A Tale As Old As The Stars

Posted on Thu May 1st, 2025 @ 9:48pm by Commander Ichiko Gail & Lieutenant Daniel Ellis & Captain Abigail Laurens & Lieutenant Veznia MD PSyD

Mission: Let The Games Begin
Location: Converted Shuttlebay - Kinetic Arena

The stage was set.

A massive playing field, split into two color patterns: Blue and White, and Red and Black. Seating on either side of the playing field, for the viewing pleasure of the audience in attendance: The crew of the Astraea. Off to one side, was the announcer table, vacant for now but soon... soon. Soon this arena would come to life.

Lighting, sound checks, field tests, the engineering crew of the Kinetic foundation was hard at work up to the last few minutes. Sound check, mic check, piped audio, reverb check, everything was perfect. A crewhand ran a strangely antique desk phone to the announcer table, even going so far as to put it under a plastic cover.

Almost time, the lights dimmed. Closer, the lights went almost completely out, and then it was time, and a spotlight shined down upon a single figure, a Son of Ts'usu wearing an official field uniform. A referee, and in his hand, a familiar sight to those who knew it and an alien object to those who didn't... a Kinetic Orb. With the sound down, and the lights up, he began a speech he had given a thousand times. Scripted to a tee.

Though sports were not typically Veznia's cup of tea, she saw this as anthropological research. Kinetic was a cultural phenomenon to the Ts'Usugi. Her eyes were fixed on the Kinetic Orb. She hung on the man's words.

Abigail had already been seated well before the show began, now all that remained was to wait for everything to begin. Her time with Captain Neela definitely gave her a greater appreciation for the sport as a whole, but the grandeur of the ceremony was not something she had expected. "Is it always so pompous?" she whispered as she leaned toward Ichiko.

"Tonight is special." the rabbitess whispered back, leaning close to not be picked up on broadcast recording. "Kinetic is one of the most regulated, and most entertaining broadcasts in the Empire. It's always big, always loud, and very, very pompous." a pause, "I hope this live show is better than the last one I attended."

From his vantage point in the arena, Dee found himself torn. As focused as he was on the security for the event, the opportunity to simply be a spectator in this grand occasion was weighing heavily on his mind. His eyes kept looking to his left and right, slowly scanning for areas of concern. His attention, however, remained focused on the arena itself.

"It's a tale as old as the stars..." he started. "When push comes to shove. You give a little, you get a little. You give more, you get more. But what if..." his voice trailed off, and a second beam of light illuminated behind him, revealing Captain Wataba. He was facing one of the stands, facing off to the referee's left. He stood tall and proud, at attention. This moment demanded his focus.

"I'll give anything to defeat you." he said, and the light went out. A moment later, a new light shined just next to where Wataba was, revealing Captain Neela. Facing the opposing direction, as though they were back to back. A wild smile on her features, and opposing Wataba's stoic pose, her pose was relaxed, almost provocative.

"Win or Lose, you lost it all." she said, confident, before the light went out to leave only the referee visible.

"If you give it all, you can get it all, but only one can claim the prize." he motioned to one side, and the lights shined blue upon the Nebulae. "Nebulae!" and then he motioned to the other side, where a red light shined upon their opponents. "Flames!" and once the focus was back on him, "The greatest heroes of the league stand against the greatest villains in the stars but will they have enough?" he held the orb up high and shouted the program's catchphrase.... "Yokoso Kinetic!!"

The arena exploded into lights and pyrotechnics, sparkles and shiny dust hanging in the air as a synthetic voice blessed by neon and chrome repeated the program's name, "Kinetic!" while two announcers made their way from the booth to the field and around to the stands on each side. "Good welcome momentum fans here and everywhere. Tai Demart here, joining me is Sabin Dirata." and the other son of Ts'usu gave a nod. "And this is it! For three months we've seen Wataba and the Nebulae dominate everything the league can throw at him and his fine-tuned engine of momentum!"

"Right, everything EXCEPT a team that doesn't know the meaning of the phrase 'Know Your Place', the terror of Zanark province, the Flames. Led by Captain Neela she's turned the league's most dastardly team into a threat to the title. It took literal divine intervention to stop things from coming to blows before, but now, the only thing standing between Wataba and Neela are the fine security forces and the brave men, woman, and indeterminates of our friends in the stars, the Federation starship Astraea." the pair motioned to the stands, to give the crew their moment of interplanetary fame.

Abigail's eyes widened a little at the announcement, once again casting another glance at Ichiko. She thought she was ready for anything that this competition could have brought their way, but all of a sudden she wasn't quite so sure. "That isn't meant literally... is it?" she hissed hurriedly, again leaning in close to Ichiko. "This is a friendly match... right?"

Ichiko gave a quick nod, "Scripted antagonism. The athletes are never allowed to promote violence. The Kinetic Foundation would lose big if their audience taking those lessons to heart. It's half sport, and have stories, and nothing's more scripted than Kinetic." she advised.

"You'll recall from our dedication piece that the Astraea was one of the first ships that arrived to repel the Koldaran during their most recent push into their adjacent sectors." Tai mentioned, and Sabin gave a nod after, "And we offer a moment of silent reflection for those who made the ultimate sacrifice, not just in the name of halting the expansion of the Koldaran, but in the name of freedom across the stars." and everything came to a silent halt. Wataba and his men, Neela and her men, the crew, the field techs, the ref. Everything.

"For them." Tai said to resume broadcast. Which earned a nod from everyone on the field.

The Koldaran. Abigail's eyes glazed over as she looked off into the distance, memories of the encounter with the Koldaran flashing through her mind. "For them," she repeated softly.

Vezniasucked in her lips slightly. "For them!" She said a little too loud, as though she'd forgotten where they were.

(Tags for any reactions or thoughts)

Tai continued, "Now for those of you wanting from the Empire, you know the way the sport goes but for our friends here live, there might be some confusion. So, a crash course in Kinetic." he walked onto the field, "Fields are two colors, each team's colors are on the field in their zone. Teams have three positions and the Captain. First, there's the Invaders. Two per team. They start in enemy held territory and can NEVER step foot in their home area. Next, there's Defenders. Three of them, they start in the team's home territory, and can never ever leave. Finally, there's the Wall, the goal tender around the scoring pillar. There's a section around the pillar about four and a half meters in radius. Only the Wall can stand in that space." he paused, "If a player gets hurt or needs a break, there's enough spare players for one full swap of everyone, but, the active player has to be both feet off the field before their replacement can take one step on. Switching out the Wall is risky, but sometimes it has to be done." he motioned to the extra players on the teams. "Swaps are live. Nothing stops the game."

Sabin gave a nod. "Then, there's the Captain. Captains can go wherever they want, except the Wall's bubble. Still not allowed there, but Captains can invade, and Captains can defend. The only thing a Captain can't do, is be replaced. They're here for the long game, and if they get hurt, well... walk it off." he said, probably from a position of experience.

"And now, the teams." Tai mentioned, and the lighting shifted to blue and white to pay tribute to the Nebulae. Twelve players plus Wataba, but it was only Wataba that walked to meet the referee in the middle of the field. Then the light shifted to Red, and the Flames took the field. Rather then the practiced calm of the Nebulae, the Flames walked like thugs. They shuffled, they punched their hands, they sneered, and leading them was Neela. She had a way of walking that let everyone know what she thought of the moment. Despite Wataba being taller than her, she still conveyed power while looking up to meet his glance.

"And now the bid. Kinetic matches always start with the number of games in a heat, the number of goals in a match, and the top speed of the ball. Neela always bids high, cause she wants the games fast and brutal." Sabin explained to the newer viewers here. "Once the orb gets up to speed, nothing except a goal can stop it."

The referee looked between Wataba and Neela, feeling very much like a piece of glass between two very angry trains. "Neela has a tendency to bid high but Wataba always bids conservative. He knows he can go the long game, and his strategy to tire out his opponents usually works."

"Usually is the key there. Let's see what his tactic is today."

The referee brought the Orb closer to Wataba, "Captain Wataba, as the once Emerald Champion and designate of Emperor's Chosen, the option to bid or pass is yours." and Wataba gave a nod. "We pass."

"Bold." Tai mentioned off to the side, both him and Sabin were off the field during this official moment. Neela wasted no time. "One Game, One Goal, Mark Four." her usual bid, from how casually she delivered it. Wataba considered for a moment...

"What's he thinking?" Sabin mentioned, maybe it was all part of the show. Wataba gave a flat, hollow smile, "To beat you, utterly. One, One, Four. We accept." and with that locked in place, the stadium simulated lights came back up and the match was just moments away.

"What?! Wataba either taking the bait or looking to crush Neela at her own game!" Tai had lost his composure, this was completely unexpected. Said so in the script. "If he wins, he wins. But if he loses, then he'll remember this moment for the rest of his career. Let's focus on the action and see what happens."

The two Captains met at the center of the field, while the first wave of players took the field. Invaders, Defenders, Captains, and the Wall.

In each block of the stands, a new figure made their way through the stands. On one side a figure, a Son of Ts'usu, dressed in overly ornate but obviously fake green armor. Beneath the armor, the mascot Son of Ts'usu wore clothes or painted his fur to look like deep space, with blue and purple swirls. A nebula. He was silent, but everywhere he went he gave a nod, or gestured upwards in an excited fashion. He'd motion to the other side of the court, to the other set of stands, and wave his hand side to side while shaking his head. There was someone, or something, over there that this mascot figure took personally. He raised his arms up, as though trying to awaken the crowd.

On the other side of the arena there was another figure, dressed as some form of authority figure. Maybe a security officer, but they had vibrant swatches of red, with red and yellow streamers frlowing from those colors as though to emulate flames or fire. They too, worked the crowd, but where their opposing figure was soft, respectful, and maintained a safe distance from each observer, this figure was patting people on the shoulder, offering up high-fives or even a fist bump or two. This figure wanted to interact with the crowd, reach out, become on their level. They gestured across the arena to their counterpart, and actually gave a thumbs down motion. Silent, but the pair spoke volumes. They were both here for the same reason: To turn the crowd.

The players took the field, the Captains in the center. In person, off the board, Wataba had the height advantage. Here, in garb and gear, he seemed to tower over Neela. Helmet, body armor, gloves, shin and ankle guards, every player was dressed for war. They met finally in the middle, and a small fleet of drones descended from above to get the footage the Foundation was looking for, but first...

The referee arrived, approaching the center where the Captains were. "This is not the home field of any team present but it IS the home of someone here. I would ask Captain Abigail Laurens to christen this barren field by choosing a single number. One, Two, Three, or Four?" and one of the drones shined a gentle spotlight across the crowd. Searching, searching, searching, and then the light landed on Abigail.

The dark haired commanding officer stiffened slightly as the spotlight fell on her. "Uhmmmm..." her eyes widened again. She had expected to just be watching the match, not making decisions. "Two?" she finally replied nervously.

"Two!" the ref repeated, and the field itself started to shift. In-Panel replicators started to generate terrain. Dirt and grass, stone pillars, debris, with the ground carrying the colors present on the stadium floor beneath. It wasn't just an arena, it was a battleground. When all was said and done and the teams were in their positions, the ref arrived with the orb. "Nebulae!" he called, and Wataba gave a nod.

"Flames!" and at the ready call, Neela gave a nod. The two captains approached the ref as the first face off was about to take place. Everything fell silent for a tense moment, a silent three count before the ref blew the whistle and tossed the orb as he got out of the way. The irresistible force against the other irresistible force as two captains fought for the orb. Pushing, posturing, and then the orb went flying out of their collective grasp screaming across the arena towards the stands! Closer, closer, closer, but before it got within twenty feet of the crowd it struck the arena's limiter field, and the orb bounced off like a pinball. Every bounce, every shove, every glancing strike just added momentum to the orb. This thing didn't obey the laws of physics in the slightest as it conserved all the momentum it was handed, greedy for more as it streaked across the field. The name of the game said it all, and HOLDING onto the orb was never an option, but rather guiding it and encouraging it was more the strategy.

Standing on the sides of the arena were the alternates, ready to go and waiting for their time. They couldn't set foot into the arena until whomever they were replacing had fully stepped out. Even the Flames were loathe to break that rule. An extra man on the field carried a huge penalty, and the last thing Neela wanted was to lose because of a broken rule. No no, the only thing she wanted to break tonight was Wataba's ego.

Veznia clapped rapidly, though she couldn't place the target of her own applause. Perhaps it was the spectacle.

The match itself was intense and brutal. Grueling and demanding on the forms of the athletes. The energy of a live sporting event was one thing but this, this was another. It wasn't just the power and pride of each team, it was the rivalry of these particular two teams. Wataba gave up so much to be here, Neela endured so much to stand before him. When the two captains met on the field, there were almost sparks. Each of the two teams worked together to ensure that these two got every opportunity to show the other up. The Flames through brutish tactics and thug logic, while the Nebulae used precise passes and nudges to put the orb squarely in Wataba's reach.

When it came to the Invaders and Defenders, they respected the line of their territory. No one wanted this match to come down to penalties. Imagine being the son or daughter of Ts'usu that hurt the team, ESPECIALLY all the way out here, in front of the Federation's very first episode. The mascots, the alleged 'Seventh Man', were each really working the crowd, trying to keep the intensity up as zippy drones followed the action in live resolution for the literal BILLIIONS who would watch this event on re-broadcast. Through it all, the two at the announce table were calling all the shots. Pass, shuffle, blitz, and shoot! The excitement at the table really hit the pitch when a building graphic showed the speed of the orb in real time. Four meters per second. Then Five..... Six..... Seven.....

When the orb reached Eight meters per second, the graph turned from white to red, and the announce table went into a frenzy. The announcement was official, the orb was racing about at Level Four. Apparently, this level of speed was Neela's favored setting, and was one the Nebulae weren't quite used to. Wataba's hubris might have cost him this game, as the Flames were able to go more on the offensive now that, in essence, the orb was playing for them.

Was this how Wataba loses this game?

At its maximum velocity the orb was screaming across the arena, smashing into pillars and debris and ricocheting at dangerous angles and speeds. Directing the orb was now mostly just encouraging it to veer. The Nebulae were at a severe disadvantage due to not being used to this speed, but their training, sportsmanship, and communication allowed them to pick up the pace. The Flames were used to the speed, but teamwork wasn't their focus as much. That, is what lead the Nebulae to victory. Wataba took a strike at the orb that threatened to take Neela's head off with it. He hung in the air for a moment, this single moment immortalized in memory and memorex. A snap was heard, and then orb took off like a shot, slamming into the Flames' goal and popping the capacitor in one go. Sparks shot out of the pillar, and that was it. The match was over.

Wataba landed from his airborne stunt, obviously now favoring one foot. He looked down at Neela, who was picking herself up from the moment. Match officials came over to officially call the match, and with a small flag in the Nebulae colors and symbol, confetti rained from the heavens as it was made eternal. The Nebulae had won.

Neela sneered up at Wataba. Wataba looked down at Neela. This seemed to be their default setting.

Tai Demart at the announce table was in the middle of losing his mind. "DID YOU SEE THAT!? No one's ever seen a kick like that before. Wataba more than likely dislocated his entire ankle making that strike but it paid koku! The Flames are laid to rest, and the Nebulae emerge as the champions of the circuit!!"

Sabin gave a smirk, missing a tooth or two, "Everyone is going to remember where they were when this moment happened, Demart. This is the moment they're going to immortalize. This is Wataba's moment.

Wataba shook his head down at Neela. "It's over, you lost."
She shook her head, "It cost you everything. Still, you looked like you had fun." she teased. All Wataba heard was victory. His team helped him off the field, his head held high, as the medical crews waited to receive him.

"Well momentum fans, there you have it. The next end to the next chapter in the neverending story of Kinetic. I'm Tai Demart, and on behalf of the Kinetic foundation we want to say thank you to the crew of the Astraea, and also to her shipmaster, Abigail Laurens. Keep moving forward, shipmaster." he gave a nod in salute. "And to everyone else, on behalf of Kinetic, we bid you good day, and remember that the only way to reach your dreams is to move towards them. Good night."