Technically they were well matched, though Vader was beginning to realize just how much faster Luke was than he, how much more agile, both in body and approach. Classically trained, with years of ingrained practice, Vader fought according to pre-recognized and established moves, his automatic responses to certain attacks and defenses ingrained, something Luke was already learning to use against him. Wildly unpredictable but quietly pre-meditated, the boy used any chance, any opportunity presented, often luring Vader in with conventional moves before changing the attack part-way, so that there was no known response, no guaranteed parry. He fought with a combination of what must have been months of intensive training and the open mind of one who had only recently acquired these skills with no weight yet of convention or expectations. The Emperor had clearly invested the last several months in intensive training, equipping Luke with the aptitude to fight to this level, but none of the restrictions.
But if he hoped that taking the duel to a larger space would give him any advantage, he was mistaken, Vader mused grimly. He had fought too many duels against so many opponents in similar arenas, all of whom thought they could gain the advantage this way.
He backed into the long hall, relaxing into the fight, watching his opponent's body language and stance for clues as to his next attack, relieved that the Emperor had not yet followed to interfere.
Because it was here where the real duel would begin. And end.
There could be no hesitation, no holding back. His son's considerable skill had pared Vader's options down to almost none. The duel was too evenly matched for comfort, an unexpected and unwelcome complication. Cold reality had fired a rush of adrenaline-fed clarity of intention which stifled any guilt.
He whipped the blade around and down one-handed, stepping into a feint to lure the boy in closer then lock their blades in a spiraling movement, hoping to lash out again as he had done in Cloud City. But Luke was too fast, adding his own speed to the spiral then dropping his saber tip down and sliding the blade free as he moved swiftly forward to slash out in a tight horizontal cut towards Vader's shoulder that drew sparks as it impacted with cordite-reinforced armor.
Vader twisted back as Luke stepped nimbly to his side and out of his range of vision, a flare of panic causing him to lash out with a Force-push which the boy easily countered.
The biting realization that they truly were equally matched, brute force against speed, beat again at Vader's thoughts. There would be no easy win, and the longer they fought, the more likely it was that one of them would make a mistake. He needed to bring the boy down now, by any means necessary, and deal with the consequences later. That single thought buzzed in his head and pounded with the beat of his heart, precluding all previous considerations.
Luke launched forward again, and the screaming clash of the sabers reverberated around the cavernous, empty space of the long reception hall, their acid glow the only light now, bathing the huge room in dancing shadows of blood red.
Vader pulled back, looking for a way to hobble the boy, who was gaining speed now, using the space to back his father onto the tiered steps, then pushing forward as he faltered, using any opportunity presented.
But he wasn't the only one who was capable of that.
When Luke pushed forward again, Vader reached out with the Force and snatched up one of the heavy carved chairs which lined the long wall beneath the tall windows, launching it forward--
At the last second, Luke was forced to abandon the attack to turn and throw out his hand, using the Force to deflect the incoming missile to the side and stepping clear in one smooth move. Abandoned by both, the chair skittered away over the smooth marble floor.
He spun back with barely enough time to meet Vader's blade as it swept out in a powerful horizontal blow, forcing a retreat. Vader pushed forward and Luke stepped back beneath the onslaught, fighting hard to hold ground, clearly aware that his father was trying to back him against the wall. A long string of heavy blows pressed him back though, as he searched for an opening.
When he saw it he took it without hesitation, catching Vader's blade on his own, stepping back as Vader came forward. In the same moment that he guided Vader's saber past himself he dropped the tip of his own, Vader's momentum too great to stop the move. Luke sidestepped, moving nimbly away from the ever-closing wall and gaining the time to gather an attack--
And Vader launched another chair from behind him, again forcing Luke to abandon his offensive in order to stop the incoming missile.
This time Luke twisted about and shattered the hefty chair to pieces with a counter-blow in the Force, spinning back round barely in time to stay the crushing backswing which Vader landed, powerful enough to stop his blade dead and force another backstep as his feet slid on the smooth marble floor.
He took another quick step back, his heel hitting the steps he had earlier forced Vader down, and Vader pushed forward with a hail of heavy blows, trying again to force the boy along them and into a corner.
Luke backed quickly up the three steps, knowing that his opponent would take the opportunity to land a low blow that would be difficult to counter, but knowing also that he either he took the chance, or allowed himself to be corralled into the dangerous restriction of wall to his side. As the boy stepped higher Vader lashed out with his saber across Luke's ankles, knowing that he'd have little power to counter, so low.
Luke launched upward and somersault over Vader, clear before he'd even had the time to bring his blade up. He twisted mid-flip as Vader turned, but his agility and speed bought him the edge, and it was Vader who was forced to defend, dropping from a high swipe to a low defense, knowing that the boy's saber would land the blow first.
Luke was landing his first blow as his feet touched down, springing into a fast sidestep as he strung three more swift strikes together, gaining him time to launch a more premeditated sequence--
And the moment he moved to attack, Vader reached out to the long window-lined wall with the Force, and launched another heavy chair toward him.
Letting out a yell equal parts frustration and rage, Luke broke off, head jerking to the side momentarily, eyes afire--
The burst of Dark power exploded outwards into the room, hitting Vader like a body-blow, knocking the air from his lungs and impacting with painful compression on his eardrums, the shockwave radiating out past him, its power bulging the bank of tall glass windows with a solid 'whump!' which crazed them into opaque devastation with an ear-splitting screech of splintered transparisteel--
And the row of chairs beneath them which had proved so useful to distract the boy...every one was instantly reduced to matchwood, collapsed against the wall under the magnitude of the blow as a spray of splinters and fine dust ballooned up about them.
Luke was already rushing forward incensed, saber swinging back to deliver a heavy blow, twisting past as Vader blocked. A second fast blow landed to his nearly unprotected back, forcing Vader to over-reach, to overstep his own center of balance, so that the next blow pushed him back further, his defense slower, Luke already moving again, looking to land the next blow.
Vader retreated against the onslaught, searching for an error, an opening, an opportunity. Luke drove forward, every blow a precursor to the next, every defense a step into attack.
He had his space now, room to maneuver, and he used it, always moving, always changing the angle of attack, forcing Vader to do the same, to fight at his pace. Robbing him of his massive, powerful swings in order to hold against the momentum. Too fast--but if Vader stepped back then Luke was immediately there, taking the fight to him, four or five fast blows, then pulling back again, drawing Vader back into the fight then flipping clear, darting away. And the moment Vader slowed, he would sidestep, moving round his opponent's limited vision, looking for that blind spot, making Vader back up again, giving more ground. Too much ground.