DISCLAIMER: I don't own the authorship of Star Wars.

Chapter 14-This is it! This is really is it!

(Act One of "Juris & Arlette")

Act One is all about the characters of Juris and Arlette meeting each other at a party in the grand palace of the king. Both belonged to prominent families who were at war with each other since time immemorial.

In the party scene, Leia and Bearwin were dancing with each other, and Bearwin was lost in the moment. Then he remembered to speak his lines. "What is your name, my fair lady?" He asked softly as he looked straight into his partner's eyes.

Leia as Arlette giggled. "Why would you want to know?" she asked coyly.

Bearwin as Juris lifted up her chin. "You're the loveliest lady I met here at the ball. Your name I would like to know." He meant it.

"My name is Arlette," she replied with a smile. "And you, my gallant gentleman?"

"Juris," he said. They danced a little more and he started to hold her more closely. He was about to kiss her (it's part of the scene!). As he tilted his head to do so, she declined, and looked away.

"Can't I steal one kiss from you, beautiful one?" Juris asked. But before Arlette could reply, a page approached them and said, "Milady, your mother is searching for you," and left as soon as he arrived.

"Goodbye Juris. See you soon," and turned away. "I must leave."

"Wait! Don't leave! What house do you belong?" Juris asked. But Arlette only looked wistfully at him and walked off.

(End of Scene 1)

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(Scene 2)

"Oh mother, the most gallant gentleman, I met at the ball tonight!" Arlette gushed to her mother while they were at the sitting room of their home.

"My daughter, you seemed so in love tonight!" Rhea as Arlette's mother exclaimed gleefully. She stood up and went up to her, holding her hands.

"Yes! I think it must be love!" Arlette replied. "He's the most gorgeous man I ever met in my life!"

"What is his name, tell me?" Her mother asked eagerly.

"His name, the most unforgettable name to me. Juris." Arlette replied with a smile.

A look of dread swept across her mother's face. "Juris?" she asked, confused.

"Yes. And to you I will introduce him soon," she replied excitedly.

"Juris..." her mother mumbled as she walked towards the window. "Juris..." Could he be Juris Igranov? The Igranov clan, whom the Vera clan has fought with for ages?

"Yes mother? Why the look of foreboding on your face?" Arlette asked, as she noticed the look on her mother's face.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, my child," Lady Vera replied. She didn't want her to know that the man she was in love with was part of the insidious Igranov clan, who tried to steal their place in the king's palace for hundreds of years.

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Act One went on smoothly, until in Act Two, Scene One, the balcony scene. Leia (Arlette) was supposed to stand on the balcony, and Bearwin (Juris) will take her away. At this point, their families already knew of their relationship, and a war between them is about to happen.

"Juris!" Arlette exclaimed as she went forward to the edge of the balcony. "Beloved, they locked me! Come and take me away!"

Leia as Arlette walked closer, and she felt a tiny cracking sound beneath her feet. She felt nervous. Will this makeshift balcony dismantle? It has been used for a long time for school plays and hasn't been repaired yet.

"Wait and falter not my love! I'll go down here for you!"

"Be quick, for soon they will catch us!"

Arlette grabbed a twisted pile of white blankets and propped it downwards. She was about to hop out the balcony when the unexpected happen. As soon as Leia climbed on the railing, it gave in. A large crack was heard in the entire auditorium, and the audience who watched was in shock, surprised. Shrieking sounds were to be heard.

Craaackkk!

Smoke filled the stage, and the first thing Bearwin said was, "Leia! Are you alright?" He approached the mess the fallen makeshift balcony had caused.

Ms. Zena approached the two. "How's Leia?" she asked. But Bearwin told her to back off. "Let me take care of this," he whispered. "Arlette, my lady love! Your balcony gave off for you! Thank the Force!" he ad-libbed. The audience laughed.

Leia-slash-Arlette finally sat up. "I'm okay," she suddenly said. "Take me away now, my love! They're here!" She pointed to the couple of boys dressed up as knights, who rode with the ad-libbed lines of Bearwin.

"Arlette has escaped! Take her!" One of the knights exclaimed.

Juris carried her off in his arms. "You won't take her away from me!" He said as he ran off with her, and went down the stage. A wild chase followed, but the boys weren't able to catch up with them. Then a fight scene, but the couple was able to get away.

Later on, Juris found out that Arlette was inflicted with a deadly disease, and soon, she died in his arms.

"I'll prepare you a stairway to heaven... I love you..." were the last words of Arlette to Juris before she gave her last breath. The audience was enthralled with the scene. Bearwin gave his very best shot and buried his head on Leia, who "died" in his arms, crying.

The last scene that followed was Juris about to jump off a bridge, for he couldn't take the loss of Arlette.

"Arlette, my love, you told me not to be sad," Bearwin muttered his last lines. "But this I cannot take... losing you. I'll go after you!" He exclaimed, then "jumped off the bridge", which was actually, he jumped off the edge of the stage while two people holding a large blue cloth caught him.

The auditorium darkened. Then the spotlight fell on the narrator.

Two star-crossed lovers who died because of love. And because of love, their families grieved over their loss, and it was love that ended the bitter conflict between the Igranov and Vera clan. Hence the tragic end of Juris and Arlette.

The auditorium filled with light, and the stage curtains opened. The cast gave their final bow, and the audience gave them applause, even a standing ovation. When Bearwin and Leia gave their bow, the audience clapped even harder amidst cheerful hooting.

"Wonderful! T'was wonderful! You all did a good job!" Ms. Zena praised them as the cast gathered at the backstage.

"Yeah!" They said in unison.

"Thanks ma'am!" Rhea and the boys who played the knights said.

"Are you okay, Leia?" Ms. Zena asked, referring to the fall she had earlier.

"I'm fine, really," she replied. "They all thought it was part of the play," she joked, and they all laughed.

"You ad-libbed well, Bearwin," Rhea complimented her.

"Thanks," he said gratefully.

"Don't forget the gala presentation for tonight, students," Ms. Zena reminded them. "Some prominent people from the government will be watching."

"Who would that be?" a boy dressed as a knight asked.

"I think, the Emperor, and one of the Lords," Ms. Zena replied.

Leia gulped. Does that mean... Darth Vader will be here? She thought dreadfully. She was afraid to be recognized by him, and she didn't know why.

"So, rest well for tonight. You can go now," Ms. Zena told them. The cast stood up and went to different directions.

Outside, Siobe and their other friends met Leia. When they met, they gushed at each other and gave a group-hug. "Lelila! That was awesome!" Winter exclaimed excitedly.

"You did well!" Rhye said.

"Congrats! You and Bearwin were great!" Roxie piped in.

"Thanks a lot," Leia said, smiling. They climbed up the stairs leading to the rooftop, and there, they talked.

"To tell you the truth, I was shocked when the makeshift balcony gave in," Leia told them as she narrated her fall on stage. "But I'm glad I wasn't hurt, except for this scratch on my ankle," she added, as she lifted the hem of her gown and showed them a tiny scratch on her ankle.

"No broken bones, thankfully!" Xandy said.

"So, will you perform for tonight?" Siobe asked.

"Yes. Don't forget my make-up," Leia reminded her.

"Of course I won't!" Siobe exclaimed.

"Will your dad be watching?" Xandy asked.

"Yes," Leia replied. In fact, he invited some of his friends from the Senate to watch me. How embarrassing," she joked.

"That will be okay," Rhye said soothingly.

"But what's not okay is that..." she trailed off, "The Emperor and one of the Sith Lords will be watching," she whispered.

A hushed silence fell among the girls. Then Roxie spoke up. "You're afraid to be recognized by Darth V.?" she asked curiously.

"Kind of," Leia replied. She forced a smile and said, "Let's go down to the canteen and eat something." She didn't want to think about it anymore.

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That night, the audience for "Juris & Arlette" were some senators, including Bail Organa, who was eager to watch his daughter, and people from showbiz and other invited guests. True enough, the Emperor arrived, by invitation of the school, and with him is a man dressed entirely in a black cloak, whose face was covered.

Leia peeked from behind the stage and felt nervous as she saw the Emperor and the man who was with him arrive and sat in front. Her hands felt clammy. Who was that? She thought nervously.

"Cast, time to assemble," Ms. Zena called from behind. The play started, and as always, the cast gave their best performance, especially Leia and Bearwin. Throughout the entire performance, Leia felt queasy at the thought that the Emperor and whoever Sith Lord it was had their eyes on her.

After they gave their final bow at the end of the play, they gathered backstage, and were joyful that at last, the play was over.

"You did well, Leia," Bearwin complimented her.

"I enjoyed being with you," she said, smiling at him. Bearwin pulled her to one secluded side of the stage and said; "Here's something for you." He pulled something out of his back pocket and handed her a long-stemmed bright red Alderaanian Rose.

Leia blushed. "Thanks. I'm flattered with your gesture of affection," she said, as she sniffed the fragrant scent of the rose.

"No. It's not from me," Bearwin said frowningly.

"Stop joking. What do you mean?" Leia asked him, while she twirled the rose in her hands.

"Actually, a guy dressed in a dark robe pulled me from backstage and asked me to give the rose to you," he explained. "Man, he was scary! He has a large, booming voice. I couldn't decline the offer. He might Force-choke me. You know, I think I kinda knew who that Sith Lord is..."

In a flash, Leia ran off to the exit of the backstage. "Where are you going, Leia?" Bearwin called out behind her. But she didn't answer him.

Along the school corridors, Leia went past the people talking to find the person who gave her the rose. But she couldn't catch the sight of the mysterious looking man dressed in black. She thought of going to the school field, and went there. She went to the open-aired amphitheater, and she found no one.

Leia sat on the steps of the amphitheater seats and felt very exhausted. She looked at the rose she still held, and wondered, why would that Sith Lord be giving me this? She thought confusingly.

Just then, she felt the presence of someone else in the area, and heard a muffled breathing. She turned around, and saw a man dressed entirely in black seated atop the bleachers. She gasped.

"Don't be afraid," the man said in his booming voice.

"Who are you?" Leia asked frightfully. She tried to conceal her fright by saying, "You gave me this rose?"

"I did," the man said. He inched nearer to her and stroked her cheek gently with his mechanical hand. "You're very beautiful, and I loved your performance," he commented.

Leia was astonished at what the man said. Even though she couldn't see past his concealed face, she felt she knew who he was. "T... Thanks... thank you," she stammered.

"You look like her," the man said.

"Who?"

He stopped. "Never mind," he said, and stood up to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Leia asked as she stood up to follow the mysterious man. But he turned around and said nothing more.

He couldn't take anymore looking at her. He clutched his head, which was hidden beneath his helmet. It ached so badly every time he would remember her. And with the young girl of almost fifteen at his sight, she surely reminded her of the one he used to love.

Padme, I'm sorry. He thought as he walked underneath the sky strewn with stars.

That night, Leia thought about the man before she went to sleep. Was it really him I saw? She asked herself.

It was then she realized that she met the dreaded Darth Vader for the first time.

RR Please! Thank you!