Jedi Temple Situation Room

Both Yoda and Ki-Adi Mundi exchanged nervous glances as Obi-Wan Kenobi entered.

"You summoned me, Masters ?"

Yoda nodded, pointing his cane at the holo-projector. "Received a transmission, we have. Mention you specifically, it does."

Upon pressing a button, a huge hologram of Duchess Satine appeared, causing Obi-Wan to look on with a very shocked look.

"This is a message for Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Jedi Council. I've lost Mandalore ! Maul and his brother have succeeded in overthrowing Death Watch and have assigned Almec as Prime Minister. My people suffer under their rule ! Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope !"

Obi-Wan's answer was instantaneous. "We must help her ! We cannot allow this !"

Yoda circled around Obi-Wan. "Neutral, the system is, Obi-Wan. A long time, the Senate will take to make a decision."

Ki-Adi Mundi crossed his arms. "Unfortunately, the Duchess' neutrality makes the situation... complicated."

Obi-Wan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Having the Republic involved would only result in her homeworld being occupied, it would be the last thing she wants. Yet I cannot allow her to become a martyr. I will go to her... alone if I must."

As he began to exit the room, Yoda gave a stern warning. "Mind your feelings, Obi-Wan. Cause you to make a great error, they could."

Obi-Wan quickly glanced back. "No error will be made, Master. I will bring her to Coruscant."

As he left the room, Mundi looked to the diminutive Jedi. "I wouldn't doubt his abilities, but going alone is foolish and dangerous. We've already lost too many Jedi in this war as it is."

Yoda closed his eyes for a moment. "Hmm. Alone, Obi-Wan will not be. Find a most unusual ally, he will."

Jedi Temple Hangar

Moments later, Obi-Wan talked with Anakin and managed to convince him to lend his ship for his task at hand. Upon entering the Twilight, he heard some slight rustling and shuffling about. He slowly moved to the medical bay... and to his surprise, he found Phil fumbling about in empty drawers.

"What do you think you're doing ?"

This caused Phil to jump in fright and quickly turn. "Who- ?! Oh. It's just you. What am I doing ? Looking for shoes !"

Obi-Wan raised an eye brow. "Shoes ?"

Phil hopped onto the med table, showing off his right shoe, which had a huge gaping hole. "Yeah, look at this ! See that hole ? I've had these ever since I started to jam with Lem and Eddie. They've lasted over 34 years now. They're good shoes. British craftmanship ! Alas, they are starting to fall apart, so I need a new pair. So you know... I figured I might find an extra pair somewhere in these drawers. As far as I can see, I don't have any luck yet."

Obi-Wan wasn't quite sure what to make of him. "I'm afraid I can't be of much help to you. I'm taking this ship, so I'll have to ask you to search for your shoes elsewhere..."

Phil's curiosity was brought. "Oh ? Going on a trip ? Where ?"

"I'm going to save someone who's in great danger."

Phil rubbed his hands. "Oh ho ! A rescue ? I could be of help, you know. I can hold my own pretty well in a fist fight !"

In the back of his mind, Obi-Wan had a feeling he would regret his decision. "Well... I suppose I could take you along..."

Phil made a beeline for the cockpit. "Ohhhh ! Look at all those controls ! Looks as complicated as a mixing console. Is this thing hard to fly ?"

Obi-Wan motioned to the co-pilot seat. "If it's all right with you, I'll fly since I know the coordinates of our destination."

As Phil sat, he searched his vest pockets. Finding a stick of gum, he popped one into his mouth and started to chew loudly. "Want one ?" He offered.

Obi-Wan could feel a headache coming. "Why do I get the feeling this will be a long flight ?" He declined as politely as possible. "No, thank you. May I suggest to fasten your seatbelt ? We are taking off in a moment."

Phil just ignored the warning. "Pfff ! Can't be that f-" Suddenly, the Twilight began to ascend quickly towards space. "Holy Shit ! Pretty fast ! Where's that seatbelt ?" Quickly securing it, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Well... I guess that's as fast as we'll go ! Right ?"

"Not quite..." Obi-Wan accessed the navicomputer and entered a series of coordinates. "You might want to hold on to your seat. We're entering hyperspace momentarily."

He gripped the arms of the chair tightly. "Ok ! I think I'm ready ! Let 'er rip !"

Pulling a lever, they suddenly entered hyperspace. Phil could feel the slight impression of intense speed. "How fast are we going ?! We're not going to crash into anything, right ?"

Obi-Wan knew the odds of hyperspace travel gone wrong. "We might. However, we're more likely to be captured by pirates than having an accident. Despite that we are moving at the speed of light, this method of travel is relatively safe."

Phil decided it was a great time to "break the ice". "So, that friend we're off to save, it's someone important ?"

Obi-Wan sighed loudly. "Very much so. I do hope she's all right."

Suddenly, Phil's semi-serious personality changed. "Oh ! A lady friend ? She cute ?"

Obi-Wan cursed under his breath. "Well... yes."

Phil motioned to his chest. "Does she got big...erm... ti-"

Obi-Wan looked in outright shock and horror. "We are NOT having this conversation now, are we ?!"

Phil scratched his head. "What ? I was just askin'. No need to feel so..."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, trying to hold back his anger. "We will not continue this conversation any further, do I make myself clear, Phillip ?!"

Phil just shook his head, pouting. "Geez, man ! Don't be such a bore."

Obi-Wan looked at the information provided by the navicomputer, they were almost at their destination.

Several moments later, Phil decided to have a little fun and test Obi-Wan's patience. "Are we there yet ?"

"No." Obi-Wan answered gently at first.

"How about now ?" Phil shot back.

"No !"

"Now ?"

"NO !"

"Now ?"

"NO !"

"Right now ?"

Suddenly, Obi-Wan lost his patience. "No, no, no, no, no, no, NO ! FOR FORCE'S SAKE, PHILLIP ! ARE YOU TRYING TO DRIVE ME CRAZY ?!"

Phil snickered. "Ha ha ha ha ha ! I ain't even started, Kenobi ! By the end of this trip, you and your "girlfriend" will see the extent of the insanity that comes with me. They don't call me "Philthy Animal" for nothing, you know !"

"Do I really want to know ? By the way, she's not my "girlfriend" as you put it."

Phil made a shocked face. "She ain't ?! You sound real close to her the way you speak. Reminds me of my early days with Motorcycle Irene. Now that was a good woman. Blonde hair, chestnut eyes. Nice, big ti-"

Once again, Obi-Wan reacted with a horrified look. "TOO MUCH INFORMATION, PHILLIP ! I don't need to know the details of your private life, thank you !" Quickly calming down and focusing on what mattered, he pulled a lever, getting them out of hyperspace.

As the ship approached Mandalore's atmosphere, he began to think of a plan. "All right. We're here. It is of utmost importance that you do not endanger the mission because of your wild antics. We go in, rescue Satine, get back out and leave the system as quickly as possible. Can I truly count on you ?"

Phil suddenly became serious. "All right, I got it ! No goofing around. I'll do the best I can." He searched in his various pockets, he found a couple of plastic bags filled with a white powder-like substance. "Ohhh ! These will come in handy."

Obi-Wan had a suspicion of what these bags contained. "What are those ? Looks like some sort of spices to me."

Phil just blinked. "Um, no. Not spices at all, bud. This baggie in my right hand is Speed, keeps you awake and wired for days on end. In my left hand is Coke, gets you wired for a few moments. Mix these two... bad things can happen. If you overdose on both, you could probably die, but you'd be feeling like hell for a while too."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard in thought. "Hmmm... I wonder if Maul and his brother would be affected by these."

Phil put back both baggies in his pockets. "Won't know until we try, right ?"

Suddenly, Obi-Wan became impressed by Phil's bravery... or insanity depending on how one looked at the situation. "You're actually considering of entering the Royal Palace, facing both Maul and his brother ? You're either the bravest or the craziest man I've come across... even more than Anakin."

Phil gave Obi-Wan a high-five. "Woah ! Crazier than Skywalker, huh ? One hell of a compliment. I'll take it."

Sundari, Mandalore

As they landed, they could see a Super Commando waiting by the landing bay. Obi-Wan glanced at his partner. "What do we do with him ?"

"I have an idea."

Obi-Wan stared back at Phil. "Well ? What is it ?"

Phil began to steadily undress, much to the discomfort of Obi-Wan. The latter looked on in utter shock. "What do you think you're doing ?!"

Phil waved at the Jedi. "Chill, man. Chill. Hide in that closet over there ! I've got this !"

Obi-Wan wasn't so easily convinced. "Do you really ?"

Phil rolled his eyes as the boarding ramp lowered. "Trust me ! That guy won't know what hit him !"

Obi-Wan muttered quietly while Phil went down, stark naked.

The Super Commander couldn't believe his eyes. As Phil walked down the boarding ramp, he held his arms into the air, as if to surrender. "IT'S ALL RIGHT ! I'M ON DRUGS !" He hollered.

The Super Commando had no idea how to handle this particular situation. "Err... Sir ? Got any clothes on you ? Further more... Where's your landing permit ?!"

Phil searched his person. "Oh ?! Landing permit ? Oh, fucking drugs ! Ha ha ha ! I totally forgot I took off my clothes !" He pointed inside the vessel. "It's in there ! Come on then ! Up here !"

As the Super Commando followed him, Phil decided to lead him to the medical bay, picking up his clothes on the way. As Phil donned his clothes again, he dropped a line of Speed and Coke on the med table. "Here. While I look for that permit in these drawers, try these. Take a good, long sniff."

The Super Commando took off his helmet, revealing a rough looking face, blond hair with a buzz cut. He stared curiously at the lines of powder before him. "Why should I ?"

"Makes you feel great ! Watch !" Phil demonstrated by snorting the entire line of Speed. "Ooooooooohhhhh yeah ! That's the stuff !"

The Super Commando had no idea what he was getting himself into. Attempting to copy Phil, he tried to snort the full line of Coke, resulting in nearly choking on the substance. "Agh ! Hack ! *Cough* *Cough* H-how do you do it ?"

"Well... it does take practice. And uh... you might want to hang on, you're in for one hell of a trip !" Phil warned.

On cue, the Super Commando began to have a feeling of happinesss. "Wow ! This really feels great ! Thanks for that !" Moments later, his vision began to blur, his head began to throb, his ears rang. Looking at Phil, he saw four of him. "Woah woah woah WOAH ! What's happening ?!"

Phil knew exactly what the Super Commando was going through. "Ohhh... you're one of those poor saps that reacts to it quite badly. It'll only get worse !" His voice echoed in the Super Commando's head. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and ran off the ship screaming, clutching his head. Not long after he went off the boarding ramp, he took a wrong turn and fell off the landing pad to his death.

A moment later, Obi-Wan stepped out of the closet, now facing a fortunately fully clothed Phil. He looked around the ship. "Where did our friend go ? I heard plenty of screaming."

Phil just shot a smile. "He just freaked out, couldn't handle the Coke trip. Ha ha ha ! On a somber note, however, the poor bugger threw himself off the ground and into the void beyond."

Obi-Wan was slightly shaken by the tale. "That's one way to be rid of a guard, I guess. Well done. I had my doubts when you began to undress, but your antics broke his focus completely."

Phil nodded. "That was my intention. Crazy, but it worked like a charm, right ?"

Obi-Wan then cupped his chin. "Now... how am I going to sneak into the Royal Palace ?"

Phil motioned to Obi-Wan's Bounty Hunter suit. "How about I put that on ? I'll create a diversion while you can sneak around whereever your lady friend is."

"I was hoping I could keep it on me, actually. If I stroll around in my Jedi robes, I'll be captured before I can even get close to the Palace."

Phil looked out to the window, there was another Super Commando coming over. "There's your chance ! Bring him up here and we'll knock the wind out of him." Phil pointed.

As Obi-Wan walked down the boarding ramp, the Super Commando walked over to him. "Halt ! Do you have a landing permit ?"

Obi-Wan searched his person. "Oh, my. I believe I must have left it inside. Come with me." Leading the second Super Commando inside, he went just far enough so Phil could sneak in behind him and hit the back of his head with a broken pipe, knocking him unconscious.

"It's all I could find !"

Obi-Wan nodded. "It'll do. Now then, give me a moment." Within minutes, Obi-Wan stepped out of the refresher in full Super Commando armor, complete with the jetpack strapped on his back. He handed his Bounty Hunter suit to Phil. "Let's see you with these."

Taking the suit, Phil walked in the refresher, a few minutes later, he stepped out. "Hah ! Don't I look great ? Reminds me when myself, Lemmy and Eddie dressed as cowboys or desperados when we did a photo shoot for Ace of Spades' cover sleeve."

"Well then, we should get going. Our "friend" here won't be unconscious for too long." Obi-Wan suggested. Walking down the boarding ramp together, they found a nearby speeder. Entering some specific coordinates, the speeder flew automatically and reached the limits of the Royal Palace relatively quickly.

Royal Palace

Once the speeder stopped at the limits of the palace, both men disembarked and began to formulate a plan. Obi-Wan instructed Phil on how to reach the Throne Room, hoping Maul and Savage would be present so he could keep them distracted. Hopefully long enough for Obi-Wan to locate and rescue Satine from her cell.

Upon entering the palace, the two seperated, wishing each other good luck. While Obi-Wan went below for Satine, Phil went forward. As he neared the door to the Throne Room, the sudden realization that he was putting his own life on the line hit him like a wall of bricks.

"The trouble you get yourself for helping others, huh Taylor ?! What Kenobi told you on the ride here... Those two could just decide to rip you to pieces, then and there ! No use chickening out, it's do or die ! Here goes !"

As the door wooshed open, Phil saw the two crazed Zabraks at the other end. Maul lounged on the throne, while Savage was standing up, appearing to be lost in his thoughts. He cleared his throat. "Uh... hello ?" He waved innocently at them.

The Zabraks' concentration broken, both stared at the lone human. Maul adjusted his seating position. "And who might you be ? How... and... why did you come here ?"

Phil struggled slightly to contain his nervosity. "Well... I was, um, walking about and these doors just opened, so I figured I'd see where they lead. Mere curiosity." Phil stammered.

Maul let out an audible chuckle. "I see... I'm still waiting to know your name, stranger."

Phil took off his helmet, revealing his wild hair and serious face. At least he tried to remain serious. "I'm Phil Taylor, but you can call me "Philthy" if you'd want."

Savage was about to move in to intercept Phil, but Maul stopped him. "No need to waste any energy, Savage. There's no Force-Sensitivity emanating from this man, thus harmless and helpless before us." Maul turned his attention to the visitor. "I see no reason for mock-calling, Mr. Taylor. Your sudden appearance makes me curious : What brings you to the Lord of Mandalore ?"

"I could be of some use to you, I'm actually a decent physical fighter." Phil offered.

Savage scoffed at the idea. "Maybe you were before... Whoever you are, you're too old !"

Phil decided to start an arguement, buying some extra time for Obi-Wan. "Yeah, yeah. So I'm over 50... Doesn't make me any less potent. I've been in street gangs when I was younger. Caused more than a ruckus, I'll admit !"

Maul motioned for Phil to come closer. "There may be a place for you yet, but you must prove your worth to us first."

"If you want proof, then se-..." Sensing he was digging himself into trouble, he glared at the liquor cabinet behind them. "Please excuse me for interrupting, but is that Brandy I see in that cabinet ?"

Maul glanced back. "Indeed." Turning to Phil, he made his big mistake by allowing himself to be distracted with the new conversation topic. "You fancy a good Brandy, Mr. Taylor ?"

Phil lied his way through. "Do I ever ! The rarer and older, the better ! May I be given the opportunity to taste this elixir ?"

Savage shook his head, mouthing "No", but Maul saw no harm. "The finest Corellian Brandy. Nothing else comes close."

Phil extended his hands. "Can I hold it for a moment ?"

Maul reached inside the cabinet, pulling the bottle of Brandy out, handing it to Phil. "If you drop and break it, you'll forfeit your life. Agreed ?"

"Oh, I won't." Phil assured. "Wow ! I really like the design ! So classy !"

Maul couldn't help but chuckle at Phil's amazement. "It's 50 years old, what do you expect ?"

Phil nearly dropped the bottle with the revelation. "50 YEARS OLD ?! Holy Shit ! Must be the elixir of the Gods, then. Worthy enough for you." He glanced in various angles. "I can't get a good look at the color of the liquid. May I take it outside so I can see its splendor in natural sunlight ?"

Maul shrugged his shoulders, seeing no harm. "Be my guest. But remember, if you break it, you die."

"It won't get a scratch !" Phil promised. As he stepped outside, he tried to find an area where nobody would spot him. He found a small dark corner and sat down. At first, he pulled the cork and smelled the liquid. "Smells like booze, alright ! Let's see here..." He took a quick sip. He swished it in his mouth for a while before swallowing, trying to get some flavour out of it. As he swallowed, he let out a small belch afterwards. "Not bad. Not bad at all ! Reminds me of the Remy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac, only slightly better. Now... how am I going to ditch those goons ?" A proverbial lightbulb appeared over his head. "Of course ! Hopefully, they'll react even worse than that poor bastard."

Whistling a tune, he poured what remained of his Speed and Coke into the bottle. Putting the cork back on, he shook the bottle vigorously, ensuring that traces of the drugs could not be noticed by the naked eye. He took a quick sniff and taste to ensure that neither odor or taste had been altered. "Well then, I guess all that I need to do now is to persuade them into sharing a shot with me. Hopefully, the combination of Speed and Coke will be enough to knock them both out of commision..."

As he entered back into the throne room, Maul was still on his seat, tapping his fingers on the chair's arms. "You took quite a while to merely observe color, Mr. Taylor. I hope that it was... satisfying."

Phil nodded. "Oh, indeed ! It's absolutely splendid ! Only liquid coming from the finest casks could have such a glow. How about we all share a drink ? To commemorate our coming partnership, let's say ?"

Maul let out a creepy chuckle. "Agreed. Just a moment, let me get some proper glassware first." Maul focused and used the Force to bring 3 beautiful crystal tulip glasses, having one hover to each's hands. Phil did his best to hide his utter astonishment of seeing the feat with his own eyes. Phil poured himself a small shot, then passed it over to Maul, whom passed it over to Savage last.

Phil raised his glass to the two brothers. "To our alliance." He took a sip.

"To our alliance." Both Zabraks raised their glasses and gulped down their drinks in one shot.

Phil took another sip. "So... when do you want me to start ? What do you expect of me ?"

Maul let out an evil, foreboding laugh. "We expect you... Mr. Taylor... TO DIE !" He waved an arm at Savage. "You have no use for me ! Savage ! Bring me his head !"

Savage began to crack his knuckles, as he made his first step towards Phil, he began to feel strange. His vision began to blur, his breathing became laboured and his heartrate accelerated to a point that he collapsed on the floor. "B-brother ?! W-what's going on ?! Ooooohhhhhh ! Aaaaaaahhhhhh !"

Similar effects began to manifest themselves in Maul. He dropped his crystal glass and fell on his knees. "Argh ! We... We've been had, S-Savage ! WE'VE BEEN DRUGGED ! YOU ! CURSE YOU, TAYLOR ! CURSE YOU TO MALACHOR ! AAAAHhhhh ! OOOOOhhhhhhhh !"

As both Zabraks were now unconscious, Phil decided to gloat. "Yeah ! YEAH ! YEAH ! That's what happens when you mess with "Philthy Animal" Taylor ! No compromise ! In your face, man ! IN YOUR FACE !"

He decided to give them something else to not forget his presence. He gave good, hearty kick to Savage's butt. "One for you !" And then he prepared himself to do the same with Maul. "And one for -" His boot hit durasteel with a loud clank ! "YEEEEAOUCH ! Oh ho ho ho ho ho ! My poor tootsies !" He hopped on one foot, holding his wounded one. "Fucking hell ! Why does he have metal on his ass ?! Is he a cyborg or what ?! Ow ow ow ow ow OW !"

He hopped his way one-footed to the exit of the throne room, conveniently meeting up with Obi-Wan and Satine on their way out of the palace.

Obi-Wan was more than a little shocked. "By the Force, Phillip ! What did you do to yourself ? What of the brothers ?"

Phil gritted his teeth, grasping Obi-Wan tightly on the shoulder. "Next time, Kenobi, tell me one of them is a fucking cyborg ! I nearly broke my foot kicking his ass ! I tricked them into drinking some brandy loaded with my stash of Speed and Coke. They're out for a while ! You're welcome !"

"Whoever you are, I'm in your debt for giving Obi-Wan enough time to get me out of that cell. We should leave the system while the brothers are still unconscious." Satine suggested.

Fortunately, they were able to escape without pursuit. A few hours later, Prime Minister Almec arrived upon the two, barely regaining their bearings. "Lord Maul ! Lord Maul ! What happened ?"

Maul glared angrily. "Someone came and drugged us on purpose, Almec. Has anything happened while we were unconscious ?"

Almec nodded, swallowing nervously. "Alas, the Duchess has been taken away by the Jedi ! It was Kenobi !"

Maul trembled with rage. "That Taylor... He was in with Kenobi all along then ! He didn't intended to join us... He was only here to distract us... and we fell for his ruse ! My one chance for having my vengeance on Kenobi... gone." He was no longer able to contain his anger, he just let it out by screaming at the skies. However, Maul's day wasn't going to get any better. He received a "surprise visit" by none other than his former Master, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Both Maul and Savage were no match for him, ending in Savage getting killed and Maul being tortured before finally captured.

In Hyperspace, aboard the Twilight

As the ship flew towards Coruscant, the trio were sitting down, finally relaxing their shot nerves. Obi-Wan and Satine sat at the front, while Phil was at the back. Fortunately for him, his foot wasn't broken, but still ached. He moved around by limping slightly.

Satine looked over her shoulder. "Mr. Taylor, I know I've already thanked you more than enough, but I am forever grateful for your brave act. If there's anything you need, just ask." She smiled warmly at him.

Phil just winked at her. "Don't mention it. It was my pleasure, ma'am. I'd never allow a pretty lady like you suffer at the hands of those brutes." He stood up behind her, propping his elbows on the top of her seat. "You remind me of Motorcycle Irene. She was my girlfriend way back. She was so beautiful. She was also a good sport, she often took pictures of myself, Lemmy and "Fast" Eddie. Some of them appeared on the liners of the vinyls we released. Ahhh... to return back to our glory days of "Overkill", "Bomber" and "Ace of Spades". We were at the top ! It was great."

Satine scratched the back of her neck nervously. "You'll have to excuse me. I really no idea what you are talking about. What do you do ?"

Phil raised his eyebrows. "Oh, right ! I keep forgetting we're not in Los Angeles or London anymore. I'm a musician. I play drums."

Satine's mood elevated. "Oh ? I would love to hear you play."

Phil gave her a thumbs up. "Oh, you will soon. We're doing a big show at the Jedi Temple soon. We're just waiting for Ronnie James Dio to recover. Once he's ready, they'll get a show they won't soon forget."

Satine curiosity peaked. "A music show at the Jedi Temple ? Well, now I am even more interested. How would you describe the music you play ?"

Phil searched his vest. To his delight, he found a CD version of Ace of Spades in one of his many pockets. "Lookie here ! Didn't know I still had it." He turned his attention to Obi-Wan. "Hey, Kenobi ! Does this ship have a built-in CD player ?"

Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder. "A what ?"

Phil facepalmed. "Come on, man ! Are you for fucking real ?! You do-" He pointed at what looked like a CD slot on the control panel. "That thingy there ! Would this disc fit ?"

Obi-Wan groaned. "Oh yes. Sometimes Anakin or Ahsoka bring a data disc filled with annoying music ! I'm not sure I want to hear this..."

Satine pleaded. "Obi. Please. We could use a bit of further relaxation on our way to Coruscant."

Phil let out a nervous chuckle. "Ha ha ha. I probably wouldn't label our music as relaxing... It's not Speed Metal either, but still... You guys seem to really enjoy each other's company, so you might get a kick out of a song here. It's called "Love Me Like A Reptile"."

Both Obi-Wan and Satine stared at each other momentarily, speechless. Obi-Wan broke the silence as Satine kept giving him puppy dog eyes. "Oh, very well. Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this ?"

Phil rolled his eyes. "You won't know till you hear it, right ?" He inserted the disc into the slot and "Ace of Spades" came roaring through the speakers, shocking and scaring both Obi-Wan and Satine. "Hold on a sec ! This isn't it. Let's skip to the next song." When "Love Me Like A Reptile" began, Obi-Wan and Satine stared at each other as "Fast" Eddie's guitar coupled with Lemmy's distorted bass created a veritable wall of sound. Then the drum fills came in. "Hear that ? That's me ! Ain't I awesome or what ?!" But Phil's drumming was soon dominated by Lemmy's gravely voice with his distorted Rickenbacker bass rumble. "Fast" Eddie contributed a few quick solos throughout the song. The chorus wasn't exactly sing-along material, but even as it sounded so alien to both, Satine couldn't help herself by tapping her feet to the rythm of the song.

As the song ended, both breathed a sigh of relief. Satine coughed. "You'll have to excuse me, Mr. Taylor. I have never heard your kind of music. It's so loud... so... so aggressive ! I'm not sure if I could handle a full show of this type of music."

Phil patted her on the shoulder. "No worries, ma'am. It ain't all like that though. We're fast and rough, but the other band that's playing with us have slower moments. You'll see..."

Obi-Wan let out a loud sigh. "I sincerely hope for gentler moments." His attention was brought to the navicomputer. "Finally ! We can disengage from hyperspace. We've arrived upon Coruscant."

Jedi Temple Hangar

As the Twilight landed, the welcoming comittee comprised of Anakin, Lemmy and Yoda.

Lemmy breathed a sigh of relief as the boarding ramp lowered, revealing Phil first. "I was beginning to wonder where you disappeared to ! Hopefully, you didn't get into too much trouble... right ?"

Phil was unable to hold his excitement further. "I came ! I saw ! I CONQUERED ! YAAAAHHHHH !" He had to explain a bit. "I survived a meeting with Darth Maul and Savage Opress ! I kept them distracted long enough for Kenobi to rescue her. How metal is that ?! Huh ?! Huh ?! Huh ?!"

Lemmy pulled Phil into a hug and patted his back. "Well done, mate ! Thanks to you, I see that this "bird" still lives. Good job !"

As Obi-Wan walked down followed by Satine, Anakin respectfully bowed his head. "Duchess Satine, it's good to see you again after all this time."

Satine returned the gesture. "Thank you for your kind words, General Skywalker. It is thanks to the alliance of General Kenobi and... Mr. Taylor, that I was freed from imprisonment."

Yoda walked over to Obi-Wan and Satine. "Duchess Satine, what happened to your homeworld, terrible. Seeing you alive, brings warm feelings to my heart." He smiled.

"Thank you, Master Jedi. I can only hope that my homeworld will eventually be restored to its former peaceful glory."

"A decision, the Senate will make. A peaceful transition, there must be. Yes." Yoda led them into the Temple. "Weary, you must be. Tea to help you relax, we have. Come, come."

As Satine, Obi-Wan and Yoda disappeared further into the Temple halls, Anakin couldn't help but smirk. "Heh, I didn't think this would end well. Thanks for the assist, Phil. You've made my former Master a very happy man."

Phil nearly choked on laughter. "Tell me about it ! There's a lot of good reasons to be happy with that woman. She seems one of a kind."

Anakin nodded. "Indeed. If you'll excuse me, I do have some personal business to tend to. I'll see you guys later." With that, he headed off to meet with Padme.

Lemmy and Phil walked side by side through the halls. "There's good news : Ronnie is back 100% ! You wouldn't believe his age with all the energy he has. He sang for the first time since he lost consciousness. He's still killing it ! He, Tony, Geezer and Vinny played "Mob Rules" earlier today. They were on fire !"

Phil was relieved by the developments. "That's great to hear ! Are we going to do anythng special on the coming show ?"

Lemmy stopped and turned to Phil. "Nothing that Eddie hasn't worked on. That girl, Ahsoka, selected a mighty fine setlist for us and Sabbath. We cover everything from "Motörhead" to "Iron Fist". Of course, the obligatory classics are in, but there are a couple of less known songs from our time with Eddie."

"Even if it's just the early stuff, it's still going to be good." Phil added.

Lemmy couldn't help but smile. "Yeah ! We'll start rehearsing tomorrow. Get some rest. You deserve it after that adventure with Kenobi."

The next day...

Anakin stepped outside of the Temple's entrance, staring down at the long stairway leading into the streets. Checking his chrono and tapping his left foot, he waited. "Anytime now..."

Moments later, his gaze met with the pleasant sight of Padme coming up to him. "Senator." He bowed politely before her.

She quickly reached and began to walk alongside him. "Sorry I'm late, there was an important privacy bill I couldn't ignore. It has been a while since I came here. Why were you so insistent on me coming here ?"

He gave a smirk. "I've got a surprise. A couple, actually." He motioned to a particular hallway. "Follow me."

At the end of the hall stood a person she didn't expect. "Satine ?! What are you doing here ? Who's ruling over Mandalore in your stead ?"

Satine tried her hardest to look happy. "Hello, Padme ! It has been a long time." Then her smile faded. "Alas, Mandalore is currently under the control of Darth Maul and his Shadow Collective. I would have been executed if not for General Kenobi and Mr. Taylor to come and rescue me. Unfortunately, I cannot talk about this too much. I have little choice but to trust on the Republic to help my people, in any means they see fit... even if it means a temporary occupation of the planet."

Padme raised an eyebrow. "Who's Mr. Taylor ?"

"A most unexpected ally, I must say. Quite odd in his ways, but very capable." Obi-Wan explained.

The quartet walked through the halls. Looking around, Padme recognized where it was leading. "General Skywalker, why are you taking us to the Funeral Pyre room... has someone died ?"

Anakin looked over to her. "Fortunately no, Senator Amidala. Currently, the room serves a completely different purpose." As he reached the door, Ahsoka stood by the entrance, seemingly guarding it. "How are they doing ?"

Ahsoka let out a haughty laugh. "Ronnie and co. have done the first part of their rehearsals. Now it's Lemmy and his boys' turn... and there appears to be some technical difficulties."

As the five entered, they first saw the Heaven & Hell group sitting nearby. Lemmy had headphones on, his Rickenbacker bass in his hands. Phil was sitting on the drum stool, waiting for the session to start. "Fast" Eddie held his Stratocaster guitar in one hand and was fiddling with some knobs. They were trying to record an overdub to gauge their performance, Eddie had trouble getting it started. "Just a bit more. I've almost got it." He assured.

Lemmy's patience was quickly thinning. "COME ON, FOR FUCK'S SAKE ! HOW LONG IS THIS GONNA TAKE ?! "ACE OF SPADES" !"

On cue, the recording began to play and Lemmy immediately overdubbed his bass lines. Phil and Eddie played their respective parts, almost exactly like the original studio recording. Padme's jaw dropped wide open as she first heard the gravely voice of Lemmy while his distorted bass rumbled loudly. Phil's drumming was perfectly in rythm with the bass lines while Eddie played a couple of quick solos. The group rested their instruments and Lemmy removed his additional headphones.

Once the song was over, Ronnie prompted everyone to clap. "Motörhead, ladies and gentleman ! The LOUDEST band in my book. Whew ! Lemmy, let me tell you : My bones were shaking with that constant rumble ! Love it !"

Lemmy bowed before the "audience" and tipped his cavalry hat in front of Padme. "Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister... at your service, ma'am. Who might you be ?" He smiled warmly as usual.

Padme was caught off-guard by his manners. "Senator Padme Amidala. A pleasure to meet you, sir. I've never heard music this loud before."

He raised his eyebrows, giving a goofy smile. "Aha ! Another one new to our sound ! Don't worry. You'll get used to it soon enough."

Once Lemmy walked away for a Jack n' Coke, Ronnie stood up from his chair to meet with the two ladies. Shaking both Satine and Padme's hand, he also gave a friendly smile. "Hello to both of you beautiful ladies. I'm Ronnie James Dio, over there are Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Vinny Appice and Scott Warren. Our band is called Heaven & Hell. Would you like us to play something for you ?"

Padme turned over to Ahsoka. "Should they ?"

Ahsoka happily nodded. "Absolutely. This man has a truly amazing voice. I'm sure you'd enjoy hearing "Children of The Sea"." She winked over to Ronnie.

Ronnie gave Ahsoka a thumbs up. "A great suggestion if I ever heard one ! Come on, guys. Let's give these ladies and General Kenobi a taste of our sound."

As the song began, Ronnie started off with a gentle, almost feminine voice. Soon, his voice went higher and higher and soon reached its crescendo. Tony first played some acoustic guitar, before switching to his usual Gibson SG electric guitar by the time Ronnie hit his highest note, delivering a memorable riff and elevating the pleasure of the listening experience. Both Vinny and Geezer provided perfect rythm while Scott's keyboards added an etheral feel to the music. As Ronnie was ending the song with "LOOK OUT ! It's never, never, never, never coming back ! LOOK OUT !", everyone felt a shiver down their spine as Ronnie's vocal delivery was most definitely special.

Now it was Lemmy's turn to shower with compliments. "Well done, mates ! Well done indeed."

Ronnie walked over to him, also pointing to Eddie and motioning for him to come over. "Now, I know that Lemmy saw the setlist that Ahsoka prepared for us. She actually heard the Dio album Angry Machines, thanks to Vinny. "Don't Tell The Kids" is the chosen song off the album. Can I ask you both to do Jeff Pilson and Tracy G's parts respectively ?"

Lemmy gave a shocked look. "Pilson ? Didn't he play in Dokken too ?"

Ronnie nodded. "The same guy, Lemmy. Do you think you can pull it off ?"

"Sure, I'm in."

"Awesome !" Ronnie turned to Eddie. "Do you feel comfortable to do Tracy's parts ?"

Eddie held a hand on his forehead. "Gee, Ron. I-I don't know. I don't have that pedal that makes those weird sound effects, you know ?"

Ronnie reasured him. "As far as I can recall, he didn't use his pedal in this particular song."

"Come on, aren't you "Fast" Eddie or not ? You can do it !" Lemmy encouraged.

"Yeah, I guess so." Eddie conceded.

"That's the spirit !" Ronnie cheered. "Also... If both of you are cool with it, I'd like to throw in "Stand Up and Shout" from Holy Diver right after. What do you think ?"

Lemmy beamed instantly. "Ahhh... So I also get to channel Jimmy Bain ? Yeah, I'm down for that. Jimmy and I probably had some drinks together... I don't really remember."

Eddie breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm in too. Vivian Campbell is more my kind of player. Nothing against Tracy, but without that pedal he has, it's impossible to do those crazy effects."

Ronnie shook both mens' hand. "Then it's settled ! With everything we've got, we're gonna give these people one hell of a show ! It'll be great !"

Tony walked over to Lemmy and Ronnie. "It's official. We're performing in a week from now. More than enough time for all of us to refamiliarize ourselves with all the material thrown at us."

Over the following week, 6 band lineups, most slightly altered, rehearsed their material. As the days went by, everyone felt more comortable about the live performance. Surprisingly, Ian Gillan discovered that he was still able to nail his songs on Born Again, albeit with a slightly lower register. He wouldn't go as high, but still managed to get the job done right.

Another major chapter ends, definitely the last one for this year at least. The holidays are coming up and they are insanely busy times. When I return next year, we're tackling the BIG concert for the Jedi and honored guests. I wanted Satine to survive in this story, so that's why I pushed it a chapter further. What did you think of Phil's inclusion in this chapter ? Did I go too far with the language and drug references ? Hopefully not. Happy Holidays to all readers/reviewers in advance. Stay safe as always. Feel free to leave a review.