Naomi’s Pov

They didn’t come at us sideways this time.

They came straight on.

I knew it the moment I stepped into the briefing room and felt the air change. Not tense. Focused. It seemed as though someone had decided the next move and was waiting to see if we’d blink.

Cassian noticed too. He always did. His hand brushed the back of my chair as he passed, not possessive, not hidden. Just there. That small contact grounded me more than anything else could have.

Rubio didn’t bother easing into it. “We’ve got a problem.”

Cassian took his place at the table. “Define a problem.”

Rubio turned the screen toward...