The gentle cooing of Luke is your only solace in the cold confines of the freighter. The weight of recent events presses down on you deeper than anything you have ever experienced before. Every creak of the ship, every murmur from the passengers, feels distant, almost unreal, as if the world outside this tiny bundle of life doesn’t exist.

Anakin… Vader… the name alone sends a chill through you. The memory of your duel, the clash of sabers, the raw anger and hate in his eyes, plays over and over in your mind. The heat of Mustafar’s flames, his screams as you left him to his fate—it haunts you. Yet, you can’t forget the man he once was. Your brother whom you loved so dearly.

You remember taking his lightsaber. It wasn’t just a weapon—it was his life, his identity, his future. As he lay burning, you knew it was the end of the man you once knew. The weight of that act, of leaving him on the banks of that hellish lava river, is a burden you will carry forever.

You look down at Luke, his small, innocent face untroubled by the chaos that has engulfed the galaxy. He is a fragile beacon of hope amidst the darkness. Padmé’s words echo alongside those painful screams 'There is still good in him'. You want to believe her, but only time will reveal the truth.

The freighter lurches, and you instinctively cradle Luke closer. You’ve promised to protect him, to keep him hidden from the man who was once his father, Vader, the Emperor, from the Sith. It’s a promise you intend to keep, even if it means sacrificing everything else.

The Lars family will care for him, and separate Leia to keep them safe by keeping them apart, but this decision will haunt you, too. Bail is a good man, and father, and will raise Leia in a safe life.

Luke stirs slightly, his tiny fingers grasping at the air before settling again. The future is uncertain, but for now, this child—this new hope—is your purpose. No matter the cost, you will protect him, as you once protected his father.