Cassian leaned out from the carriage, calling to the mounted soldier ahead. "What's the holdup?"
The soldier rubbed his bleary eyes. "Commander's orders to halt," he said around a yawn. "Probably making camp—gods, I hope so. Haven't slept since last night." He glanced at the fading moon, its pale light already retreating before the approaching dawn. "Sun'll be up soon. If we don't stop now, we're marching straight into daylight without rest."
The soldier's rambling hadn't actually answered Cassian's question. Frustrated, he stepped out of the carriage and turned to his team. "Stay here—I'm going to see what's holding us up."
As he pushed past a few stopped carriages, he noticed other soldiers peering ahead, equally confused by the sudden halt. Then—
A deafening explosion split the night. A flash of light illuminated the entire caravan as a panicked voice screamed, "We're under attack!"
