A trapdoor in the floor opened and a young man emerged from it, his arrival accompanied by the faint hissing of the repulsor platform he stood on. Vader stood in the shadows. He had been waiting for the man. Padmé stood beside him. She knew what Vader was going to do, and she was begging her husband not to do it. "Ani, no, he's your son! You can't possibly think about turning him in to the Emperor!" The trapdoor closed audibly and the young man hesitated. Then he looked around carefully, his blaster at the ready. "The force is with you, young Skywalker.", Vader broke the silence as the room was suddenly illuminated in eerie orange light. "But you are not a Jedi yet!", Vader whispered. Luke climbed the steps to the platform Vader was standing on and ignited the blue blade of his lightsaber. Padmé wasn't sure if Vader had noticed, but Luke was wielding his father's old Jedi blade. Vader also activated his weapon, the blade glowing blood red. "No, Anakin, stop!" Padmé was on the brink of tears now. "You can't fight him! He's your son!" Vader didn't answer, but he couldn't help to think: 'He's my son, but I never got to know him, and he doesn't know me!'

It was Luke who attacked first, and father and son were soon engaged in a furious duel, but after the first few blows were exchanged, it came clear to Padmé that Vader was absolutely superior. He was just toying with Luke and parried the younger man's attacks with ease. "You have learned much, young one.", said Vader after Luke had ducked a blow that would have split him in half. "You'll find that I'm full of surprises!", Luke answered. "Oh Luke!", Padmé whispered. "Don't underestimate your father!" Vader threw her a glance. She didn't see his face due to the mask, but she knew him well enough to be sure he was annoyed. And not long after that, Luke was disarmed. Padmé had been right. But Luke showed skill in avoiding Vader's blows. "Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker. Obi-Wan knew this to be true." "No, he didn't! Stop lying, Anakin!" "No!" Luke took a step back. And fell – fell into the freezing chamber. "All too easy.", Vader stated as he used the Force to pull the right lever on the control board. While he was looking in the wrong direction, Luke jumped out of the chamber and clung to a cable that was hanging from the ceiling. "Perhaps you're not as strong as the Emperor thought.", Vader said, watching the steam, still believing his son was currently frozen into carbonite.

But then he noticed Luke dangling from the ceiling, raised his blade and said: "Impressive. Most impressive." He cut one of the tubes and steam came from the severed ends. Luke took his chance, jumped to the floor, directed the steam to his father to distract him and reached out for his lightsaber using the Force. In one swift movement, he caught it, activated it and met Vader's blade. "Obi-Wan has taught you well. You have control of your fear. Now, release your anger! Only your hatred can destroy me!" "Anakin, stop! You owe me one, remember? When I came back, we had a bet, remember? I won. You owe me one! And I ask of you to spare our son!" Vader didn't give any sign that he had heard her over the clashing of the lightsabers, but he began to retreat and fell over the edge of the platform. Padmé followed her husband suit. "Ani, think about it. This is madness! And what about this rule of two? If the Emperor starts to train Luke, what will happen to you?" "Mé, you don't understand! I must follow my master's orders. No matter what." And then he continued to ignore her and went looking for his son again, even though she was tugging on his sleeve furiously, trying to get him off track. No need to mention it was no use.

They met again in a room with a magnificent circular window, and Padmé couldn't help but wonder why such a window was built here, in the working levels. Again, both combatants had their blades activated and raised. But Vader didn't even try to attack, but instead he reached out with the force and ripped pipes off the wall to throw at his son. Luke sliced the pipes in half and engaged his father into a duel again. And even while in battle, Vader continued to throw objects at Luke. "Ani, stop! You're hurting him!" Luke was caught off balance. He failed miserably at trying to defend himself. One of the objects hurled past Luke and shattered the beautiful window. The air rushed out of the room, pulling poor Luke outside. Padmé knew perfectly well that Vader wouldn't let Luke escape.

And she was right. When Vader found his son for the third time, he attacked furiously, Luke only narrowly avoided a near-fatal blow. This time, he wasn't holding back, and his quick and heavy blows forced Luke to retreat, out of the room and onto a narrow runway. They quickly made their way to the end of the runway. "You are beaten! It is useless to resist!", Vader said as Luke fell to the floor at the bottom of a few stairs leading to a small platform. "Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did!", Vader threatened Luke with both his words and his blade. But Luke knocked the blade away, rolled around and swiftly got back to his feet again. He managed to his Vader's arm just below the shoulder, but that didn't have much effect on the Sith and Luke had to retreat onto a huge pipe sticking out from the platform. But then Vader seemed to be tired of the duel and ended the duel quickly by disarming Luke.

Literally. Luke's hand and the lightsaber fell into the the chute and Padmé and Luke cried out simultaneously, Luke in pain and his mother in shock. "Ani, I still ask of you to spare him!" But Vader ignored his wife. "There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you." Luke began to crawl as far away from the Sith as he could. "Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this disruptive conflict and bring order to the galaxy." "Don't listen to him, Luke!", Padmé cried. "I'll never join you!", Luke shouted. He made his mother proud, without even knowing she was there. "If you only knew the power of the Dark Side...", Vader tried to persuade his son. "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father." Padmé froze. He wouldn't. Would he? Hopefully not, Luke had enough to deal with! He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"

"No. I am your father." "Ani, why?" Padmé broke down sobbing while Luke shook his head disbelievingly. "No. No. It's not true! That's impossible!" "Search your feelings, you know it to be true." "NO! NO!", pure agony was evident in Luke's voice. Luke, you can destroy the Emperor! He has foreseen it! It is your destiny. Join me, and together, we can rule the galaxy as father and son!" Luke looked down into the gaping abyss underneath him. "Come with me. It is the only way." And Luke loosened his grip and fell. Away from his father. Vader dropped his hand. He had failed.