Chapter 13

Karis Kranser and his identical twin brother Kristoph worked together in the computer division for the new Imperial Intelligence Agency. All their lives they had been inseparable, living in the same apartment, finishing each other sentences, and even making up their own language when they were younglings. No one could understand it but them. On one occasion, they dated the same woman who couldn't make up her mind which of them was the most handsome.

Both of them were extremely talented slicers who used their skills to help the Empire hunt down Jedi who had managed to escape Order 66. They shared an office in the new Imperial Intelligence Agency building on Coruscant.

That morning began like any other. Once their computers booted up they began monitoring the chatter on the holonet and other sources of electronic data. They had managed to find several of the wanted fugitives, including the high profile Curator of Records just a few days earlier.

Karis had compiled a list of all known Jedi at the end of the Clone War from records impounded from the Temple. Each time a target was eliminate, he would update the information so they knew exactly how many were left and who was still at large. A few months ago, Kristoph had been assigned a special case that had been given top priority. They discussed his progress as they drank their morning caff.

"Any word on this Obi-Wan Kenobi yet?" Karis asked as he stirred his caff.

"Nothing. I have tried everything I can think of. He's just vanished. Most people on the run slip up and visit an old contact or something but this guy is smart. There have been no sightings of him anywhere."

"Well, I wouldn't worry to much. Maybe the powers that be won't be too upset. We've found more Jedi than any other team in our department, right?"

"I don't know. I'm worried. The last time I was asked for a status update they were angry about the lack of progress and said they would be sending someone new to "provide motivation" whatever the hell that means." Kristoph made air quotes with his fingers.

"Why do they have such a hard-on for this guy? I know he was a pretty big deal during the war, but there are lots of important Jedi we still don't have. We haven't caught Skywalker either and they aren't bitching about that, right? Weren't they a team?"

"Yeah, it's weird. I don't understand it. Kenobi was a big deal, sure, but Anakin "Hero-with-no-fear" Skywalker was the Jedi poster boy. Who knows?" Kristoph shrugged.

Everything went on as usual. Not surprisingly there was no information on Kenobi, but there were 3 more leads on other Jedi. Around noon, Karis decided to go out and pick up some lunch since they were both starving. Kristoph was on an important call and couldn't leave, so he went alone. He waited in line at the nerf burger place around the corner from his office for much longer than usual. There were some new employees being trained and the whole process took forever. When he finally picked up his order of two Extra juicy Nerfinators with cheese and chunky fried tuber tots he was so late he headed back at a run.

When he got off the elevator on his floor he could tell something was wrong. A worried looking coworker stopped him in the hall before he had a chance to come through the door.

"Karis, I'm glad I caught you. Don't go in there."

"What? Why not?" Karis was confused.

"The Emperor's Office sent someone over to check on the special project Kristoph was working on. He's in there with him now."

"Oh, well we thought they might send somebody. I'll just go…"

"No! You don't understand. It's not just anybody, it's Lord Vader. And he's very, very upset. I…"

He continued, but Karis wasn't listening. A muffled scream and gagging noises could be heard from the main office common area. Karis pushed past his coworker, and stopped in horror. Behind the glass wall of his office, he could see the dark caped figure of Darth Vader facing his brother who hung suspended in the air. He was desperately clawing at his throat, his eyes bulging with panic.

"You have disappointed me for the last time!" Vader shouted before he suddenly closed his fist and waved his hand sideways. With a sickening pop Kristoph's neck broke. He fell in a lifeless heap, dead before he even hit the floor.

Karis was frozen in place. He couldn't even scream. As he stood there staring, Darth Vader swept past him without a second glance and disappeared down the hall. Karis finally regained control of himself and ran into his office. He sank to his knees next to Kristoph as their life together flashed before his eyes. Tears streamed down his face. How was he ever going to live without his twin? The enormity of his loss hit him and he quickly turned to retch into a nearby trash can.

The minute he finished heaving, he leaned back against the desk and closed his eyes. As he replayed the scene in his mind something inside him snapped. Rage unlike anything he had ever felt before boiled up inside him as he thought of Darth Vader. He had to find some way to get back at the evil psychopath for taking his brother's life. "I'll get you, you bastard. You may kill me in the process, but If it's the last thing I ever do I'll find a way to make you suffer."

….

"I don't know, Ben." Luna had been over the dream with Obi-Wan several times and felt as if she were getting nowhere. There was no way to know whose voice was speaking. No faces or people, just the horrible dark shadow overtaking Luke and Beru. "I feel so useless. I don't have any details! Maybe the whole thing is just a dream and it doesn't mean anything." She sighed.

Obi-Wan sat across from her at the table. He looked troubled. "I think we should meditate about it. It may be nothing, but I've learned from experience not to underestimate the importance of dreams." He stood and held out his hand. "I'll help you. Maybe together we can find an answer."

The storm still raged outside as they sat cross legged facing each other. He took her hands in his and they both closed their eyes. Luna cleared her mind and started to focus on the living things around them. Small circles of light surrounded the few insects that had found shelter in the hut. Obi-Wan's bright strong presence overwhelmed everything, bathing the room in light. As she sank deeper into a meditative state, she felt him softly touch her mind. She instantly lowered her defenses and allowed him full access to her memory. It was an indescribable feeling, much more intimate than sex. He gently probed until he found the dream and experienced it just as she had.

"I don't have any more insights than you I'm afraid." Obi-Wan shook his head in discouragement. "For now, we shall have to be extra vigilant. As soon as this storm is over, we should go to the ridge. Sometimes just visiting the site of a dream can bring on new insights."

"Maybe."

"For now, I think we should go back to bed. No one could travel in this storm, so I believe Luke is safe for tonight anyway."

"I don't know if I can sleep again after that." Luna shivered as she thought of the booming voice and the horrible dark shadow. They slipped back under the covers and Obi-Wan pulled her close and whispered in her ear.

"Let me help you."

Luna relaxed into his arms, and leaned back against his broad chest.

"Comfortable?" He sent through the Force.

"Very." Suddenly she felt waves of calm and peace wash over her.

"When I can't sleep, I find it works to dwell on something more pleasant." As soon as the words died away, images of their first kiss in the middle of a sand dune replayed in her mind, followed by their date in Mos Eisley and the morning they spent in bed before the Sand People destroyed the vaporator. They were her memories, but he was playing them in her head like a slideshow.

"Someday you have to teach me how to do that." She said. Her eyelids drooped unable to stay open a moment longer.