Cold, covered eyes...Visible, angry features...
Strong, gloved hands...Clenched, tightly grasping fingers...
Booted feet lightly pacing across the floor...
Haggard gasps for air...Quickened, echoing breathing...
A flash of green...A bright spark of red...
A ruffle of black...A blurred somersaulting form...
These were all typical components in a lightsaber duel between the two male Skywalkers, one who claimed his name without a second thought, and one who denounced his just as quickly.
Luke had been reluctant to battle at first, but after a little goading from Vader, he had attacked without warning.
Sweat beading on his forehead, the young man's sapphire eyes flashed, the green light from his waving lightsaber reflected in his eyes.
Even though Vader had expected Luke to put up quite a fight, he hadn't expected his son to give in to his anger as quickly as he had.
And indeed, the Dark Side flowed through the young male Skywalker easily and refreshingly, like a cool yet fiery liquid spreading throughout his body. Luke hadn't realized how much he'd been missing, having simply refused to turn without having any real knowledge of what it would be like if he did.
This new experience in willingly using the Dark Side offered a whole new realm of possibilities.
He'd thought lightsaber dueling was pretty easy before, and that had been while using the Light Side.
How wrong he had been before.
The ease with which he was able to twist and turn like an agile sabercat, the swiftness that he'd suddenly gained that allowed him to block blows in a fast manner like never before, and the great strength which now possessed were all born from the Dark Side. He'd been a mere novice in fencing before, but now, he was the master.
What he'd once thought of as the "evil" side of the Force was much easier to attain and use than the other side. His inward focus came to him quicker and was more pinpointed than the Light Side allowed.
Yet, even as he was marveling over the incredibly minute degree of difficulty in employing the Dark Side, he couldn't help but feel like he was letting his friends down by giving in so easily.
But they were no longer a part of his life.
If he ever met them again there would be trouble, he knew. He just hoped they would stay away and not try anything foolish.
Darth Vader surveyed his son through his dark mask as his saber sparked with the impact against Luke's weapon and hummed aggressively. He could sense most of the inner turmoil that was taking place, but he knew that Luke's care in his friends was his undoing and that the boy was already sucked into the mystical black hole that was the Dark Side of the Force...
There was no hope for Vader's redemption left in the boy, and Luke did not want the last female Skywalker to be ensnared as he was. Thus, the only option available to Luke was to let go of his last shreds of faith and put all he had into the Dark Side, though he wasn't quite giving his all...Yet.
Vader knew that Luke would always have at least a glimmer of hope within him. There was no way of changing it...But they could hide the glimmer beneath blankets of Dark teaching if they worked diligently and inconspicuously.
Luke had improved much since their saber duel in Bespin, and the Dark Side was merely amplifying his capabilities. Though Vader tried to keep him dodging and on the defensive, the boy was doing a good job of remaining on the offensive and keeping the Vader on his toes.
The power that emanated from his son almost overwhelmed Lord Vader, as well as the heat he could almost physically feel from the boy's anger and, though it felt strangely out of place, the slight chill of fear for his Rebel friends.
Vader lunged forward and tried to stab Luke in the shoulder, but his saber was hit to the side with so much force that the handle flew from his hands and the dead-man's switch kicked in, extinguishing the light blade. It was all the surprised Sith Lord could do to remain on his feet.
The not-quite-Jedi took the armored man's moment of being off-balance and lacking a lasersword to spring forward and point his green saber at the much taller Darth Vader.
Darth Vader's slightly-faster-than-normal breathing echoed throughout the room ominously, and he glanced down at the lethal weapon that was hovering under his chin. After a pause, Vader finally spoke, "Well done, Son. You have become incredibly skilled since our last meeting."
Breathing hard, Luke gave himself a moment to regain some of his wind, resisting the urge to raise the saber ever so slightly...
"You're...not so...bad...yourself," he panted. After Luke made the statement, he looked surprised at himself. He was complimenting Vader?
Nodding silently, Vader shifted his mask pointedly at the lightsaber. "Are you planning on using that? Or were you just getting comfortable?"
Luke just stood there, bewilderedly blinking at Vader's attempt at what seemed to be humor. He gave him a skeptical look and switched off his weapon, holding it out for his father to take.
Darth Vader hooked the lightsaber to his belt and rumbled, "That will be enough for today."