CAP XTRA
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"Chief!"
Out in a rush, back in a rush—Max, who had just sprinted out of the banquet hall, came charging back in almost immediately.
"Call me Boss," Max corrected. "Something's off about this bunch of Death Watch. There has to be a catch."
"Yes, Boss. Off…?"
"From the start until now, Death Watch has fired exactly one backpack micro-missile at the banquet hall, tossed a few thermal grenades, and sprayed some random blaster fire. The hall has basically no defensive force. If they were here to kill people, they could've stormed in and slaughtered everyone."
"But they didn't. After I followed the crowd out, I saw a three-person fireteam in the air, and an unknown number on the ground. They're either shooting people who escape, or driving them back into the banquet hall—what are they trying to do?"
"Copying our tactics—contain and bait reinforcements?" Christopher guessed.
"Possible. Or it's a feint." Max turned to James Rok. "Chairman Rok—do you have any more information for us?"
For someone who'd spent the past decade fighting corporate wars instead of real wars, James was clearly terrified—face bloodless, whole body shaking uncontrollably. But he was still a heavyweight, and even in that state he managed to stammer out an answer:
"I… I… I don't… don't think it's… aimed at you. The news that the Fieg Consortium was coming to inspect… wasn't publicized. Only senior management and the reception team knew. Your identity—only I know that."
That snapped Max's mind into focus.
"Cover your faces." Max tore off a napkin and started fashioning a quick mask for himself while issuing the order to the Assault Team's four "Kings."
Max and his core people had stacked an absurd amount of hate on Death Watch. Whatever the original objective of this attack was—if Max and the others were recognized, the newest and most urgent objective would become killing Max and his people, immediately.
James continued, "Recently—at least this year—neither I personally nor MandalMotors has had any conflict with any person or organization. In my view, the odds this is a revenge operation against me or the company are low."
So what do they want? Max couldn't see it yet.
"Chairman Rok—have you called the police or requested outside support?" Max asked.
"External communications have been cut. We can only hope Sundari Police notice the commotion and respond on their own." James shook his head helplessly. "Security says they're on the way, but they only have stun batons and stun pistols. That won't handle fully armed Death Watch."
(And Sundari Police won't handle Death Watch either—they can't even handle smugglers.)
James's answer chilled Max to the bone. Unwanted scenes replayed in his head: Sundari cops getting stomped.
No. Absolutely not. They couldn't sit here and die.
"Wind—you stabilize the scene with the Chairman. Control the room. Keep order."
Earlier, Max had deliberately avoided saying this because he'd been thinking about using the chaos to ambush. Now, since the enemy wasn't pushing in, letting the hall stay a mess would only make things worse.
"Chairman Rok—does the banquet hall have a safe room or a basement?"
"Basement, yes. No safe room."
"Then lead everyone to the basement for shelter. Leave this to me."
"Boss, I should stay with—"
Max raised a hand, cutting Christopher off, expression hard. "You and the others take control, stabilize order, and help Chairman Rok move the crowd to the basement. That's an order. Complete that first, then wait for my signal."
"…This is the Way."
After a brief silence, the four Kings acknowledged in low voices. They understood it perfectly: unarmed, they had no chance against Death Watch armored to the teeth. They'd either die for nothing—or get the Boss killed.
The Boss was different.
He had cheats.
…
"The people in the hall are gone. Where'd they go?"
"No idea. Hiding? Or they slipped out through a tunnel?"
"Should we fire a missile for recon?"
"No." On the comm channel, Bo-Katan Kryze shut it down instantly. "Nite Owls Three—don't waste guided munitions. Drop down and recon inside the structure. Nite Owls One—take altitude, relieve Nite Owls Three, maintain overwatch."
"Nite Owls Three, copy. Descending."
"Nite Owls One, copy. Overwatch engaged."
…
One outside the main entrance. One outside the second floor-to-ceiling window on the left. One outside the third window on the right. Hidden behind a pillar, Max felt the three life-signs approaching with crystalline clarity through the Force.
Above him, three more life-signs hovered in midair—Death Watch with jetpacks. With them overhead, company security—armed with nothing but stun batons and stun pistols—would never get close.
So the three approaching with hostility weren't allies. Max inhaled twice, then snapped his hips and shoulder in one fluid motion—his wrist flicking at the end—sending a dinner knife screaming out of his hand.
Thud!!!
Almost the instant he released it, the Death Watch raider climbing through the third window on the right was blasted backward—launched outside. A simple dinner knife, driven by the Force, hit like a fin-stabilized armor-piercing slug, slamming into the raider's chest plate at brutal speed.
Damn it.
Max knew that throw had only knocked the target back—it hadn't breached beskar. The moment the impact sounded, he flashed out of cover and fired again—two rapid knife throws, both hands moving like a machine.
Thud!!!
Only one impact sounded.
The raider at the main entrance was going down.
Max snapped back behind the pillar. While dragging the body with the Force, he used a "borrowed" waiter's comm to call his people: "Get to the stairwell now. Swap gear. Once you're kitted—one person at a—"
"Dank farrik!" Seeing the smaller body in front of him—and that familiar blue-and-black armor palette—Max couldn't stop the curse. "Nite Owls. The armor's too small. You can't wear it."
…
"Lead, there's an ambush inside—Katrina's dead. Enemy used a weird kinetic weapon." // "Dank farrik…"
On the comm channel, besides the surviving Nite Owls Three member's report, there was the faint sound of a male voice cursing. Bo-Katan immediately realized Katrina's body had been pulled away by whoever was hiding inside.
"Nite Owls, all elements—switch to Backup Channel One."
"Copy!"
"Nite Owls One—maintain overwatch and act as reserve. Nite Owls Two, Three, and Four—push with me!"
…
PS: Bo-Katan Kryze's Nite Owls unit has male members, at least as shown in The Mandalorian. Making the Death Watch-era Nite Owls an all-female team is an additional author interpretation.