Beyond - Legends Second to None (AU L/M, L/H & OC) 03/08/2012 Replies and artwork

Go Nibbles!

 

I am very glad that no ysalamiri were harmed in the making of this fic.

Yay Nibbles!! Now he'll live a ysalamiri life of luxury, assuming he, Mark and the woman got away... I'm so glad the Falcon got away, at least... Can't wait to see what's next!!

 

I want to thank ginchy for being my beta! And thanks everybody for reading. We are getting close to the end. I think only two more updates.


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Mark put his helmet back on. ?Just walk in front of me and we?ll try to make it look like I?m escorting you somewhere. We need to get to the stairwell and then down to the hanger bay.?

The woman nodded and moved to the staircase at the end of the hall and then downstairs. They made it to the flight hanger just in time to see the Falcon fly off.

?Stang!? Mark swore. ?There goes my ride.? He turned to the woman and started to pull her down the stairway. ?I guess we need to get to the ground floor.?

?That?s two hundred floors!?

?You have any better ideas?? Mark shot back.

?Take the lift.? She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the elevator doors.

?Don?t they shut down during a fire drill??

?The pedestrian lifts do. This is the service lift. You have to have a code to use these. They remain operational in case hazardous materials need to be moved out of the building during a fire. But it?s also used to transport foodstuffs and supplies to the kitchens.? She pushed in a code and the doors opened.

They both ducked into the lift and pushed the button for the bottom floor. As the lift moved down the tall building a bland musical tune could be heard over the speakers and the floor numbers changed at an excruciatingly slow rate.

Mark looked at the slender brunette next to him. ?What?s your name??

?Kira Starkos,? she replied. ?And you said your name is Mark??

He nodded. ?Mark Tantiss.?

?How long have you been part of the rebellion, Mark Tantiss??

Mark thought about it doing a quick mental calculation. ?Officially, less than a week, I guess. I came to help Luke Skywalker and Han Solo on this mission.?

Kira?s eyebrows rose. ?I?m impressed. I always wanted to meet Luke Skywalker.?

Mark frowned under his mask. Why do all the gals want to be with Luke? ?Sure I?ll introduce you to him along with his girlfriend Mara Jade?she used to be the Emperor?s assassin.?

Kira?s eyes went wide and Mark smiled. That should keep her from flirting with Skywalker.

When they got to the fifteenth floor a large explosion rocked the building and the lift plummeted down a dozen floors until the emergency brakes kicked in.

?That must have been the cloning chamber blowing up,? Mark muttered as he wedged his fingers between the two doors and pulled. Slowly the interior doors opened. The exterior doors were about three feet up from the floor. Mark once again pried the doors open and then picked up the woman and pushed her through the gap. He followed behind.

There were panicking people streaming down the stairs. Mark, dressed as a short Imperial Sentinel, and the former Imperial chef followed the group down the stairs.

?Kira, is there anybody in this building you?re friends with??

She shook her head. ?I was kidnapped and brought here. This whole building can burn down for all I care.?

Mark smiled. ?Good.? When they got to the second floor he pulled her out of the stairwell. The floor was empty. The occupants were probably the first to leave the building. Mark moved along the exterior walls, pulling a thermal detonator out of his shoulder pack, setting the timer and tossing it into an office. ?This is just in case the earlier explosion didn?t kill all the clones.?

?Why do you want to kill the Sentinel clones? I would think you would be here to kill the Emperor.?

?I already killed the Emperor and I am trying to kill the clones of the Emperor,? Mark explained.

Kira looked at Mark in awe. ?You killed the Emperor?!?

?Me and the strike team,? Mark explained, embarrassed for taking credit for a group effort. He finished placing his last detonator and turned to Kira. ?Come on, let?s go. We have ten minutes to grab some distance from this place.?

He grasped her hand and started to pull her to the exit, but she stopped him. ?Imperial Sentinels are never seen outside the Citadel. I think it is time to lose your disguise.?

?Oh ye

 

Great chapter! Hehehe! Mark has a girlfriend and fortunately for his appetite: she can cook!

 

Mara shook her head. ?No. I did a check on the HoloNet and a chef with her name was reported missing from Coruscant months ago and was presumed dead. It just find it a little too convenient that my food-loving pseudo-brother rescues a beautiful woman his age who happens to be a top chef?I mean what are the chances of that happening??

Luke smirked. ?Probably the same as a farm boy from Tatooine getting pulled into a galactic war, breaking a princess out of the Death Star and later finding out she is his long lost twin sister?oh and the evil Sith Lord chasing after them turns out to be their father.?

Mara rolled her eyes. ?I forgot. He?s a Skywalker.?

Both sweet and hilarious! Mark and Kira! I love it already!

 

Hehehe! Mark is going to be putting on a few pounds.

 

Kira looked at Mark in awe. ?You killed the Emperor?!?

?Me and the strike team,? Mark explained, embarrassed for taking credit for a group effort. He finished placing his last detonator and turned to Kira. ?Come on, let?s go. We have ten minutes to grab some distance from this place.?

Aww, Mark's got some of that Farmboyness in him after all!

?Luke how many times have we been chased by Star Destroyers, attack droids, speederbikes and airspeeders where we barely get out alive and all the time you could have disabled their drive systems with the Force!? Han exclaimed incredulously. ?Is there anything else you can do that you haven?t told us about??

?He can give you explosive diarrhea,? Ghent pointed out.



Oooh, poor Mark. But he can't have Nibbles around forever. It's funny to see a Force-sensitive with an ysalamir for a pet!

Mara shook her head. ?No. I did a check on the HoloNet and a chef with her name was reported missing from Coruscant months ago and was presumed dead. It just find it a little too convenient that my food-loving pseudo-brother rescues a beautiful woman his age who happens to be a top chef?I mean what are the chances of that happening??

Luke smirked. ?Probably the same as a farm boy from Tatooine getting pulled into a galactic war, breaking a princess out of the Death Star and later finding out she is his long lost twin sister?oh and the evil Sith Lord chasing after them turns out to be their father.?

Mara rolled her eyes. ?I forgot. He?s a Skywalker."

That reminds me of that episode of Friends where they did "what-ifs" - and the "what if Joey had hooked up with Monica ended up with Joey being incredibly fat.

 

Mark's conversation with Mara was so sad. I'd be afraid, too, and don't blame him one bit for wanting to keep Nibbles around.

And I think he and Kira will make a great match. The way to his heart is definitely through his stomach!!

 

So funny. Really love it!

"I forgot, he's a Skywalker"

 

Thanks everybody. I thought a chef would be a good match for Mark. In his journal we will get more into his relationship with Kira. I am hoping to get this story done before the boards go down for the switch.

~JL~

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?Okay everybody, buckle in. We?re are going to make a run past the shields!? Han called out on the intercom system.

Luke took the seat behind the pilot?s chair and the remainder found seats in the lounge area and buckled in. Mark was sitting next to Kira with his ysalamiri in a cage on his lap.

Mara smirked. ?It?s good to see you aren?t carrying your pet inside your flightsuit anymore.?

Mark turned red. ?Well, I found out that ysalamiri eventually have to relieve themselves.?

Mara chuckled in amusement.

Ghent smiled. ?I love being back in the field again. This is much more fun than breaking boring cryptic codes.?

Karrde smirked. ?I?m sure in a few days you will look forward to the quiet life of a cryptologist.? He turned to Kira. ?Where did you work before the Emperor gave you a job offer you couldn?t refuse??

The comely young lady smiled. ?I worked as second chef under Master-chef Tavvar Va?ran at Manarai.?

Karrde gave a low whistle. ?The Manarai in Monument Plaza? That is a very upscale establishment. You have to make reservations months in advance.?

A sad look crossed her face. ?Mark told me about the renewed fighting on Coruscant. I hope the restaurant is still there.? She turned toward Mark. ?If I ever get back to my employer I guarantee you will always have a table.?

?Just don?t guarantee Mark free food or the restaurant will go bankrupt within a year,? Mara joked.

"So, are you married?? Mark asked hoping she wasn?t. In the last few months he had only seen three women among the rebels: Mara, Leia and Mon Mothma. He glanced over to Mara and saw her smirk at his obvious interest in the young lady.

?No, I?ve been too busy attending culinary schools and with my restaurant apprenticeship to meet anybody.? She gave him a coy smile. ?How about you??

A broad smile crossed Mark?s face. ?No, I?ve been really busy also, you know, killing Sith Lords, saving chefs in distress?my calendar has been pretty much full.?

Mark heard a soft snort from Mara as she tried not to laugh. Mark shot her an irritated look. He couldn?t believe she found his attempt at seduction amusing. After all, he practically had to draw a map for her and Luke to find romance. He was surprised he didn?t have to provide them schematics?insert tab A into slot B. But he probably deserved any ribbing he was about to receive; he was such a pain to Mara over the last couple months.

He turned back to Kira. ?So, when we get back to Pinnacle Base would teach me how to cook some dishes??

Her dark brown eyes lingered on his face. ?Definitely.?
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The Falcon jerked as Han disconnected from the Starlight Intruder and headed toward the opening appearing in the planetary shield to allow a BFF-1 bulk freighter to pass into Byss?s atmosphere.

Han turned to his co-pilot. ?We need to time this just right so they can?t close the shields without disabling the freighter, Chewie.?

The hairy Wookiee bellowed a response sounding annoyed.

?Okay, don?t get bent out of shape. I know you?ve done this before.?

The Falcon didn?t fly directly towards the shield opening. They made a circuitous path up and into the atmosphere so it appeared that it was on a flight path that just happened to intersect the area where the bulk freighter was moving. They did not deviate from that path until the nose of the bulk freighter move into the planet?s atmosphere. At that moment Han pulled the Falcon hard to starboard and kicked on the sublight engines full speed. They stayed close to the inbound ship so that it would be impossible to shoot at the Falcon without hitting the cargo ship. After a few tense minutes they were out of the atmosphere of Byss and back to real space.

Han let out a relieved breath. ?Wild Karrde, this is the Falcon. We?re out.?

Lei

 

I love Marks attempts at romance. I would so go for them.

Awesome end fight!

 

Yay for Mark and Kira

Lol on the insert tab A into slot B


Oops is right on the planet. Need to fine tune the skills a bit there

 

Leave it up to our heroes to 'accidentally' blow a planet up.

Mark looked at Luke like he went crazy. ?Of course there is a try. Either I do it, don?t do it, or I try to do it and fail."

Love it.

 

Yeah. Only our motley crew could "accidentally" blow up a planet.

Mark and Kira are so cute! I can't get enough of them!

?Now that we?re back into the flow of the Force, do you have any diabolical urges I should know about? Any Sith-like thoughts? A carving for galactic domination??

?I have cravings, but it?s not for galactic domination?I?m hungry.?

?You?re always hungry.?

LOL!

 

I think it's gonna be payback time for Mara when it comes to Mark and Kira.

 

"We may have accidentally blown up the planet."

What a line! Such awesomeness. Yay, Mr. MegaMetabolism gets a chef girlfriend! And they all live happily ever after.

Or do they?

 

I love Mark and Kira. I think Mara's going to have suuuuuch fun razzing them!!

And I love the ending there, girl. I can just see Han going, "Oops..."

 

Han was like a kid telling his mum he's sorry he smashed the whole kitchen... Adorable! I like the idea of "the Imperal Chef" (insert omnious music) - hope she and Mark will get along. Do I sense some bootknocking in the near future?

 

Oh my! You really did run away with this story didn't you! It's awesome! Your writing literally made me laugh out loud, you always know where to hit the head on the nail. Love it!

 

REDGOLD: Oh my! You really did run away with this story didn't you! It's awesome! Your writing literally made me laugh out loud, you always know where to hit the head on the nail. Love it!

Thanks! I am happy you liked what I did with your character Mark and I am especially glad you let me complete the story you started so many years ago. I am pretty sure you were intending on an angst filled story, but I just couldn?t do that to Mark. I wanted him to be happy also. There has just been too much angst in the EU that I wanted a more uplifting story.

MONDRA: Han was like a kid telling his mum he's sorry he smashed the whole kitchen... Adorable! I like the idea of "the Imperal Chef" (insert omnious music) - hope she and Mark will get along. Do I sense some bootknocking in the near future?

You will probably see the bootknocking in Mark?s journal?although you won?t get a lot of details?Mark is not the type of guy that kisses and tells?much. I think Kira will be very grateful for Mark saving her?of course, I am not sure Mark will tell her Karrde was the one who stole her passkey and Mark was the one who stole Palpatine?s holocron (What she was accused of doing). If they didn?t get her in trouble she would have been dead when Byss blew up?so I don?t think she would have cared anyway.

GINCHY: I love Mark and Kira. I think Mara's going to have suuuuuch fun razzing them!!
And I love the ending there, girl. I can just see Han going, "Oops..."

Thanks. I think Mara will show Mark some mercy?not much?but some. He would deserve it if she did raze him. The destruction of Byss happened in DE II I believe, so I wanted it to occur again, but I didn?t want it to be an intentional decision of the strike team. It just seems too cruel to do on purpose.

CURTISZIDANEZIRRA: "We may have accidentally blown up the planet."
What a line! Such awesomeness. Yay, Mr. MegaMetabolism gets a chef girlfriend! And they all live happily ever after.
Or do they?

I think there may be some angst, but overall I think they will be okay.

JEDIMARA77: I think it's gonna be payback time for Mara when it comes to Mark and Kira.

Hey he brought it on himself.

BOOK-GEEK: Yeah. Only our motley crew could "accidentally" blow up a planet.
Mark and Kira are so cute! I can't get enough of them!

Thanks. You will see more of the two in Mark?s journal. I picture Kira as being tall and pretty with dark hair and eyes?maybe like a girl-next-door version of Penelope Cruz.

BRIANNAKIN: Leave it up to our heroes to 'accidentally' blow a planet up.

I know, the Rebels probably should have sent the Marx brothers instead.

JADE_EYES: Yay for Mark and Kira. Lol on the insert tab A into slot B

I think Mark is exaggerating a bit. Luke and Mara seemed to know what to do just fine?once they started. It is just getting those two together takes a while.

HAZEL: I love Marks attempts at romance. I would so go for them.

I would also. He is a sweet guy?just like the original.

I found a photo of Mark Hamill in a beard and I painted the hair red. I think he is in his 40s in the photo...so that may be how Mark Tantiss would look...maybe bigger.
[image=http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f203/jedijade88/marktantiss1.jpg]

 

There is an epilogue after this, but I am also doing the Diary Challenge entitled The Journal of Mark Tantiss.

I originally had a part in this update where I explained what happened to the Emperor, but my beta suggested that I do it as a PG-rated Bonus Chapter, but since I cannot figure out Live Journal...I guess you won't see it. I am too irritated to figure out anything else on the computer tonight. I have been trying to install Mods and textures to Minecraft for hours for my boys. If anybody can tell me how to do this so I don't have to hear their whining anymore I would greatly appreciate it. Minecraft is totally killing my muse!!!!!

~JL~

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~Pinnacle Base~


Mara lay in Luke?s arms blissfully tired from a night of lovemaking. ?I still can?t believe it?s over. The Emperor is no more, Byss and all of the Emperor?s clones are gone, and the Imperials are once again on the run.?

Luke carefully pulled back her red hair so he could kiss down her neck. ?It?s just a normal day for a Jedi,? Luke joked. ?Have you thought about possibly of training with me?not as a student, but both of us helping each other??

?Are you serious about reestablishing the Jedi Order??

?I am, but I?m not going to pressure you.? He kissed her earlobe. ?But if you want to practice making some little Jedi I wouldn?t turn you down.?

?You wish.?

?I do,? Luke said a little too seriously. ?Have you thought about the question I asked on Khomm??

?I have,? she said hesitantly.

?And??

"It depends...am I going to marry the eager farmboy or the boring Jedi Master??

He kissed her and then smiled. ?I was hoping you would marry both of us since I am very eager for some more Force-enhanced sex.?

Mara laughed. ?We don?t have to wait until we?re married to do that.?

?You?re teasing me, Jade.? He rolled away from her and lay on his back facing the ceiling. He then crossed his arms across his chest and gave her a stubborn glare. ?I?m not going practice that particular Force technique with you until you give me an answer.?

Mara scoffed. ?Oh please. I can hold out longer than you.?

He turned to her giving her a smug smile. He teased a finger up and down her leg. ?Really? Do you remember that little trick I did at the hotel??

Mara shivered at his touch. ?You mean the levitation??

He leaned over and kissed her navel. ?Yes.?

?That?s not fair, Skywalker,? Mara moaned. ?Okay, I?ll marry you, but you have to promise we?ll do that again.?

?I?ll get started right away,? Luke murmured as he covered her body with his. ?It?s going to be a long night.?

?Oh, I hope so,? Mara whispered.
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Mara woke up very early in the morning. She wasn?t sure what roused her out of a deep slumber, but now she couldn?t get back to sleep. She quietly slipped out of bed so not to disturb Luke and got dressed. She thought she would go down to the kitchen for a snack. She slipped out of her room and roamed down the deserted corridors. As she approached the barracks dayroom she heard groaning. She stopped to listen and heard Mark?s familiar voice.

?Oh Kira?? Mara heard his soft plea. ?So good, this is so good.? There was a joyful moan, deep and full of pleasure. ?This is absolutely incredible.? Mara flushed with embarrassment. She struggled as to whether she should leave or send her friend a little Force admonition about carrying out such activities in a common meeting place. She was just about to meddle in his affairs when Mark said, ?Can I get the recipe for this??

There was a woman?s giggle, ?You can have more than that big boy.?

?Oh yeah, what else do you have for me??

?For you, a whole cookbook.?

Mara rolled her eyes; she should have figured his stomach came before romance. She decided not to risk interrupting Mark?s fun and instead turned around and went back to her room.
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?Is she gone?? Kira asked Mark as she nibbled at his neck.

He gently reached out with the Force and felt Mara going back to her sleeping chamber. ?Yeah, she?s gone.? He grinned. ?Shall we continue??

?I would love to,?

 

I meant that you should post it as a bonus chapter here. Like after the epilogue... a second epi, maybe.

ETA: I'm sad this story is winding down! I like the family feel of it, with Mara and Mark. And L/M getting together so early! At least we'll have Mark's diary...

ETA2: I can't believe I forgot! I love Luke saying they'll have to skinny dip now. I'm thinking this calls for an extra scene, gal...

 

Ha! Mark and Kira are mean, fooling Mara like that. But pretty funny, too.

It's almost over! This was a great fic.

 

Oh, squee! Your endings always make me fuzzy warm and melty gooey.



Your L/M is the perfect blend of teasing and nonstop loverliness.

They sure inspire that and deserve it.



Hahaha! The Mark/Kira bit -- Mark's a trip. He's as clever as a Correllian and that's a fact.

 

This based on a true story. About 10 years ago I was awakened in the middle of the night by my husband moaning. He was saying "Oh wow, wow, this is awesome." He went on like that for about 30 seconds and I was trying to figure out whether to deck him or smother him with a pillow when he said, "I would really like the recipe for this."

He talks in his sleep all the time...most of the time it is night terrors, but that dream totally freaked me out. He was damn lucky he was dreaming about food!