Cassian’s POV

The storm had barely died down by the time we returned to the safe house.

Rain slid down the windows like sheets of glass, the world outside gray and unrecognizable. Inside, the hum of servers filled the silence. Every screen glowed faintly blue, a dozen ghosts of my own making staring back at me.

Rubio and Mara were waiting when we walked in. They both stood when they saw my face, reading what I wasn’t saying.

“Archive’s gone,” Rubio said quietly. “We picked up the explosion from halfway across the docks.”

“Gone,” I confirmed. “And the Syndicate left us a message.”

Mara frowned.

“What kind of message?”

I...