A/N: First and foremost I would like to thank, thank, thank my beta reader and friend, Zyra, for all of her support during this little project that was supposed to be less than 10 chapters and "just for fun". Her help, guidance and inspiration (sometimes teetering on therapy) was exceptional throughout this entire process.

Second, and just as inspirational, thanks to all of you who followed the story and reviewed. I hope you all realize how encouraging and motivating a review can be and I hope you found the story worth the read. I, for one, am sad to see it end...

Thanks again. ;-)

From a Certain Point of View

Epilogue (Approximately 5 years later)

A lone Whisper Bird glided along the delicate wind currents of an early morning breeze on the planet of Ossus. The bird's radiant scarlet feathers fluttered through the air noiselessly as the stunning creature glided over the treetops in search of its first meal of the new day. Ossus was the third planet in the Adega system and was once home to the greatest expanse of Jedi history and knowledge in the galaxy. Lush with vegetation and natural resources, the planet had been stripped bare by a shockwave during the Great Sith War and left deserted for decades.

Along with the Whisper Bird, native to the planet of Yavin, Ossus now teemed with transplanted life and rejuvenated hope for the rebuilding of not only a planet but of a new generation. The red bird flew over a large clearing dappled with small, primitive structures with meandering trails, vibrant gardens, ponds, statues and benches swirling in between them. Nestled in slumber in each of the tiny huts, undisturbed by the flying creature's quiet flight, were dozens of young Jedi; Padawan learners dreaming of lightsaber practice and levitation exercises with their teacher, a Jedi Knight by the name of Roman.

The planet Ossus had been chosen as the new home of all remaining Alderaanni refugees and the new Jedi Academy, all at the hands of one very savvy politician with a personal interest in both of the displaced groups. Billions in credits that had been collected, donated and earmarked by Alderaanian families, other Royal Houses and the New Republic were poured into the planet's infrastructure, including a top of the line military defense system. The Jedi Academy, considered a harmonious match for the peaceful people of Alderaan, was funded by one single family that included in it, the last remaining member of the Royal House of Organa.

The Whisper Bird tilted its wing and banked slowly to the right, its shadow gliding along the pebbled path below. As it neared a small, clear stream, the bird tucked its wings and accelerated its speed. Dipping its head, the elegant hunter pierced the clear blue water and swooped back up towards the sky with dozens of Glimmerfish sliding down its gullet. Disappearing into the woods, the colorful bird flew through a tunnel of branches and underbrush surrounding a well-worn path heading west through the forest. The bright flash of red through the trees, startled a small, Alderaanian nerflet who was wandering down that same deserted trail.

The nerflet lifted its head quickly and shrieked, sending the Whisper Bird up and above the forest canopy. The young nerf tore off toward the underbrush, suffiiciently scared for its life, its now imaginary pursuer nipping at its hoofed heels. The adolescent had only nubs where his antlers would soon grow and was able to duck and scramble beneath the underbrush darting and scurrying through the forest. After a long mile of running, the nerf came to another clearing and although open and exposed he slowed his pace and began to graze upon the tender grass still moist with morning dew. A nerf's memory was very short-lived, especially when good grazing was to be had.

Several yards across the field where the nerf now enjoyed his breakfast, sat a small, nondescript home nestled quietly amongst a peaceful parcel of land, which like the Jedi Academy, was surrounded by forest on all sides. The house was modest but expertly built. One with an eye for such details might recognize the signature touch of a talented Wookiee amongst the wood workings and structural details. Not built as a tree house, such as those on the planet Kashyyyk, the house blended naturally with its surroundings nonetheless and boasted as much outdoor living space as that within.

A wall of windows looked out over the property from a large, comfortably worn kitchen with children's drawings clinging to its cabinets held up by spacer's tape. A wind chime made of seashells tinkled melodically in the morning breeze and the smell of wildflowers permeated the thick, morning air. The house was empty and it sighed and creaked as the gentle wind whipped around it, seemingly calling out to its occupants, its lifeblood, begging them to return home.

Across the backyard, the path continued. A child's hover-scooter sat beneath a shade tree where an infant's swing rocked in the wind. In the distance sat a large landing pad. Imperfectly rounded, the scorched vegetation surrounding it mimicked the odd shape of its normal occupant. A small shed was set off to the side of the landing pad, filled with parts and tools and no less than three small sensor dishes of an old, very-hard-to-come-by model which just so happened to fit a Corellian YT-1300 stock light freighter.

Further west from this house, much further away than the Academy to its east, was the Capital City named New Alderaan. Built in much the same way as its namesake had been, the structures complimented their surrounding terrain and blended in with the natural environment. Somewhere amongst the boulders, lakes and fields was one such building, only a few stories high but filled with offices and people and politicians of all kinds. On the top floor there were two empty offices, connected internally by a shared door. On the exterior door of one office was the name 'Solo' with the name 'Organa-Solo' on its next-door twin.

The famous couple was five years married and on vacation with their children. In their daily life they each served their new planet in their own way, usually working together and rarely ever found apart. The former Princess of Alderaan served as an Ambassador to both New Alderaan and the Jedi Academy. She traveled the galaxy aiding displaced Alderaanni refugees, and frequently making an appearance on Coruscant fighting for her new planet's rights along trade routes and political party lines.

Her husband might still be considered to be working in the trade that had made him famous: smuggling. He, along with their children, traveled the galaxy at his wife's side, his fast ship and knowledge of the hyperspace lanes always somehow allowing their itineraries to match up. Han Solo had become the most popular non-Alderaanian resident on the planet Ossus. Because what Han Solo did was find your memories.

It had started out as a short-term assignment to collect vegetation, flora and fauna that had once been native to Alderaan to aide in the rehabilitation of the planet. With Leia by his side, the pair gathered up rare and sometimes thought to be extinct Alderaanni animals and artifacts and returned to Ossus as celebrities reborn.

Han's list of requests, or conquests, had never slipped below the thousands and his plunder had consisted of anything from rare artwork, to spices to the elusive Alderaanni flying insect: the Flare Wing. His capture of the latter ended with a total fumigation of his beloved ship and a Wookiee-built terrarium in his daughter's room housing the original captives. The people of Ossus continually lined up to thank the infamous smuggler or to make unusual requests and his once temporary assignment had become more permanent than the enigmatic scar on his chin.

Han Solo stepped out onto the white sands of Borleias, a small planet near the core that boasted beautiful, secluded beaches. It was his and Leia's fifth wedding anniversary. Standing in the sand clad only in his swim trunks, he faced the ocean as the wet, gritty wind slapped at his unshaven face and he recalled a conversation between him and Leia.

Leia, rounded and pregnant with their daughter in her stomach, had sat on a rock by a stream on Yavin Four. She had regretted not feeling the sand between her toes or enjoying the cold water of an ocean during her all-too-brief childhood. He had promised her then that their daughter would live a different life, have a different childhood then either one of them had experienced.

Almost as if summoned by his thoughts, five-year old Mira brushed by him, running towards the crashing waves of the pale blue ocean. Her legs were long and lanky like her father's and her skin was tanned golden in spite of her mother's obsession with solar protection. Her thick, brown hair was pulled into two braids that bounced against her back as she ran.

As the water covered the child's feet, she turned around and screeched. "Daddy! It's freezing!"

She had her mother's eyes, wide, brown and innocent, yet able to reflect the entire galaxy within them. Han looked over to his wife, who came to stand just a few feet from him, carrying a chubby little toddler on her hip. The boy wore a floppy sun hat and his skin was as white as his mother's. His arms and legs flailing excitedly at the sound of his sister's screams.

Han looked back at his daughter and she took her hands out of the ocean and threw them over her head, sending a shower of cool water down upon her that made her shiver in delight. "Mira, sweetheart," Han said with an easy smile. "I think your mommy and brother want to feel how cold the water is."

Leia shot Han a threatening look that no longer held much effect on him and he smiled back at her in amusement.

Mira began to run towards her mother shouting, "Mommy! Luke-y! Come and feel the water!"

Later, the sun sizzled on the horizon, shimmering and dancing on the tranquil water in the distance. The baby Luke lay wrapped up on a blanket, an umbrella shielding him from the blustery wind as he slept. Mira sat in the sand, making rounded castles and watching the sugar white grains sift through her small fingers.

Han stood, his arms encircling his wife, his gaze traveling over his family and then resting back on the beautiful, wide brown eyes looking up at him. Her body was soft and warm pressed up against his. Wiping some grains of sand off of her cheek, he said, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she smiled and stretched up to reach his lips.

Her touch still held its ability to stir something profound and animalistic inside of him. As if every kiss was their first, each movement of her lips and her tongue an offer of possession to him of her very being. It was a submittal to his claim over her, unlimited, uninhibited, and without expiration.

"We need to reclaim the beach on Ossus," Leia purred, while planting tiny kisses along his neck. There wasn't anywhere they went that Leia didn't want to bring a piece of it back with her. Han sometimes wondered if she was trying to capture not only the memories of Alderaan back on Ossus, but the best parts of the entire galaxy.

"I think we'll be bringing enough sand home with us on the Falcon to do just that."

She looked up at him, her eyes serious. "I love you," she said again.

"You just said that," he corrected her and smiled at her like she was confused.

"I know. I wanted to say it again."

He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and trailing his hands over the naked skin on her back that her swimsuit did not cover. Then remembering something, he pulled away from her and laughed.

"What?" She said, searching his face, half amused and half curious.

"I was thinking about our conversation back on Yavin just a while ago," Han explained.

"Can you be a little more specific?" She asked, wrapping her arms around him and leaning back so she could look at him.

"You and me by the stream that day when you told me I had said something that was 'so not a Han Solo thing to say'," he continued, shaking his head and mocking her voice and tone.

"I vaguely remember that. So?"

"Do you remember what you said that day? What I would say?"

She paused for a moment to think on it. "Something about snubbing the New Republic and the Jedi Academy and…," she laughed and shook her head remembering the third thing. "So, what? You think my little prediction came true?"

Han took a step back and looked at her current outfit, and then quickly ran through the sun dresses she usually wore when they were at home or the shorts and tee-shirts she wore when traveling on the Falcon. He nodded his head vigorously and smiled.

"I didn't snub the Academy," she replied with the lift of her chin.

"There was really only one of those things that I really, really wanted."

"The one you probably thought you'd never get?" She replied in her bedroom voice that reverberated through Han's insides all the way down to his toes.

"Right," he agreed and then pulled her to him. After a short pause, he added, "You snubbing the New Republic, who'd of ever thought."

She moved to pull away from him but he held her. "Nerfherder," she mumbled against his chest, easily giving up the fight.

The baby fussed and the pair looked over to the blanket. Luke, now awake, had rolled over and sat up, pounding his fists onto his knees in excitement over what he had accomplished.

"Can we walk for sea shells now?" Mira asked, shooting up to her feet. "You said we could when Luke woke up!" The child was now jumping up and down on her meticulously constructed sand castle hills.

"Of course," Leia replied as Han walked over to the blanket and deposited Luke up and onto his shoulders.

The toddler grabbed a fist full of hair like reins on a bantha and Han yelped, "Yow! Ease up, Luke. I'm not Uncle Chewie!"

"No!" Mira giggled. "Uncle Chewie would roar!" And she held her outstretched hands on the side of her face and gave her best Wookiee roar imitation, much to her brother's delight.

Then the Solo family walked down the beach, leaving three sets of footsteps behind them. Leia and Han walked arm and arm next to each other while their daughter raced around about them. Han kept his free hand on his son's chubby leg as the youngest Solo kicked and wiggled on top of his father's shoulders.

As the happy family disappeared into the distance, a curious sound was heard wafting across the unrelenting ocean breeze. It was the sound of whirring servomotors.

"Artoo Detoo, I don't know why I continue to listen to you. You know how sand and humidity wreak havoc on my joints."

The little domed droid tooted and shrieked indignantly as he began to follow the trail of footsteps down the beach.

The tall, golden droid hurried to catch up with his counterpart as he replied, "Well, I don't know how long you can pretend to hold that over my head. Honestly, I have always found it very difficult to believe that Captain Solo would have rescued me specifically for your benefit…"