Chapter 8: The Reunification Blueprint

Eleanor was in the loft working on her translation work. She was much happier now that she was no longer working at the Cheesecake Factory. While a small part of her did miss cooking, that part was drowned out by the fact that she didn't have to deal with the utter jackasses that made up the management team. Penny was also much happier to have her at home…

She paused, setting her quill down. Home. This might be the first place she truly thought of as home outside of Hogwarts. True it was just an apartment, but it was her and Penny's apartment. It was a safe space for both of them. She smiled and took a sip of tea that Winky discreetly kept full.

Anyway, Penny was much happier to have her home. Penny herself was still working at the Cheesecake Factory for now. However, she was no longer a waitress, she was shadowing the bartenders so that she could take over for them when they inevitably left for bigger and better drinking establishments. Management had only been willing to allow that once they realized that Penny was 'really efficient' in restocking the drinking glasses used at the bar. In other words, Eleanor had trained her how to do wandless cleaning spells. Penny enjoyed being clever and sneaking the magically cleaned glasses back into circulation. She was also convinced that bartending would help her pick up leads for her acting career from the drunk patrons. Eleanor didn't have the heart to tell Penny that it was unlikely the Hollywood people would be getting drunk at the Pasadena Cheesecake Factory.

Knock, Knock, Knock, "Eleanor."

Knock, Knock, Knock, "Eleanor."

Knock, Knock, Knock, "Eleanor."

She discreetly cast a silencing spell at the door handle and deadbolt. Then she cast an unlocking charm before removing the silencing spell.

"It's unlocked, Swe….Sheldon."

She wasn't sure why she had wanted to call him Sweetie right there. She frowned briefly. She seemed to be picking up a few habits from both Penny and Sheldon. That was kind of weird.

The door opened and Sheldon walked in. He was clearly upset about something.

"Tea, Sheldon? The pot's still fresh and the cups are in the usual cabinet."

"Thank you, Eleanor."

He went to the cabinet and pulled out the teacup that was labeled Sheldon/Sweetie (Penny had insisted on the second part). A slight smile came to his face despite that, and he came over and poured himself a cup.

"Standard Book of Spells," he asked, catching the title of the book she was translating.

"That pagan subculture I hail from has quite a few books like this. There are apparently similar subcultures in France but the people in Britain are too xenophobic to even consider translating their books to sell them there. Since I don't have those prejudices and know the language, I was hired to do it for a financial institution that's looking to expand into that market niche."

"I see…do the 'spells' work?"

"Somewhat," Eleanor admitted.

Sheldon cocked an eyebrow at that.

"Let's take the color changing charm for instance, does the incantation really change the item's color or does saying the incantation cause you to think that the color changed?"

"Ah."

"Besides, let's assume for the moment magic is real. We're talking about a force of nature that's capable of altering matter on an atomic level in many cases. Why would a specific movement with a piece of wood and a couple of Latinish words be necessary for something that powerful? It makes more sense for the person's intent to be responsible for the change just like how other superheroes activate their powers."

"So, the movement and incantation would just be a crutch to trick the mind into focusing on the desired result?"

"Precisely."

Sheldon nodded, that at least made sense.

"So, what's troubling you, Sheldon?"

"I dislike change," he began abruptly, "I will concede that some changes are good. Raj is a much better roommate than Hofstadter for instance. I am still not sure if you no longer being at the Cheesecake Factory is a good change or not."

"It's good for me even if I do miss cooking for you, Sweetie. I was getting frustrated with management, and it was only a matter of time before I cursed them out, especially with how annoying certain people were being the last few weeks. Better to quit with a semblance of a decent relationship still intact than to storm out."

"You still cook the best burger, Eleanor."

"Perhaps we can get a grill and stash it on the roof. We'd need a grill that captures the ash in a pot so we can properly dispose of it. Beyond that, I doubt we'll have any problems."

Sheldon frowned, "Are you sure the landlords would allow that?"

"I asked because Penny expressed an interest in getting a grill too. Something about American football being better with burgers and hotdogs. They're fine with it if sensible precautions are taken."

Eleanor took a sip of tea to hide her smile. She had had the goblins buy the building with the Pluton vault. So, she was now the landlord.

"By the way, how did the lift break? I was told the thing exploded."

Sheldon scowled and sighed, "Hofstadter was working on some rocket fuel at Caltech shortly after moving into the apartment. He brought the fuel home to show Joyce Kim, the North Korean spy he was having sexual intercourse with. Instead, he, Raj and Wolowitz decided to mix some fuel together for Howard's rocket. Naturally, Leonard got the conversion ratios wrong and created a mixture that was rapidly approaching the point of sudden exothermic release. I got him to put it into the elevator, got us both out and had the elevator begin its descent just before it exploded. To this day, I do not know why I did not report Hofstadter to the Landlord, the Pasadena Police Department and Homeland Security when all of them investigated the incident."

Eleanor blinked as her mind went back through what Sheldon had just told her.

"He should be in prison. He was intended to turn over, what I assume, was highly classified information to a random woman he was having sexual intercourse with. Then he created an explosive device that would have been lethal had it not been properly contained. He should be in prison."

"I have no explanations as to why he is not. Even without my testimony, I would have thought that Homeland Security could have figured it out between the project he was working on at Caltech and the formula in his handwriting that was on his whiteboard which was his wholly inadequate attempt to adjust the mixture for Wolowitz's rocket."

Eleanor was damned tempted to go to MACUSA with the information. Even if it was a mostly Muggle matter, MACUSA took a very dim view of random explosions by anyone. She doubted he'd get arrested even if she did just due to how much time had elapsed but maybe she should send a message to them anyway so that they could be on the lookout for future risky behavior. Eleanor looked Sheldon in the eyes and did a gentle probe to acquire that memory as well as the ones involving the investigation afterwards.

"So, change," she asked aloud.

"Wolowitz being shacked up with the whore of Omaha is not good for the group. As annoying as he is, Wolowitz does bring a positive value to the group. Most meals are easier to split four ways than three and you've generally refused to accompany us."

"Well, Leonard's not my favorite person by a long shot and Raj can't talk around me. So, me accompanying you would be counterproductive. If I'm going to have dinner with you, Sheldon, I'd rather cook for you here without the other two than go out to a restaurant."

Sheldon nodded acknowledging the point, "Still the three-person dynamic does not work for the routine I've established for the group. Both the restaurants and Halo work better with four people. While you or Penny could fill that role temporarily, I am loath to intrude on the time you two are able to get together with your respective work schedules."

"That is part of the reason I shifted to translation work," Eleanor admitted, "My schedule and Penny's weren't lining up quite as much as I had hoped. Penny does enjoy playing Halo with you guys though."

"Yes, but you tend to be uncomfortable sitting there watching us play."

"I understand it's more convenient than paintball or fencing but I just don't see the appeal of the Halo multiplayer you guys engage in."

"To each their own. Though out of curiosity is it the videogame aspect that doesn't appeal or that specific contest?"

"Haven't played enough video games for that to be a factor so for the moment it's just that specific contest."

"Perhaps you'd enjoy a role-playing game such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic? That game is best experienced without spoilers. So, the sooner you play it the less likely Wolowitz or Hofstadter are to devalue the game's plot."

"Penny has said that I need to find something to do that's less 'work adjacent' as a hobby."

"I can loan you my Xbox gaming system and the game. You will need to connect it to the television," he paused and looked to where it used to be.

"Wolowitz and the whore of Omaha fucked on the sofa. We haven't gone furniture shopping yet. Thankfully my room was spared. So, we moved the Telly in there."

"Sensible. Would you like me to investigate possible replacement televisions for the living room so you can have one out here in case Penny wishes to have people come over and watch football?"

"Please. I wouldn't know the first thing about picking a good Telly. Now as for your quandary, just push the guys to bring Wolowitz back into the group. The guys have long since decided humoring you is easier than opposing you so wait till the next Halo night and make your discomfort with Wolowitz's absence known."

"Why next week?"

"Whores only engage in sexual intercourse when their customers have the means to pay for their services. Wolowitz still lives with his mother from what I've picked up. I've yet to hear of a mother who approves of gold-digging sluts seducing their sons. Between the money he's spending on her and his mother's disapproval, Wolowitz will be more likely to come back without complaints in another week."

Sheldon pondered her advice for a moment, "Thank you, Eleanor. I'll be back in a moment with the Xbox. While I believe you are competent enough to set it up yourself, I would rather do so myself."

"Thank you, Sheldon."

[New Game - Loading]

Anora blinked. Eleanor had inserted the game disk, gone through the main menu and selected New Game. Now she had shifted to Anora and was very clearly not in her bedroom. How did she know this? Well for one, she was standing up when she had been sitting. For another she had a massive headache. Information about starships, their weakness and how to pilot them appeared in her head. Multiple languages, multiple weapons and a general outline of the current state of Galactic Affairs were also contributing to the headache. She knew about the Mandalorian War and now The Sith War being headed by Darth Revan and Darth Malak.

She reached out with her magic and felt something reach out to greet her. It wasn't a visible presence, but it was all around her. It seemed curious about her and hopeful. Her mind filled with knowledge of the most common Force techniques. As if it wanted her to try to mimic those rather than use most of her native magic at least as far as combat went. It also revealed that she wasn't the story's protagonist. That was some amnesiac human male. Instead, she was a companion, albeit one who could guide things more than most and see where the protagonist was in relation to her.

Then there was her backstory. She was apparently the sole survivor of a planet that had been attacked by the Mandalorians. The Mandalorians had put down her people, the Wolvar, like rabid kath hounds. She had managed to find a defensive position that the Mandalorians couldn't just blow up. They tried. She had been pulled from the wreckage by Revan when he had come to investigate the planet. She had followed him like a 'loyal hound' as the mocking Malak had observed. She had gone with both Revan and Malak to the Unknown Regions. At that point, the heroes had lived long enough to become villains.

Both Malak and Revan had been caught by the True Sith and brainwashed with commands to make war against the Jedi and the Republic. Her shapeshifting had allowed her to avoid being caught. Malak's mocking aside, unless the Sith were in a sadistic mood, hounds were ignored. She had spent the time infiltrating Dromund Kaas and learning what she could. The Force didn't allow her to confront the leaders, but it did allow her to find secrets that were long forgotten including about the Emperor who would be the sole god if he had his way.

Eventually, the Force prompted her to leave. She snuck aboard the ships and began dealing with the spies that the Emperor had slipped into Revan's crew. There were brief moments where she thought he noticed her, but he never confirmed it. By the time they reached known space, the Emperor's stooges were dead. Knowing she couldn't do any more (the Force was very insistent on that point), she had slipped off the ship during one of the dog fights with the Republic. She eventually found her way to Taris. Then the headache receded, and the world fully came into focus.

"Huh," came an unwelcome gruff voice, "Didn't know any of you Wolvar survived."

She turned to look at the voice's owner. A gruff man with short gray hair, his face was that of an arrogant warrior in looks but otherwise unremarkable. He wore a black cloth shirt with no sleeves, tan pants and a dark red leather-like jacket. He had a multi-barreled heavy repeater close at hand.

"Almost didn't. Your fellow attack dogs decided I was costing them too many people and brought the building down on top of me," she pointed a claw at her forehead where her familiar lightning bolt scar was, "Though I'm surprised you didn't know before now. I was Revan's 'loyal hound' as the kriffing jawless traitor put it."

"Didn't think those rumors were true, especially after you vanished. So, what brings you out now?"

"I'm getting the same sense of foreboding that I had before the attack on Wolvar. I'm looking for a way off this sick city, especially now that the people who bombed Telos back into an uninhabited rock oversee the Sith."

"A good point Wolvar. I know of a ship that can get us past the blockade. I just don't have the codes. The droid needed to hack the system isn't ready yet. Even when it is ready, I can't be the one to use it. They'll be at my current employer's base in a swoop racing second if I stole the code."

"So, passage off-world if I help get the codes?"

"Yep. My word as a warrior that you will be taken off planet, and I won't space you or abandon you in a port you can't get another ship in."

"Fair. Mando," she paused as her nose caught the scent of someone familiar.

She turned and looked and saw Him.

"You know what they say about loyal hounds," she remarked as she watched Him (and the Republic soldier accompanying him) talk to people in the cantina, "We never forget a scent."

The Mandalorian's eyes followed where she was looking, "By Mandalore's helmet, this changes things."

"Agreed. We need to figure out how to get him off-world with us. Even if we have to grant passage to five more people, we cannot let him perish here even if it looks like he doesn't know what he once did."

"How can you tell?"

"Because he doesn't know me from a Cathar. There's a lack of recognition in his eyes that was there even when the actual Sith brainwashed him."

"How in Mandalore's name did you survive the actual Sith, Wolvar?"

"No one pays attention to the mutt if it doesn't bark and keeps to itself, Mando. The Jedi and Sith aren't the only people with abilities. Unfortunately, my people were too inbred to develop them."

"Why hasn't Republic spotted you?"

"Funny thing about the Jedi and Sith both tend to focus on combat powers. They forget that something as powerful as the Force should be able to be used for much more."

"I think if your people hadn't been inbred, we wouldn't have had a chance."

Anora gave him a feral grin.

"If you're able to get the codes, meet me back here. We'll come up with a reason to get him off world with us."

"That's easy. Self-preservation. If we make it clear that he and I'm assuming the Jedi he's looking for are off-world, then the jawless bastard's less likely to bother wasting time destroying the planet."

"So, we need to speed things up?"

"Yep. We also need to do some significant damage on the way out."

"What do you suggest?"

"The codes should work for more than one ship. We convince your employer and the other lowlifes to attempt to run the blockade in their worst ships that just so happen to flub the jump to hyperspace and hit the capital ships in orbit."

The Mandalorian looked at her, "You already have the codes, don't you?"

"Who do you think forced your fellow Mandos to come out from behind their fancy shields," she replied with an evil grin, "I'm exceptionally good at getting into places I shouldn't. However, their ships are tracked so I needed a different one."

The Mandalorian nodded, "I'll tell Davik about the idea. Knowing that bastard, he'll be quick to cut some of the chaff by arranging for them to go against the ships in orbit. Are you sure that Malak won't just bomb the planet while we're on it?"

"Once his net's destroyed, he'll have no choice but to assume that his target is off-world. He already owns the planet so he'll shift his resources especially if I'm right and we can injure him badly when the blockade is being broken."

She slid a datapad across the table to the Mando.

"I'll get on that," he replied picking up the datapad, "I know just the lowlives to take the hit for us. So going to deal with our old friend?"

A mischievous smile came to Anora's face, though many in the cantina would have a hard time distinguishing it from a predatory smile due to all the sharp teeth, "Of course, just because we plan to eliminate the opposition doesn't mean I want to stay on this rock any longer than necessary."

"Agreed Wolvar. May your blaster aim true, and your blade stay sharp."

"May your repeater refrain from overheating until you have set it down."

"That's a good one, Wolvar."

[Save Game - Exit Game]

Eleanor used the end of the conversation to save her game. She blinked. She was back in her bedroom. The Telly showed a comparable amount of progress made. She still had all the knowledge though.

She looked in her mindscape. It had reconfigured itself into a small galaxy-like structure. At the center was a Jupiter sized planet. It was populated by her original mental constructs and was clearly intended to symbolize the entirety of her. Then there was a small moon on which her new knowledge could be found.

It was all very curious. She idly wondered if anyone attempting Legilimency on her would now wind up in the void of space. In any case, she had played for long enough. It was time to get back to work.

AN: I did mention that I had shenanigans planned for Eleanor. Not sure if I'm going to be keeping these video-game sequences in this fic or separating them out into a companion piece. At the moment, I'm leaning toward keeping them in since I'm scene hopping rather than trying to recreate the game's entire story. So sadly, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic's characters won't get much development or screen time in this story. They're going to fall more into recurring guest roles; here for a few episodes and that'll likely be it.