While fiddling with a piece of machinery Seha froze as she felt a surge of terror and despair in the Force. It took less than a second for her to determine where it was coming from.
She turned and sprinted down the corridors, ignoring people calls asking where she was going. There was no time to waste. She quickened her pace, easily weaving around crew and equipment. At the same time she reached into a kitbag and took out her lightsabre.
As she neared the dressing room the feelings of fear and despair she was picking up grew stronger. Now she sensed something else too. There was a deep feeling of smug satisfaction, greed and sadistic glee leaking into the Force like toxic waste.
She shoved the door open and burst in to find three blaster-toting Devaronians, two of whom were trying to bundle a squirming Chanta'Rella into a crate. Her two band-mates were on the floor. All three Twi'lek women were wrapped up in cocoons of grey-white material that muffled their protests. Upon seeing her the two Devaronians dropped their captive to the floor in surprise.
Seha ignited her lightsabre, its sky blue blade humming to life, and raised it in a firm, two-handed grip.
"Let them go, now."
The thugs were shocked but recovered quickly. One of them yelled, "Blast her!"
They opened fire, unleashing a volley of crimson bolts. Seha deflected each one easily, taking care not to accidentally send any at the members of Scarlet Starburst. The bolts slammed into the walls, leaving small, shallow craters each surrounded by a scorched ring.
"Use the spray sticks on her!" Gault yelled,
He and his goons instantly pulled the spray sticks from their belts and aimed them at her but as quick as they were, Seha was quicker. Before they could press the triggers she threw her lightsabre, using the Force to guide it through the air so that the glowing blade sliced through the metal tubes and then flew back into her hand.
There was a loud WHOOSH as the pressurised spray-mist was suddenly released. Gault and his two goons cried out in alarm as they were engulfed in a thick cloud that rapidly solidified so that within seconds they were stuck in a blob of grey-white goo that left them completely immobilised and glued to the ground..
Now it was their turn to struggle futilely and grunt angrily into the gunk that covered their mouths. "MMNN! MMNN!"
Seha laughed. "I wouldn't try to fire those blasters if I were you" she advised. "As gummed up in that stuff as they are you'd just blow up your own hands."
"GRRMN" Gault growled in fury as he glared at her, but he knew that she was right.
Her expression became serious as she turned to the band members. They were all looking up at her with eyes that shone with relief and joy.
"Hold on."
She gently helped Chanta'Rella to her feet and used her lightsabre to burn away the gooey material in a horizontal line. Her handling of her blade was so precise that she didn't even singe the fabric of the singer's dress. Once that was done she concentrated on using the Force to carefully prise the rest of it away as if she were peeling an orange. It took only a few moments for Chanta'Rella to be freed.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay. That was so amazing!"
Seha smiled and set about releasing the others.
"Thank you so much for saving us" said Arla'Danu once they were free.
Her friends nodded.
"Are you sure you'll be all right to go on stage?" Seha asked. "After what happened…"
"You bet we're going on" said Chanta'Rella eagerly. "We're going to go up there and tell everyone about how a Jedi rescued us from ruthless criminals."
"Speaking of which" Seha said as she glanced at the Devaronians still stuck in their blob. "Let's hand these guys over to security. CorSec will be very interested to know who they're working for."
A short while later the stadium filled with thunderous applause as Scarlet Starburst appeared on stage.
"Thank you all for coming tonight" said Janu'Jona into her microphone. "We know you're eager for the concert to begin but first we have something very important to tell you all."
The crowd listened intently as the band told them what had happened, although they avoided going into detail so as not to upset the younger fans.
"And the only reason we are here now is because of the heroic efforts of a Jedi Knight. Ladies, gentlemen and gender-indeterminate species, let's hear it for Seha Dorvald!"
The audience applauded again as Seha joined the band on stage. She smiled brightly as she listened to the cheering. Humility was important, especially for a Jedi, but she had to admit it was nice to be appreciated.
"So remember people, whatever the senate tries to spin, the Jedi are our friends and defenders. They have always been there to help and protect the galaxy and the people in it. It's up to us to help and support them in any way we can. Do you agree with that?"
The audience's cheers left no doubt that they did.
"Then let's get on with the show!"
In his office in the Jedi Academy Kyle Katarn watched the screen before him with a proud smile. Of course by itself this wouldn't be enough to solve all the problems currently faced by the Jedi Order, but it was certainly a good start.
"Great work Seha" he said quietly.
He settled back in his chair and listened as the band began to sing, letting the music help him relax from a long, hard day's work.
Meanwhile, in a secret base, someone else was also watching the concert. They however were definitely not smiling.
With a roar of anger, Natasi Daala jumped to her feet, drew a pistol and blasted the screen into fragments. Having removed the offending image she lowered her weapon and silently shook with fury for a moment.
"Those useless thugs" she snarled. "How could they have botched such a simple job?"
At least they wouldn't be able to be traced back to her. She had gone to great lengths to hire them through multiple intermediaries so they wouldn't be able to reveal who had hired them. Even so the plan to silence the pro-Jedi message had backfired completely.
Daala sat back down at her desk. She could not allow the Jedi to regain the rabble's favour. One way or another she would have her revenge and see the Order destroyed.
Author's Note: Sorry for making Seha's lightsabre yet another blue blade. I know it's cliché but it just felt right.