Fed2 Star - the newsletter for the space trading game Federation 2

The weekly newsletter for Fed2
by ibgames

EARTHDATE: July 13, 2014

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DROIDBALL CUP FINAL TONIGHT

by Hazed

The major sporting event in which droids kick uranium spheres around in an attempt to score goals comes to a close tonight with the final of the Droidball Galactic Cup. Every four years the planets of the Solar System compete against each other in this prestigious tournament.

This year the host planet, Titan, which was favourite to win the tournament, was knocked out in the semi-final stages by Mercury, much to the anguish of the home crowds. They watched in horror as their side let in 13 goals, and only managed to score 1.

The Mercurian fans, who have travelled across the Solar System to attend the droidball cup, are jubilant about their team’s success so far. They are determined that this time they can bring the cup home.

They are up against Castillo, who have won seven times before; they beat Mars on penalties in the semis. Teams from the small moons always do well because they are generally mining sites, so the teams are made up of heavy duty droids adept at playing a rough game and steam-rollering over the opposition. That’s what make’s Titan’s defeat all the more shocking.

This droidball cup has seen scandals both on and off the pitch. One player from Sumatra has been given a four month suspension for biting off the head of an opposing player and using it as the ball.

The entire team from Doris is under suspicion of match-fixing, after an unknown better won a fortune by wagering that the team from the tiny asteroid would not only lose their match against Rhea, but that all the players would end up with broken legs.

Even before the matches began there was scandal about the way the Titan authorities destroyed a slum opposite one of the newly built stadia, which was considered unsightly. The people were shipped out at gunpoint and their makeshift buildings, along with whatever possessions they were not able to carry, blown up leaving a rubble-filled crater which was then converted into an attractive rock garden. There are plans to develop the site as luxury housing once the droidball cup is over. Displaced shanty-town dwellers have been staging protests outside the match venues, but security droids have been ruthless in suppressing the unrest.

Security in the stadium where the final is being held has also been increased, with all spectators being strip-searched before being allowed to take their seats. This is not just for fear of the slum protestors, but it follows rumours that a group of supporters planned to smuggle in a high frequency beamer to disrupt the electronics of the droids playing against their side. This is after a device intended to allow an onlooker to take control of the referee droid was found at one of the earlier matches.

Here on Earth, what concerns us is just how come the home planet of the system always gets knocked out in the early stages of the tournament, even though we invented the game. It’s very disheartening to see our droids score no goals at all and then get sent home having put up such a poor show.

Despite that we wish both finalists good luck and hope for an exciting match.

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