The alliance

Luke and Cindel remained silent through out their long walk to the war room, neither one even glanced at each other until Cindel got tired of waiting their arrival to the war room. "Are my friends going to die?" she said after stopping at her tracks, Luke turned to face her "Cindel, Jedi's are not psychic. I only saw small images of a war on Endor" Luke said calmly and hoping that it would calm her. "Then why am I here and what good am I here?" she asked as she looked ahead and spotted Leia, Han and Lando walking into the war room "Because I know that this next plan will make you a lot more useful then the plan on Tatooine" Luke explained then glanced at what Cindel was glancing at. Cindel looked at Luke puzzlingly then realized that he was standing before as a way to avoid being noticed by his friends. He didn't want the rest of the crew to know that he was back yet which was understandable for Cindel because she wanted to sneak away with Noa's remains unnoticed by anyone. "Alright, but I still don't understand" Cindel said calmly but not at ease, they young couple was now startled by the soft bell ring and everybody fell into silence. Luke and Cindel stood in the doorway of the war room, behind a group of soldiers, they were completely unseen by Leia, Han, Lando, 3PO and Chewie. The Jedi and his median turned to R2 to quietly tell him "SHH!", the little droid did what they commanded.

A woman who had short brown hair and was wearing a light blue gown, she was recognized as Mon Mothma. "The Empire has made a critical error and the time for our attack has come. The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoint the exact location of the Emperor's new battle station." she explained to the crew as she switched on a holographic image of a large planet with a tiny red orb that floated around the larger orb. Cindel did not know what planet the new Death Star is orbiting. "We also know that the weapon systems of this Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial Fleet spread out the galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relevantly unprotected. But most important of all, we have learned that the Emperor himself is personally over seeing the final stages of the construction of the Death Star." Mon Mothma's expression looked as if she had lost someone "Many Bothans died to bring us this information" she said then turned away from the audience "Admiral Ackbar please" she added as she appointed to an alien that approached the stage. Ackbar approached the hologram "You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest Moon of Endor."

That statement gave Cindel a horrifying image of her people invaded now by the imperial fleet, it nearly made her fainted. Luke grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the doorway without being noticed. "Cindel" Luke said calmly as he pulled her into the hallway, she was only muttering her concern "My home is occupied by the Emperor" she said softly. "I know and I'm sorry" he said while rubbing her arms with his hands "Is that what you saw in your visions?" she asked sadly. "Yes but I am not sure what will happen next...the truth is Cindel; I have discovered so many things about myself and my family" Luke explained in a whisper. Cindel looked up with now concern for Luke and not herself "Oh, what is it?" she asked with her tears now returning to her eyes. "I will explain that when we have time but right now, we must listen in more" Luke suggested to her as he pulled her back to the door way.

The young couple got back to the meeting just in time to hear the rest of what Admiral Ackbar "Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield, which is generated from the nearby forest Moon of Endor." he explained then suddenly a golden and tiny net wrapped itself around the Death Star. "The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted." suddenly the holographic image of Endor disappeared and was replaced with a lager version of the Death Star. "Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor". The holographic image was turned off by Ackbar "General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack" Admiral Ackbar said while pointing at Lando. "Good Luck!" Han exclaimed to his friend from his seat next to Leia "You're gonna need it" he added then paid back attention "General Madine" Ackbar pointed to a human next to him. "We have stolen a small Imperial Shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship and using a secret imperial code a strike team will land on the Moon and deactivate the shield." Madine explained.

"Sounds dangerous" 3PO commented negatively as usual "I wonder who they found to pull that off?" Leia asked Han while still looking at Madine "Gen. Solo, is your strike team assembled?" Madine asked looking at Han. Leia was staring at Han surprised but then quickly turned to admiration "Uh my team is ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle" Han answered, Chewie roared softly with a wave of his arm. "It's gonna be rough, pal. I didn't wanna speak for you" Han explained with a smile and looking up at his fuzzy friend. Luke sensed that Leia was going to volunteer the moment Han responses "Wait here" he ordered Cindel and given to her feelings for him, she obeyed "I'm with you too!" Luke exclaimed as he entered the war room. At last, he was noticed by his friends as he walked down the stairs smiling to Leia who rushed up to embrace him with a smile. Luke and Leia hugged each other in front of Han and Chewie, as Leia and Luke parted their embraces she suddenly noticed a change in Luke's glare at her. "What is it?" she asked concerned "Ask me again sometime" was all Luke said to Leia as Han walked to them with a smile "Luke" he exclaimed with a smile "Hi Han...Chewie" he responded. Cindel stood by the hallway where Luke ordered her to remain "So are you all set for the mission on Endor?" Han asked his short friend with a hand on his shoulder "Not yet" Luke said then turned to Gen. Madine "Madine, we need one more addition to our strike team" the jedi said, everyone stood by and listened. "Who exactly?" Ackbar asked curiously with his hands on his belt. "A navigator who knows the lay out on Endor and I already selected her" Luke said to both the General and the Admiral "Her?" Madine asked stunned, Luke turned to the doorway where he left Cindel at "Cindel Towani!" he called out while pointing her out. Cindel stepped out of her hiding place quietly, the Gen. and Admiral were surprised to see Cindel being so young and had just recently lost her grandfather.

"Miss Towani has volunteer to be our navigator for the mission on Endor" Luke said to the general and admiral then turned to see Cindel looking straight at him with a stun look on her face. Even his friends were stunned to hear Luke choosing Cindel as a guide for them "Endor is her home as well as Noa's home, Cindel will do what she can to save it from the Emperor" Luke explained. Cindel quickly walked to Luke with that same stunned look on her face "I said absolutely no such thing, you lied!" she said quiet enough for just Luke to hear her. "Yes you will, this is about your home planet that you spoke so highly of not to mention Noa's home as well" Luke whispered to Cindel. She knew that he was right about her home and that it was going to be Noa's resting place but she also had doubts about herself as a navigator. And Admiral Ackbar had his own about how young she was not to mention he heard about her recent loss and he assumed that she would need time for mourning. "I disagree with this choice of a navigator, she should be mourning the death of her grandfather" Ackbar said to Madine who felt the same feelings and the opposite. He stared at the young woman and thought about what Ackbar said and what Luke said about Cindel knowing the layouts of Endor. "Miss Towani, are you willing to put aside your personal feelings about the Emperor on your home and do this for the cause?" Madine asked while looking at Cindel, she was out of words to say to the superior officer. She looked at Luke who gave her another assuring smile on his face, she thought about the following people that had faith in her: Her family, Noa and now Luke. He was the last person she had left that was still alive to encourage her and that made her feel a confidence growing in herself. "Yes sire I can and I will do it for the sake of my home" Cindel replied seriously "Very well, be prepared with the rest of the strike team" he commanded to her then left with Ackbar following him "You won't regret this" Luke said to the two superior officers as he placed both his hands on both her shoulders. "Is she one of your Jedi predictions?" Han asked sarcastically as he stepped toward the young couple "Yes" Luke answered boldly and unashamed of his answer, Han sighed hard and leaned his head back. "Everyone really did get delusions of grandeur" he muttered while Leia just looked at him with a bright smile. "Well if you're coming along kiddo then get packing" Han commanded seriously, Cindel smiled at him and at Luke then was about to run off but Han stopped her "And by the way...I'm sorry about Noa. He was a great soldier from what I heard" he said sincerely that time. Cindel was touched by his offering of condolences "Than you Han" she said then ran off out of the war room.

Once alone with their Jedi friend, Leia, Han and Chewie turned to Luke with concern "Are you sure about bringing her along?" Han asked. Luke sighed at his friend's sceptic toward his Jedi belief "I am sure and it's not just my powers that tell me so" Luke answered with that same assuring and positive smile. Han scoffed everything that his friend said to him "I knew you had some feelings for her" Han said as he exited the room with Chewie following him "How is she?" Leia asked as she and Luke were walking side by side. "She's strong but she just won't admit it and she refuses to see it in herself" Luke explained, Leia chuckled and thought about how she handled herself back on Tatooine. "Yeah, she does have a low-self esteem about herself. She will probably be feeling worst now that she is an orphan" Leia said with a concern tone in her voice "She's not an orphan, Leia. She does have a family on Endor, that is why she volunteered for this mission" Luke explained.

"Luke are you really in love with her?" Leia asked while slipping her arms around his arm, Luke chuckled softly and recalled what he confessed to Ben on Dagobah System "I'll answer that question after the mission" he said with a smile on his face. Leia laughed at him then released him from her hold, Luke was about to walk off but h stopped himself, turned and looked at her with a feeling of protection to his now only sister.