, regarding our usual season awards, I am pleased to announce this year?s nominees.

?For the Salbukk Award, the League is pleased to announce the nominations of Sal Handa at Goalkeeper for the Chandrila Patriots, Moen Heatly at Right Corner Forward for the Coruscant Senators, and Nauranta at Full Forward for the Kashyyyk Rangers.

?Once again, the selection committee for the Ingbrand Award has only two nominees they feel are fitting to be nominated for this award. They are Gannymeade Florta, Midfielder for the Ralltiir Starkillers, and Mira Kashvili, Left Corner Back of the Bakura Miners.

?For the Langann Award recognizing coaching excellence at the Elite League level, Nawtocca of the Chandrila Patriots and Elrose Talvan of the Ralltiir Starkillers both have received nominations. Our third nominee for this award is a little different than others in recent history. The Coruscant Senators have faced considerable challenges and tragedy in coaching this season. Despite the fact that he only coached the Senators for three games this season, the Gark S?rily is our third nominee for the Langann Award as the selection committee has taken into account his managerial leadership of the team for the entire season.?

?Before we conclude for today, there is one further announcement,? Commissioner Kayl?hen said. The room grew still. Usually the nomination announcements were routine business?and they all got the sense this was anything but routine.

?Though the season has not yet formally concluded, I am announcing today that due to their last place finish this season, the Ord Mantell Scrappers will not play Elite League Limmie in 265.? Immediately holocameras snapped and fingers tapped away at datapads. This was a huge announcement with the Galactic Cup not yet awarded.

?I have spoken with my counterpart, Commissioner Agado of the Premier League, who has agreed to accept the Scrappers next year for play in the Premier League.? Kayl?hen thought back for a moment with the negotiations with the Quarren from Dac. It was clear that Agado thought he should have been hired three years ago to fill Crendan?s void. That professional relationship was going to be frosty for a long time, she could tell.

?As part of this arrangement, I am publicly announcing that the Elite League is publicly committing right now to accepting the winner of the Premiership as a member for 265,? Kayl?hen announced.

Now the cameras were flashing nonstop and the reporters writing madly. The Elite League was writing a blank check to the Premiership victor! The cautious Crendan had never done such a thing. This meant that any of the remaining eight teams in the Premiership Playoffs had a shot at making it into the Elite League?regardless of their size or prestige.

?We wish the remaining teams in the Premier League playoffs the best of luck and cannot wait to welcome one of them into the League next year,? Kayl?hen said.

Before the Bothan could leave the podium, one reporter was able to shout a question louder and more clearly than any of his colleagues. ?Does this mean the other seven teams in the League are safe??

?We have not made any final determinations regarding next year?s me

 

IC: Gark S?rily
Bakura

The team sat silently as Gark ran over the match strategy on the whiteboard. He didn?t blame them for not saying much; it was hard for them to concentrate. Only a few days before, interim Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Aspa Bursya had succumbed to her wounds from a speeder crash during emergency surgery. The players had been shocked by the news; the Defensive Unit was crushed. Even Dirxx Horstse, the vocal team captain, was rather subdued. Given the atmosphere of the match against Bakura, with all of its implications on the entire season, the players almost seemed as if they didn?t really care about the match. Gark felt like he needed to herd them into the locker room to prepare for Limmie, but he also understood exactly what they were going through. The death notice was a bombshell for him as well, and he was still trying to push forward. Allie Orchetrada, the Head Coach on leave, had sent him a note for him to read off; it was trying to console the players. Like they really needed even more of a reason to feel sorry for themselves. All that could cheer them up would be a big win, but given the circumstances, that looked like an uphill battle emotionally.

The day after Aspa?s death, Gark had handed out black patches to all of the players. Not only would they be visible on the Senators? white road uniforms, but they were also for more than just show. He had instructed for the players to write ?R.I.P? in any language they chose, or something to that effect on their patch. Naturally, each player wrote out those three letters in their native languages, which led to quite a few different-looking patches. Shayt Contar, the Feeorin Right Corner Back, and Lokesh Fil?ish, the Bothan Center Half Forward, who always wore an orange headband in team colors, had been handed out a matching black headband. Although a casual onlooker would see this as just an alternative twist on the team?s color scheme, there was more to it than that. The players didn?t need to feel any more depressed than they had to, but none of them had complained about the new patches and headbands. They had just dutifully filled them out and had the patches ironed onto their uniforms the night before the game.

When the match was only a few minutes away, the usually fired-up Senators walked out of the team tunnel in a subdued fashion. It was odd not being in front of the home crowd on this occasion; going on the road, in such a big match, with all of the emotional baggage stemming from the week, was a lot to digest. Bakura was already out on the field, looking ready to play. The Senators, lead by Dirxx, walked out slowly towards the pitch, not really looking ready to play. If they were hiding some energy, Gark wasn?t feeling it. There was an air around the team that they were downtrodden, not ready to play such a trivial game as Limmie in such a dark time for the franchise. Some fans jeered the team, trying to hurl the usual insults at the visiting squad as they always did on every planet with a Limmie team. Gark didn?t blame them; on Bakura, Limmie was going as usual, so their fans were just following the usual pre-game ?protocol? that any home fans would undergo when the opponents walked out of their tunnel onto the field. As they made their way onto the field, the Senators lined up on their side of the pitch, waiting for whatever ceremonies were necessary before the match could begin.

The silent moment for the Senators had quieted the stadium, to a degree, at least. The Miners players looked as if they really didn?t care what Coruscant was going through, and this annoyed Gark. He knew that they shouldn?t be depressed, but showing a little respect would have been nice. But, it was of no matter; his team was the squad to be concerned about. As the moment ended, both teams filed over to their respective sidelines.


The game had been a disaster from the beginning. Although the score had finished at 17-3, the whole team was out-of-sync. The potent Offensive Unit, leading t

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: Practice field, Eusebus, Euceron
Time: 1825, four days before road playoff game against Demons

With the loud construction going on in the stadium proper, Marte walked out to the practice field to get some peace and quiet so he could go through some paperwork. He didn't find it, though; rather, he was surprised to find the entire starting lineup and most of the backups on the field doing drills, despite the fact that the day's practice session had ended nearly four and a half hours ago. Confused, Marte reached for his whistle, then realized he didn't have it on him. "What's this?" he called.

After a few seconds, the response came from the captain. "What does it look like?" said Ryric Nertrayn as he came trotting over.

Marte watched the action on the field for a few more moments, then asked Ryric, "How long have you guys been out here?"

"What time is it?"

"About nineteen thirty."

"About half an hour."

The coach pondered for a few moments as to why the players would be out here practicing on their own, then gave up and simply asked Ryric, "Why?"

By this time, the whole team had stopped what they were doing and gathered around Marte. "A few of us decided our performances in practice earlier weren't up to Elite League standards," Ryric said, pointing at five players including himself, "so we decided to put in some extra work on it. I think the rest of these guys decided to come out here to provide us with some moral support."

Marte was speechless. The whole team had watched the announcement earlier in the week where Elite League Commissioner Kayl'hen had promised a spot in the Elite League to the Premiership champion, but Marte had never imagined it would cause the players to work so hard that they would voluntarily choose to do extra practices on their own. Wow, he thought. Finally, he found some words. "Well, in that case, go back to what you were doing, but don't over-work yourselves. We still have practice tomorrow morning, and I'm not changing that just because you guys were out here until midnight."

"Got it. Alright, everybody, one, two, three!"

"Elite!" yelled the team as they raced back to the field.

 

GM Post

Bakura, Coruscant, and Euceron all get bonus rolls. Chandrila will bonus roll next week when they actually play a game.

Galactic Cup Playoff
Galactic Cup Quarterfinals
(6) Alsakan Flyers at (3) Bakura Miners (18-29)
(5) Kashyyyk Rangers at (4) Coruscant Senators (16-3)

Galactic Cup Semifinals
(5) Kashyyyk Rangers at (1) Ralltiir Starkillers
(3) Bakura Miners at (2) Chandrila Patriots

Premiership Playoffs
Premiership Quarterfinals
(16) Iego Angels at (2) Corellia Rebels (32-13)
(12) Kamino Waves at (3) Bothawui Spies (16-34)
(10) Euceron Storm at (4) Denon Demons (30-17)
(8) Mon Calamari Mariners at (6) Vandelhelm Jets (34-29)

Premiership Semifinals
(16) Iego Angels at (3) Bothawui Spies
(10) Euceron Storm at (8) Mon Calamari Mariners

Tag: grey, jcgoble, JEDI, Trieste

OOC: And how about Iego folks? Giant killers much?

 

IC: Aileen Wynn
Bakura Gardens, Salis D?aar, Bakura

?Let?s be clear?what happened in the regular season doesn?t matter anymore,? Aileen Wynn said as she stalked the front of the locker room. She wasn?t even going to mention the fact that the Miners had lost 9-3 to the Flyers early in the season. ?This team can win three straight games. We did it last season and we did it this season and it?s time to do it again.

?This team was built not to win regular season games but to win playoff games. Nobody remembers the 7-1 season that the Miners put together a decade ago. Heck, I can?t even tell you what year it was. But everyone knows that the Miners won the Cup in 252 and 260. That?s where legacies are made. This is when everyone needs to play their best Limmie.

?This season has now come down to three games. The only one we need to worry about is this one. We?re playing the defending champs folks. Just because they had a bad regular season does not mean these guys are out. They?re in there thinking, ?Yeah, we?ve got the Miners at home. These guys suck at home. We?re going to the Semifinal.? Home field advantage hasn?t meant much here lately, but it?s time that change. This stadium is sold out and I can?t tell you why. If I was a fan, I don?t know why I?d pay to see a team who had only won one home playoff game in 19 years. But that?s what your fans are like. That?s how much they?re behind you.

?I?m not saying do it for them, or do it for Bakura, I?m saying do it because you know you can. Do it because nobody thinks you can and there?s no better feeling than sticking it to the galaxy,? Aileen said. She paused for a moment. ?All right, game time everyone.?

---

The weather report had it right: cold, rain, and wind for the playoff game on Bakura. It was a miserable thing for 100,000 fans to sit in. It was just as bad for Aileen who midway through the first half was so completely and thoroughly wet that there was not a single article of clothing on her that wasn?t soaked.

Anticipating the weather, Aileen had told the team that they were simplifying their game. Keep it on the ground, no big passes, and work the power offense. It was a game plan that should favor the Miners.

It did.

It wasn?t a runaway, but instead the Miners carefully chipped at the Flyers all game long. It was a case of attack and counterattack. The Miners would score a couple and then the Flyers would get one. A goal would be met by two Flyer points over the bar. The key was that every time the Miners opened the Flyers up just a little bit more. Bit by bit, the lead grew into the eventual 29-18 margin, capped with a goal by J.T. Adama.

Earlier in the season, Adama had performed a victory dance that had gotten him benched. Now, when he wrapped up a second straight Semifinal appearance for the Miners, he was sheer exuberance as he jabbed a fist into the air and was mobbed by his fellow offensive teammates who knew as surely as he did that they were going to win the game.

Despite the fact that she looked like a mess standing there in the rain, Aileen Wynn couldn?t help but smile as the Miner fans were barely restrained by the Salis D?aar police force from mobbing the field as the two teams performed the traditional playoff end-of-game handshake.

All for a Quarterfinal victory.

[hr]
?Today was obviously a big win for us as a team and a franchise,? Aileen said at the postgame press conference, ?Reclaiming home field advantage was key for us, but obviously we?ve got to get back in touch with our road warrior mentality.?

?Regardless of the outcome of the Kashyyyk-Coruscant game later today, you?ll play the Patriots. Thoughts on facing your old team in the playoffs??

?No more than on facing any team that?s put up an impressive point differential and has an MVP-caliber goaltender,? Aileen said, ?We?re absolutely going to have to be our very best to win next week. We have a lot of work to do. That?s why I am moving up our departure to tomorrow. I want to give us as much time as possible to se

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: Eusebus City Courthouse, Euceron
Time: 0759, five days before Premiership semifinal

Marte grumbled as he walked into the courtroom and took a seat beside Mellena. First the suspension mess, now this, he thought. The GM had called him at 0500, waking him up, to tell him that their star full forward, Eurkett Nan'sar, had been arrested outside a local cantina the night before and charged with felonious assault with a deadly weapon. He was now standing in front of the judge in handcuffs, waiting for his arraignment hearing.

Clearing his throat, the judge said, "Let's see here. Eurkett Nan'sar, you are charged with one count of felony assault with a deadly weapon. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty by reason of self-defense, Your Honor."

The judge went through some paperwork and wrote a few things down. "Your bail will be set at 200,000 credits. In the event you make bail or someone else bails you out, you will not be allowed to leave Euceron except for travel directly to and from away games on transportation provided and controlled by the Euceron Storm." Marte and Mellena both sighed in relief; they couldn't afford to lose Eurkett for the rest of the playoffs to travel restrictions. "Do you understand that?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"Dismissed." Two deputies escorted Eurkett out of the courtroom.

Mellena turned to Marte. "At least he can travel with us. You head back to the stadium. I'll see you there after I bail him out."

"I've got practice scheduled in two hours, and I want Eurkett in on that, so try to make it quick. We can sit down with him and figure out what really happened after that," said Marte.

"No guarantees I'll have him to you before practice, but I'll try."

---

[i]Location: GM's office, Euceron Stadium
Time: 1311[/i]

Marte knocked on the closed door. "Come in," called Mellena from inside.

Swinging the door open, Marte noticed Eurkett coming down the hall. "Did you call for Eurkett also?"

"Yes. Tell him to come in, too."

Marte and Eurkett seated themselves in front of Mellena's desk. All three were silent for a few moments, then Mellena suddenly yelled, "What the kriff happened last night?!"

Eurkett recoiled, and Marte interjected, "Calm down, Mellena. It's not the end of the universe."

Eurkett took a breath. "Well, that cantina is in a rough section of town, so I always carry a hold-out blaster for defense. It's stupid not to carry a weapon of some kind in that area. On my way home, two thugs jumped me, and I just pulled it out and fired to defend myself. I hit the bigger guy in the stomach, and the other dude took off. By the time police showed up a minute later, all they saw was the guy I hit laying on the ground in pain and me holding a blaster. Of course they arrested me."

Mellena was silent, so Marte decided to ask a few questions. "Were there any witnesses?"

"Just the guy that ran off, and we all know he won't tell the truth because he was involved in this mess."

"Any security holocams in the area?"

"I don't know."

"How much investigating did the police do?"

"Not much that I saw. They showed up, ordered me to drop the blaster?which I did?and cuffed me right away. They asked me a few questions and hauled me off. There were still about half a dozen officers on the scene when they took me away."

Marte looked at Mellena, and she gave him a look that said, [i]You know more about this stuff than I do, so you handle it.[/i] He sighed and turned back to Eurkett. "You might not know this, but I have a degree in criminal justice. And that degree is telling me that something's fishy here?on the police end. I'm going to get you a good lawyer and help you fight this."

"Thanks for the offer. And thanks for hearing me out and believing me."

Marte stood and headed for the door. [i]This is going to be a long offseason,[/i] he thought.

 

IC: Aileen Wynn
Hana City, Chandrila

In the world of Limmie, going to Chandrila was like living under a microscope. This was a planet where Limmie didn?t just matter?it was everything.

Even large, well-established teams could find the pressure here rough. The media was all over anyone even peripherally connected to the sport. Starting players for the Patriots were gods and goddesses among mortals. Their significant others were celebrities and when she?d been head coach of the Patriots, Aileen had been forced to fight the party culture that had developed around her players thanks to their spouses and partners.

But that was only one facet. Local media was all over the Patriots game. Individual players were dissected like lab experiments. Aileen had all sports channels blocked in the team hotel to prevent any of the analysis from getting under her players? skins. She knew from experience that it could be just as rough on the Patriot players, especially when things weren?t going well. No one was more unforgiving than unhappy members of the Patriot Nation. It was one thing she didn?t miss about Chandrila.

Though she knew all of what she did, Aileen still found herself bracing against the crush of media at every turn. Though she?d been gone for two years, she remembered a lot of faces. The questions were all along the same lines.

?How does it feel to be back on Chandrila??

?Great, I always liked the weather this time of year,? Aileen replied.

?Do you feel the Patriots have been vindicated in their decision to fire you??

?My contract was over, they didn?t fire me.?

?Do you think the team will have extra incentive to win knowing you?re coaching the Miners??

?A trip to the Galactic Cup is incentive enough.?

?How much will your inside knowledge of the players affect your game prep??

?The Patriots have a whole new coaching staff now and they do different things. We?ve got all the tape everybody else has on them and we?ll prepare accordingly.?

?You were jeered by the Nation at Stoney End last year for your game. What?s your thought on a repeat reception??

?I think the Miners won that game, so I wouldn?t mind similar circumstances, but I expect they?ll give me a piece of their mind either way.?

Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

The endless media crush wore you down more than the game preparation, but that?s why Aileen herded her team onto the shuttle to go back to the hotel and took all the heat herself. She knew how to handle it and it would only throw her players off if they started fielding all these questions.

Though there was much preparation to be done to get the Miners ready for their tilt with the Patriots, the Semifinal could not come soon enough.

 

IC: Aileen Wynn
Stoney End Park, Hana City, Chandrila

It had been six years since the Patriots had last been to a Galactic Cup Semifinal. There was a buzz in the stadium during the pregame warm up that everyone could feel. This was what it truly meant to be in the playoffs. This was what it meant to play Limmie.

This was going to be a game.

Aileen Wynn watched her team as they went through their regular routine. Everything about this week had been regular. She had been trying to make them feel like it was just another game. Everyone knew it wasn't, but for a professional athlete everything was about routine, sameness, doing the thing that you did week after week regardless of what week it was. The last thing she needed was anyone getting the yips. She was never going to say that word though. That would just be to invite disaster.

The buzz permeated even into the visiting locker room. Even there the Miners could feel the anticipation of the Patriot Nation who had waited for another shot at glory. One of these teams would have the opportunity reach storied heights as a result of today's game. If the Patriots won, they would have a shot at becoming the first team in the Modern Era of Limmie to win eight Galactic Cups. If the Miners won, they would be positioned to join the five teams who were tied with a grand total of seven championships. Either way, both teams had a lot to play for--not just for themselves but for their franchises too.

And it couldn't be denied that there was more than just Limmie riding on the Miners' performance today. Prime Minister Kerry Trieste, mired in the toughest election of her career, had chosen to fly out to Chandrila for the game, sacrificing valuable campaigning days back home on Bakura. A win today by the Miners would reflect well on Trieste and boost her poll numbers with only a few weeks left before the election. And that was to say nothing of the stock market collapses that had been sweeping through the western Outer Rim. Thankfully, the Bakuran Stock Exchange had turned out to be immune to this, even recovering some of its lost value. Even so, Bakura was a large exporting planet and the trend worried a lot of people who wondered what sort of market there would be for Bakuran goods and services amongst their strongest trading partners.

But all of that was not what anyone in the visitor's locker room was thinking about.

"These guys are good. Make no mistake about it," Aileen said, "And they know it. They're going to come out with some swagger today. We need to take it to them at the very start of the game today to unsettle them and get them playing our game." She paused. "That's all I've got to say today. You know what you can do and you know you can do it. Now go show them that."

With that, the Miners marched out of the locker room and to the field where the Patriot fans were roaring in support of their team, also entering the pitch at that moment. However, the crowd was not entirely made up of Chandrila supporters. One corner of the stadium, in some of the worst seats, were roughly 2,000 Miner fans who had somehow acquired tickets (rumors of influence used by Prime Minister Trieste with her sister in-law, Nessa Trieste, member of the Patriots' Board of Governors abounded). Decked out in their blue and gold, they cheered for their men and women and began singing what had become the Miners' playoff anthem since their 259 Galactic Cup championship. Written by another of Kerry Trieste's in-laws, this time Mandy Syfred, the galactic pop star who had now turned into one of the galaxy's most influential album producers. Written specifically for easy singing by large groups at Limmie games, the song was nearly lost underneath the noise of the Patriot fans, but that didn't matter to the ears of the Miners. They knew the song well and could pick out its distinctive strains through the cacophony.

And they all knew what they wanted
What they wanted me to do
I told 'em what they needed
Just like

 

IC: Marte Nalo

Location: "The Tank", Mon Calamari
Time: 1050, day of Premiership semifinal

Marte gritted his teeth as he tried to keep walking. "I said, 'no comment.' "

Another reporter blocked his path and thrust a microphone in his face. "But why?"

Frustrated, Marte yelled at the reporter, "What part of 'no comment' do you not understand?!"

The reporter recoiled, and Marte, seeing that he now had a clear path to the restricted area ahead, bolted for it. Once clear of the reporters, he slowed down and made his way to the visitors' locker room, where Kalma met him at the door. Seeing that Marte was breathing heavily, she asked him what had happened.

"Those frakking reporters need to learn what 'no comment' means," he replied.

"What were they asking you?" Kalma inquired.

"Same thing every kriffing reporter has been asking all week. They want me to publicly condemn Eurkett."

"Just tell them you support him. Problem solved."

"Not when his lawyer has advised me not to utter a single word about the mess."

Kalma sighed. "Well, then I guess you just have to deal with it. Right now though, we're waiting on you for our strategy session."

"Alright, I'll be in there in a second."

---

[i]Time: 1558, two minutes before scheduled start of Premiership semifinal[/i]

Marte had his back to the field and was going through last-minute preparations before the start of the game when he felt someone tap him on his side. "Just a minute," he said without looking away from what he was doing.

Marte felt the tap again, this time accompanied by a young voice insisting, "Look!" Marte turned around to see a fight on the field between Eurkett and a Mariner. The referee, with help from a few players, quickly broke up the fight, and both players were escorted to their respective sidelines by teammates while the referee consulted with his assistants.

Marte walked over to Eurkett and asked him, "[i]Now[/i] what have you gotten yourself into?!"

"All of a sudden, he just started calling me a murderer and attacked me. I had to defend myself."

"I swear, you have?"

Marte was interrupted by the referee making an announcement over the loudspeakers. "Dekar Hethwy will be ejected from the game for participating in a fight. Eurkett Nan'sar will not be ejected, as his actions have been determined to be solely in self-defense."

Right away, the Mon Calamari home crowd began booing. A few fans near the Storm sideline began throwing things at Eurkett, but security quickly stopped them and escorted them out. As the players, minus Dekar Hethwy, took the field to start the game, Marte felt another tap on his side and the same young voice asking a question.

"What was that about?"

Marte turned and looked his oldest son, Marte Jr. The eight-year-old boy had been to a couple of home games, but had never traveled with the team. Two weeks earlier, at "Junior" 's insistence, the elder Marte had promised his son that if the Storm made it to the semifinals, he could come with the team. When the news about Eurkett had broken earlier in the week, Marte had carefully kept it from his son, not wanting his son to be a distraction by asking too many questions. Now, though, Marte realized he should have discussed it with Junior as soon as it happened, as the issue had now come to the forefront at the worst possible time.

"Long story. I don't have time for it now."

"But what happened?"

[i]Why do kids that age have to be so stubborn?[/i] "We'll discuss it on the shuttle on the way home, and that's final. Now let me focus on the game."

"Okay." Junior walked down the sideline toward the Mariners' goal, no doubt to see any Storm scoring plays up close and personal.

As the game started, Marte sighed and began following the play on the field. [i]Looks like an even matchup. This should be a close game.[/i]

 

IC: Owen Narada

Waking up in the morning, a strange feeling settled inside Owen, he couldn't quite figure out what it was, so he'd just have to stay alert for anything unusual in his daily goings-on. The problem was, there was always something going on on a daily basis.

Everything seemed to be going fine, which he was quite grateful for, that was, until lunch time. While sitting alone as he usually did, scanning the Holonet for Limmie Updates, out of his peripheral vision, Owen saw Cole approaching; lunch tray in hand and a sly grin pasted on his face. Owen did not turn to greet him.

"Hey, greenmail! Mind if I sit down?" Cole asked, not really waiting for a response. "No vacancy, sleemo. All seats are taken." Owen said of the other three empty chairs at the table. "Thanks, this one will do just fine." Cole retorted as he sat down across from Owen, he just sighed as he tried to contain his growing irritation.

"What do you want?" Owen asked pointedly. "I'm kinda busy."

"Hey, now. That's not very neighborly." Cole protested with a mock expression of hurt, followed by that wolfish grin. Owen rolled his eyes and waited for him to speak, fingers tapping the surface of the table. "So, I hear there's a big game coming up, eh?" Owen simply nodded. Cole leaned in, looking quite conspiratorial as he lowered his voice before speaking. "Didn't you and Jazmyn over at visual have something going about a year ago? Kinda went south around this time?"

Owen felt blood rush to his face. He tried to focus on the anger he was feeling over the abject shock that came with it. How did Cole even know this? He'd been happily oblivious to the fact all this time? That didn't matter at the moment. Owen did not respond, as he internally composed himself.

"You hear quite a bit around these part." Owen shot back in a low voice, trying not to sound as irritated as he felt. "Like you and the Productivity Manager. Office relationships are against policy, and if the Ops Director ever found out, let alone her husband?." Owen didn't bother to finish the sentence as he now looked to Cole's reaction.

"Hey, hey now?" Cole said, throwing his hands in the air and moving back. "Like you said, you hear a lot around here, stuff not necessarily true, y'know?"

Cole was now on the defensive.Good. Owen thought, as he said, "Yeah, not necessarily true is darn right." Then with a two finger salute, he proceeded to dismiss the intruder. "So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to what I was doing. Actually, I insist." Owen gave a tight-lipped smile. "Alright Greenman, I got it. I'll let you get back to your score keeping." Cole slowly got up , tray in hand, then took a few steps before pausing. "?so, this conversation never took place. Dig?"

Oh, now you want me to keep your secret. Owen thought. But everyone already knows it. Without a word, Owen nodded, before verbally consenting. "Dig."

Both young men returned to their lunch activities, easily putting the encounter where it belonged: in the trash app. of their minds, then pressed delete file.

*****

Owen was too glad to get home. The day had dragged on after lunch and things just seemed very awkward. The fact that Cole had brought up Jazmyn did not help matters at all. He'd been so naive and borderline inconsiderate as all he did was talk about Limmie. Shaking his head and sighing, Owen decided it was best not to venture down that particular memory lane, so without further delay, the Vid-screen was turned on and Owen scanned the holonet-channels until he found what he was looking for. HSN?s Elite League Today.

Elite Limmie history was being made as news from the Elite League Limmie Headquarters in Coruscant were announced. Commissioner Kayl?hen was on, first announcing the nominees for the season awards. Needless to say, Owen was delighted with the two nominees from the Chandrila Patriots. Now that really made his day. Sitting on his bed, still wearing his work uniform, h

 

GM Post

For those of you who follow the NFL, I always feel that the Conference Championships (equivalent to the Galactic Cup Semifinals) are two of the best football games all year--better than even the Super Bowl in my opinion. Here's hoping for some good Semifinals this year!

Bakura, Chandrila, and Euceron are all bonus rolling this week.

Elite League
Galactic Cup Semifinals
(5) Kashyyyk Rangers at (1) Ralltiir Starkillers (13-7)
(3) Bakura Miners at (2) Chandrila Patriots (2-7)

Galactic Cup Final
Denon Gardens, Denon
(5) Kashyyyk Rangers vs. (2) Chandrila Patriots

Premier League
Premiership Semifinals
(16) Iego Angels at (3) Bothawui Spies (23-21)
(10) Euceron Storm at (8) Mon Calamari Mariners (35-25, OT)

Premiership Final
Euceron Stadium, Eusebus, Euceron
(16) Iego Angels at (10) Euceron Storm

OOC: And that my friends is what I think we can accurately call the "Miracle Bowl" in the Premier League.

Tag: grey, jcgoble, Trieste