Sneak peek into Talisman: The Empire Strikes Back Book Four.
Since publishing Book Three last May it has received pretty much zero attention. So here's the opening chapter to Four but I doubt I will actually ever finish Book Four much less publish it. It's a lot of work to write with chronic pain and not get any sort of attention for my pained efforts. At the very least, enjoy a re-imagining of TESB's opening.

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It was chaos. The Rebels had been overrun. The Empire in every way had beaten the insurgents burrowed on the ice planet Hoth. Yet Darth Vader was unsatisfied as he cut down fleeing rebel soldiers in his path. The Sith was prowling. Searching. He could feel now what he was after. Untapped power basking in the Light. He was so close!

But every adversary in his path was not the one he wanted. Not the one he needed and had sought after for a small yet painful eternity now.

And then in a suddenness that even caught the Sith offguard there he was standing before him. The boy who occupied his nightmares and waking moments. The boy who motivated his every action. The boy whose very existence was in question and he wanted answers. But most of all the boy who was meant to be by Darth Vader's side. Not like the Emperor, not as an Inquisitor, and no not even as his apprentice.

His fingers itched to reach out to Luke Skywalker and spill every secret so that his boy could see the treachery of Kenobi and understand his place in the turmoil. But Darth Vader was not allowed that chance as the fierce soldier came at him with a deathly swing of a blue lightsaber.

Darth Vader took a step back, planted his stance and met the next blow. His boy was strong both in body and in spirit.

"Go!"

Rebels the young soldier fought for scrambled into sprints, leaving the duelists behind. Lightsabers locked, blue and red hissing against eachother.

"Skywalker." Darth Vader could feel his voice boom off the icey walls.

Luke's lip curled into a low grimace. "You have no right to say my name."

A dark ire filled the Sith's chest, his old heart picked up a beat. "I have the only right."

This angered the boy. He ripped his lightsaber away only to hack at Darth Vader's defenses viciously. The Sith met each blow in a ploy of being on the defensive. In truth he wished to test his son's skill. Slowly but surely finding them adequate. If that wretched Kenobi had done one thing right his whole life it was teaching the art of a lightsaber.

Luke swung again. Darth Vader stepped aside, the blue blade narrowly missed his shoulder and sliced into the tunnel wall. The ice hissed and cracked as Luke righted himself and lashed out wildly. Darth Vader caught the blow with his own blade, locked them and pushed Luke to the wall. "You have skill young one. But you are not a Jedi yet."

Luke grunted hoarsely. While strong his strength was insignificant to Darth Vader's. The gears could clearly be seen turning in his head. But Darth Vader had not foreseen what came next. Suddenly Luke dropped to the floor. The saber lock was broken and all Darth Vader's brute force offbalanced him. A burning sensation erupted like fire in Darth Vader's side as he crashed into the wall, shaking the tunnel. His rage was suddenly red as blood and hot as lava. The Dark Side curled around Darth Vader like a snake poised to strike. His lightsaber swung out blindly. There was a faint cry of pain. The fiery fire in his side disappeared. Darth Vader straightened and turned on his prey. The rebel lay on the frozen ground, a charred tear in his overcoat ripped horizontally across his back. The enraged Sith gripped his lightsaber, a great part of him wanted blood and death now. That part of him was winning out as he brought his blade swinging down to finish the rebel off.

But before he could cleave the soldier in two a blue blade struck out and met his blow, stopping Darth Vader's brash actions towards his son.

Sharply Darth Vader raised his head, meeting the disappointed silvery blue gaze of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Don't do this." Obi-Wan pleaded, his voice only just audible as Luke stirred beneath them.

Darth Vader snarled, turning his aggression onto Obi-Wan.

Behind the old Jedi Master the blue togruta appeared and raced to Luke's side, gently but hurriedly helping him up and away from the two rivals. It mattered not. Darth Vader was certain of his victory.

"Obi-Wan?"

"Go Tallis. Get Luke to the others."

The togruta girl hesitated only a moment before obeying the Jedi's command.

Now they were alone. Sith Lord and Jedi.

"You cannot hope to keep the boy from me."

Obi-Wan took a step back. "The boy is of no concern to you."

Suddenly Darth Vader let out an angry scream. His lightsaber crashed into Obi-Wan's with such force that sparks lit up the corridor. "He is my only concern! He is mine!"

The weakened old man fell under Darth Vader's next blow. "You will not take him from me as you did Padmé!"

Obi-Wan glared up at Darth Vader. "You have only yourself to blame for your misery and loses. Rest assured as long as I live Luke will remain safe from your evil."

Darth Vader felt a wicked smirk pull at his ruined flesh. "Then it is a shame you will not live long enough to see my son at my side."

But before Darth Vader would strike Obi-Wan down the old Jedi sprung away. With the walls weakened so by Luke and Darth Vader's confrontation it was easy for Obi-Wan to exploit those weaknesses. The icey tunnel suddenly collapsed onto and buried Darth Vader.