Scott Sigler - The Rookie

Quentin nodded once, then walked to the Human locker room.

The Ionath Krakens(7–2) completed their improbable comeback, winning their sixth-straight game 38–13 over the Quyth Survivors(3–6). With the win the Krakens locked up the Quyth Irradiated Conference title and earned a trip to the Tier Two playoffs.

The Glory Warpigs(7–2) finished up an excellent season with a 25–13 win over the Bigg Diggers(3–6).

The Whitok Pioneers(6–3) look ready for next year, as quarterback Condor Adrienne threw for five TDs in a 52–27 thrashing of the Sheb Stalkers(4–5).

Also in action last week, the Woo Wallcrawlers(4–5) upset the Grontak Hydras(4–5) by a score of 17–14, and Orbiting Death(6–3) pounded on the Sky Demolition(1–8), 37–10.

DEATHS:

Mitchell “The Machine” Fayed,killed on a clean hit by Tobinabee, free safety for the Quyth Survivors.

WEEK #9 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:

Offense: Ju Tweedy,running back, Orbiting Death. 205 yards on 32 carries, 3 TDs.

Defense: Bray-O-Haka,tackle, Woo Wallcrawlers. Four sacks, seven tackles.

PLAYOFFS ROUND #1

SEEDING FOR THE TIER TWO TOURNAMENT

From the Ionath City Gazette

Earthlings face Krakens in Tier Two semifinals

By Kigin the Witty

EARTH (Associated Press) — In a game that really wasn’t as close as the score indicates, the Texas Earthlings defeated the Aril Archers 21–17 to advance to the Tier Two semi-finals. The Earthlings face the Ionath Krakens, champions of the Quyth Irradiated conference.

The Earthlings’ defense led the way, allowing only 10 points. The Archers managed one defensive score to keep it close, a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown by Minneapolis.

Earthlings’ linebacker Alonzo Castro was named the game’s MVP. Castro, a rookie from the Sigurd Norsemen of the PNFL, had eight solo tackles along with an interception and a critical quarterback sack, his fifth of the season.

“Castro’s speed has taken our defense to a new level,” said Earthlings coach Pata the Calculating. “Teams have to watch out for him, and that helps keep double-teams off of Chok-Oh-Thilit.”

Chok-Oh-Thilit, the Earthlings’ All-Pro defensive tackle, finished the day with two sacks and five tackles.

“He (Chok-Oh-Thilit) was basically un-blockable,” said Archers’ coach David Djadin. “We couldn’t do anything with him. He injured three linemen — I’m glad the season is over, because we couldn’t even field an offensive line right now. He’s the hardest hitter in the game.”

Offensively, the Earthlings moved the ball with efficiency and didn’t give up a single turnover. Quarterback Case Johanson went 21-of-34 for 225 yards and a 12-yard touchdown pass to running back Peter Lowachee. The Earthlings utilized a ball-control offense, chewing up the clock by relying on running back Pookie Chang. Chang racked up 122 yards on 27 carries, including touchdown runs of 3- and 7-yards.

QUENTIN HAD never been to Earth.

In fact, most citizens of the Purist Nation had never been there. Earth, after all, was the capital of the Planetary Union, the historical enemy of the Purist Nation. Earth was also the cradle of Satan, the birth place of evil, the home of the Human betrayers and the Brother-Killers. Centuries ago, the powerful people of Earth had cast out the Faithful, sending Stewart and his followers on a perilous journey across the Void. Only the hand of the High One himself had saved the chosen people, delivered them to a green place from which the Purist Nation flourished.

At least that was the story.

Quentin couldn’t help but believe some of it. That story, after all, had been drummed into his head since before he could speak. Yet that didn’t dull his excitement as the Touchback prepared to drop out of the punch space near Earth orbit. Earth. The beginning of Humanity. Regardless of the Purist Nation’s current politics, Earth was where it had all begun.

Not for just the species, like Quentin could give a crap about that.

Earth was the birthplace of football.

Quentin could barely contain his excitement. What would he see first? The legendary Kraft Cheese Stadium? The 200-year-old Ford Orbital Stadium, site of five Galaxy Bowls, site of all the Earth Football League Championships from 2482 until the end of the league in 2566? The Professional Football Hall Of Fame, in some place called Canton? Perhaps one of the many universities where they still played collegiate football, a historic if quaint anachronism. Some had even called college football “Tier Four” football, a place for people to play when they weren’t good enough to cut it on a Tier Three team. Rumor was the entire Krakens squad would be guests at one of the most historical games in the sport, eight hundred years of tradition marked by a game with a team called “Michigan” versus a team called “Ohio State.”

His excitement ran at such a high level he almost forgot to be afraid of punch-out. Almost. The Touchback shuddered as they slipped back into reality. Viewscreens changed from pitch-black to a stunning view of a cloud-speckled blue world.

Earth.

A dozen orbital stations, the biggest only a twentieth the size of The Ace or Emperor Two, floated in Earth’s near-space. Two of those stations had long, thin tubes running down towards the surface of Earth, stretching out so far that the silvery tendrils faded away into nothing. Quentin wondered if they were some kind of communications assembly.

It was the most highly populated Human planet at eighteen billion beings, although a good five billion of those were of the Whitok and Dolphin species that lived in the planet’s vast oceans. The Whitokians living there, of course, were the original catalyst that resulted in Mason Stewart and his followers leaving Earth on their long pilgrimage to the Promised Land. That anti-alien bias had permeated every aspect of Purist life. Quentin now knew this, and knew that he could never go back to living in such a place, not when he fought on the field with his alien teammates day-in and day-out. He had no place to call home. Maybe someday, after he retired, he’d come and live on Earth.

The Touchback veered towards one of the orbital stations with the long tendril. As it drew close, Quentin saw that the tendril was far from thin — it was a massively thick tube that stretched down and down and down. Like other orbital stations, this one had many long piers that jutted out from a central radius. Each pier reached out for miles, dotted with ships of all makes and colors. The Touchback gently approached a pier, and shuddered lightly as mechanical arms reached out to lash the bus to an anchoring port.