Hey all! Only a few more chapters until the end! But now it's just getting to the good part:-) As I said in the last chapter, the final chapters are shorter than most, but hopefully I'll update soon. If I don't finish this story by the end of the week there won't be any updates for about a month (for the reason why, go see Ch. 4 of my other story, Legacies Die Hard, it explains why there). So, I'm hoping I'll be done by that point. Just so you all know, I don't think I'm that good of an action-adventure writer, so I don't really think the final battle stuff with Vader, Luke, Laila, and Palpatine is all that good, so be warned. But it's still a good chapter! Some big stuff happens... so, tell me what you think by reading and reviewing:-)

And now for...

CHAPTER 14: THE BEANS HAVE BEEN SPILLED

"I don't think so." Luke growled from the shadows as he leapt forward and pushed Vader violently to the ground.

"Luke! No!" Laila screeched.

"Oh, shut up!" Laila looked up and saw Palpatine standing above her. In one swift movement he collided his fist to her head and knocked her out. Laila fell limp to the ground as Palpatine moved back to his plump chair to watch the show between father and son go on in front of him.

Luke and Vader rolled around on the ground, each trying to gain the upper hand.

"Fool! You'll never be strong enough to defeat me! You couldn't even save the one you love!" Luke paused momentarily to see Laila lying on the ground, not moving.

"Laila!" Vader sat up and Force-pushed Luke against the wall and then resumed his place beside Palpatine to wait.

Luke crumpled to the floor, clutching his side, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. He crawled over to Laila and placed a hand on her cheek, "Laila, Laila, Laila. Wake up. Please!"

"She's nearing death, my son." Vader spoke.

Luke looked up, his blue eyes black with hatred.

"The ways of the Dark Side could save her. Don't you want to save her?" Vader asked, holding out the bait before Luke.

Luke cast her eyes down to Laila, the back to Vader and walked over to them. He looked out the window to the ongoing battle, the Rebels losing miserably. Is this what his father had had to endure? He loved Laila with all his being, but could he really bring himself to let them all down? But, if he could kill their leader, Palpatine…he could save both his father and Laila.

Palpatine heard his thoughts and chuckled, "Excellent plan, young Skywalker. Take your weapon, I am defenseless."

Luke turned around and gazed longingly at his saber. No, he though forcefully, don't give in!


Laila woke up and felt her head pounding immensely. What had happened? She looked up and saw Luke pacing nervously in front of the window.

Her vision! Of course!

"Take your weapon and strike me down. Then your transformation to the Sith will be complete." She heard Palpatine say.

Laila looked back in her vision, next Luke would grab his saber…the Dark Side…no!

"Luke, don't!" she screamed at him.

Luke and Vader turned at her voice and Vader Force-pushed her down harshly. Well, that sent Luke off, he Force-grabbed his saber and it clashed against Vader's.

"Perfect." Palpatine said.

As Vader and Luke continued to fight, Laila struggled to get up again. She saw the climax of her vision playing out before her in real life. Luke's eyes shot daggers at Vader as he pounded him into the ground. In one rapid movement he sliced off his right hand.

Laila gasped as the wires from Vader's hand protruded from his fake wrist.

Luke sucked in his breath and stared at his own hand and then tossed his saber across the room. Laila heard it clang loudly on the metal floor.

"You have failed, Your Highness. I'll never turn to the Dark Side. I am a Jedi, like my father before me." He said proudly.

Laila could almost repeat the small speech in her sleep, seeing it replayed in her mind countless times. But she had missed one important detail, the way Luke had nodded his head in Vader's direction as he said the word 'father'.

Suddenly everything made sense to her. The mission, the strange resemblances she had vaguely seen, the way Vader had been shocked at the snippet, the way he always wanted to know what Luke had said, everything. Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father. That meant that Vader had once been a Jedi.

She struggled to her feet and glared at Vader, "You…you…" she sputtered, forgetting about everyone else in the room, "his father. Now it all makes sense. It was never for him," she gestured to Palpatine, "Never because he told you to, it was for you! You!"

Her eyes gleamed yellow and Luke took a step back, "And you were going to kill him!" she was screaming now, so loud the whole station must have heard, "How dare you!" she lunged at him with her saber but Luke had grabbed her quickly from behind.

"Laila! I know! I should have told you!" Luke tried to calm her, thinking she was talking to him.

Laila couldn't hear him though, the hatred rushing through her blocked out his voice, "You! His father! You were good! A Jedi!" she pushed against Luke in an attempt to charge at Vader.

"Laila! Calm down!" Luke hugged her close, pinning down her arms.

Palpatine smiled slyly and lithely stepped down from his perch to Luke and Laila.

"It seems all the secrets are coming out now." He said evilly.

"How could you, Vader! How-" Laila's eyes went wide as she heard what Palpatine had said, all the secrets.

Vader stood up with amazing strength and strode over by Palpatine, weakly, but with some dignity.

Laila gave final push against Luke and succeeded and lunged for Palpatine, wanting to close his ugly mouth forever, so Luke would never know the truth.

Palpatine grabbed her arm and twisted it around painfully. And for the second time in one day, a glowing red lightsaber was against Laila's neck.

"Ow!" Laila yelped, Luke reached for his saber but then remembered he had thrown it away. It wouldn't have done him any good, Vader had come up and seized both his arms so that he and Laila here staring at each other.

Palpatine grinned, "I think Laila has something to tell you, Luke."