Teach a man to Fish, he eats well. Teach Fish to hate, and he may yet conquer.

[Olom Grihk]

----Glee Anselm----


[member="Nomad Crimson"]


A practical paradise world. A garden by any other stretch of human imagination. Olom Grihk was on a world that often and rightly described as one of the most beautiful in the galaxy. However, Olom was not here to enjoy the verdant oceans or pedestrian pleasure of tourism. Nor was he here for the frequent Sith usage of the planet, which was to simply indulge in vices and meditate upon pleasure itself. His aim was hardly that simple.



The diminutive monster who hid himself from even other Sith was here because he had heard murmurs from the Force. Rumors of some sort of power to be found here. It was probably a lie, but it never hurt to chase down a myth, even if it was whispered in a cauldron. Besides, wherever there was rumor of power, there were those wishing to seek it. Even if the supposed power was false, there was a chance it would lure someone worth observing.




He bided his time, slowly wandering through the swampy area, tucking his robe slightly, sticking to the branches that could support his small weight. He grinned, waiting to see what or whom he could find to amuse himself in these branches.

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]

Nomad was on Glee Anselm, at first not for knowledge or power but after spending a little time with family he heard a rumour of knowledge.

Nomad emerged from the water. His mask of good health was gone. He had some way to walk to reach his ship, although that didn't bother him, he enjoyed the sand, swamps and water of the planet.

His connection to the force was diminished; a flicker, not even a ripple.

Other treasure hunters were around him, looking for clues, not him. He was heading to his ship. There he could gather more information, however he had to pass through a swamp.

The swamp held more than one force user.

 

[Olom Grihk]

The deadly munchkin continued his wandering through the swamp, his eyes pouring for someone of interest, or something of value. He'd blown a good bit of money on fuel for this expedition, and it would be a true shame if he left empty-handed. Still, the force-sensitive half-pint from hell grinned, letting his needle-like teeth flicker in the dimly-lit swamp. Something came up form the water, and he turned towards it. He was a good hundred meters away, but he could close the gap. He slowly ambled towards the stranger, debating how to confront him, focusing on his energies in the force. The Nautolan had the gift, but seemed to lack much training. Interesting. Hopefully, this would be better than his encounter with that cumbersome behemoth of a spy.




He didn't need another weekend in a bacta tank, after all. He slowly strode towards his...newfound subject of interest. He calmly raised a clawed hand in greeting hoping to gain the man's attention. "Hello," he said calmly. "You're the first native son of this planet I've seen running though this swamp. Tell me, what brings you here?"




He smiled politely and bowed his large, cumbersome head in politeness--after all, simply because he could kill the boy quickly was no reason to be rude. Or actually harm him. After all, the potential of a dead man is nothing. The potential of a life, however, was a valuable thing. A lesson he learned on Dxun, after training through hell alongside the likes of Kaine and Tricia Kalamak. A lesson that was...rare among the Sith. But one thing that Olom had was an actual respect of the value of things. While he sought to grow more powerful like all Sith, he didn't fall for the trap of narcissistic nihilistic foolishness. No, his demented worldview sought value in all things, even the ones that tried to end him.




He smiled as he bowed, a good thousand thoughts running through his head. "I'm Olom. A pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said, focusing his energy internally to draw strength from the force. He had to prepare himself, in case of danger.



[member="Nomad Crimson"]

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]

Nomad swung around to find.... nothing- wait, just a really small person. Almost like a no-hood Jawa. Nomad listened to the small creature, he spoke basic, which was a start. "Hello," he said in return. "I was here visiting.... friends, I heard a rumor of knowledge and I started looking for clues. At the rate I'm going I need it. and what of you? Why are you here?"

Nomad chose to remain friendly for the time being. He couldn't win a fight, even against a no-hood jawa.

"I'm Nomad, good to meet you" he said in a friendly tone, putting his mask of good health on once more.

 

[Olom Grihk]

He nodded, listening to the younger man's words. Knowledge...that was the first person he had questioned who had even mentioned the word. People with curiosity, people with a desire to know. That was rare. It amused him slightly. He smiled. "Knowledge comes in many forms, Nomad," he said quietly.



"I have also heard reports that there was something around here. However, given this planet's history, it's as likely to be buried beneath the water as above it. I suppose a rebreather might be in order..." he mused out loud. "But first, let's head back to where you were going and compare notes. What have you found thus far?" He decided to help the young man on his hunt. He figured it would at least be interesting to see if this one was a worthwhile candidate. After all, he could use someone with a little muscle.


He blinked. "My actual motives are not just knowledge, but observation. I want to see how and what occurs surrounding this hunt. It tends to bring out interesting people." He began, walking calmly. "Your heart seems heavily weighed, however. If I may ask, why do you journey alone?"


[member="Nomad Crimson"]

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]

"I haven't really gathered anything yet." Nomad replied to the smaller being, thinking about what he said. 'Knowledge comes in many forms'.

"You're probably right about the under water thing, however most would think that, they might have hidden it on the surface. A reverse psychology thing" Nomad's thoughts continued to swirl around the other creature. He had never encountered someone like him before. This would be interesting.

Nomad went very silent, weighing whether he could trust the no-hood Jawa. "My friends are kept busy, and my master he..... died, a while ago" he said gloomy. He didn't want to believe Oka was dead but there was no evidence that he was alive.

A single tear fell from his round eye. It pasted rolled down his cheek and fell onto the floor. "And what of you, why are you alone?" he asked, distracting is mind.

 

[Olom Grihk]

[member="Nomad Crimson"]


Olom simply nodded thoughtfully, his tone seeming curious, but soft. "True. An aquatic temple would actually be more likely to be found, given your people's amphibious nature," he said calmly. "Perhaps such an entrance would be best served by hiding above. It'd throw off people, to be certain," he said with a slight smirk. Cunning, deceptive plans meant a well-designed and well-preserved temple. Considering such possibilities meant the young man was not lacking in cunning himself.


He observed the young man as he continued to speak. Grief, exhaustion, weariness of the world itself seemed to swim through his head. He maintained a solemn quiet out of respect as the Nautolan mentioned his former master's death. Although it was an opportunity for the Columi, it was not wise to snatch upon it too early. He let the man endure his pain for but a moment before he questioned him in turn. The truth for the truth was a fair trade.


"I was formerly a military officer. The government I served crumbled, so I left. That having been said, I've grown tired of seclusion over the years, and have decided to begin my own work," he said calmly. "Finding good companions to travel alongside me is also of value. That being said, we do not lose people permanently," he said with a nod. "In a sense, those we seek to learn from and work with live on in us even after we've been separated form them, either by death or fate," he said, focusing his words in the force. He was bringing the man back to the pain, but gently. For in order to truly understand the darkness, one had to learn how to see through the suffering involved, and begin to embrace it as a natural part of the order of the Galaxy.

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]

Nomad nodded at the smaller person's story. "I'm not sure I understand, but okay." He didn't feel right, something was off. Not the normal off, a big kind of off. Sorrow, anger. It was all flowing back to Nomad, but how? he couldn't tell. Unless the Columi was the reason, but that couldn't be right either.

"I er.... I apologise. I'm not normally this upset." He rubbed his eyes to try and get the tears flowing but that just made a mess. He looked past some of the swamp's trees. he heard rustling, as if something was following them. He kept it to him self. It was probably nothing.

"My ship is a little further that way" he finally said, pointing over a small hill. He was trying to ignore his pain, but it wasn't working.

 

[Olom Grihk]

(OOC: sorry for taking forever and a half to get back to you. Moving this week made me kind of busy. Should get back to you faster as the week progresses.)




Olom followed the man, swearing he sensed a brief flicker of heat nearby. may have been something, may not have been. Was never easy to tell in a swamp which things were just bubbles or actual things trying to actually kill you. Although a bubble could be lethal in the right hands.



He spoke gently, no nudging with the force this time as he acknowledged the man's pain. "It's understandable. We all have our regrets and our losses. However, even in loss, and grief, we can find knowledge, and resolve. Do not be ashamed of mourning--it is a necessary part of realizing things."


He followed along. "Hmm. Perhaps with your ship's scanners, I can run a sensor array. I was always quite good at the technical work," he mused out loud to the Nautolan. "Despite my rather limited methods within the force, I was more frequently called upon for technical expertise."He smiled slightly. Field work was doing hims some good, although he hated to admit it.First the duel with that overgrown Zeltron lunatic, and now this. He relaxed slightly. His legs were still a little sore from that rough landing last time. Still, he wouldn't have to resort to force against this boy. He could feel the emotion and desire churning within the Nautolan. It was good, and potent. Not as great as the suffering he fed upon on Yaga Prime, but alas, those were far better days.


[member="Nomad Crimson"]

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]

Once over the hill Nomad's HWK-290 came into view. Fallen leaves had already covered some of the hull. "There she is, the 'Crystal'" He nodded slightly at the smaller creatures comments, he would let the advice sink in, before he responded.


"Maybe my scanners could pick it up" Nomad's pace slowed then reached a stop "You're- you're trained in the force?" Nomad already knew the answerer. His mind was clouded, he couldn't sense the Coumi's force sensitivity, however the force was surrounding him, pushing him and the smaller creature was the only possible reason.

 

[Olom Grihk]

[member="Nomad Crimson"]


The short blue creature nodded. An inkling of force power rippeld around him. "Hmm, a HWK-290. Not much for combat, but excellent hauling vessels," he mused dryly. He chuckled and looked about.

"Yes, I was trained in the Force, although that was some time ago," he said calmly. "I've been studying on my own on Dagobah for a while now. Both in the force, and in biology," he said as though it were a simple matter of academics. "You yourself show some aptitude for it, although it appears your training was cut short. However, there is much to be learned, even from when you know little...." he said, walking towards the ship.


"First, let's try performing a survey of the area. Perhaps being able to see what others cannot will enlighten us to some new method," he said with a nod, letting small bits of the force permeate his words, hoping to spark ideas and ambitions in the Nautolan's mind. "There is always some plan available. That was one of the first lessons I learned from my Master," he said softly.

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]


Nomad's pace sped up once more. Perhaps it wasn't the smaller creature. "Knowledge is something that will get me out of my predicament." he blinked, something which was rare for him.


Nomad's brain suddenly erupted. "Crystal's scanners are state of the art, however I also recommend a scan for other sentient life forms. Then we can see where uninterrupted territory is... Your master sounded like a wise Jedi."

Once they reached his ship he engaged the bio scanners, technological scanners and a geometrical scanner. Some say it's the ship's echolocation.

 

[Olom Grihk]

[member="Nomad Crimson"]



Olom simply shrugged, rolling his shoulders slightly and walking on his cane, following the Nautolan with a slight amount of eagerness. He hadn't found conversation this entertaining in a while. Maybe his hermit phase was ending. After all, things had been getting dull on Dagobah lately. That was the real reason he had left. Well, that and the fact that he couldn't get much traction there. Not yet, anyhow. Then again, patience was one of his virtues. He'd learned it from Emperor Ardik.




The man mentioned the Jedi. Olom concealed an nearly instinctual shudder. The Jedi may have been decent people at times, but they were, to put it mildly, idiots. History had proven time and again their inability to get things done. Still the man had been far from wrong. "Yes, she was a Jedi for a time," he said calmly. And a Sith, and Je'daii, or however it was spelled. She also worked alongside those templars, didn't she? Heh, the Mistress had really kept busy.



Olom acknowledged the younger man's strategies as the scan began. "Frankly, it is always wise to gather information. Bio-scanning and some droid signature scanning might allow us to overlay a search pattern analysis, and determine not only what's being missed, but why," he said with a smirk. "You've thought this out a little. That's good. The Force is powerful, but it's important to remember that it isn't stronger than your own work through and in it. Knowledge, power, wisdom, focus, all of it," he said as he began putting in a few basic overlays on the scan. "A basic thermal read will give us a bit more data on movements in the water, without the dangers of sonic probing," he said gently. "After all, there is no shortage of aquatics species, both intelligent and animal, that dwell on the planet, and we should account for it in the scan. And if some of the native species are as sensitive to vibrations in the water as I've been told, it's likely sonic tremors would attract undue attention...." he mused out loud, just as much to himself as to his ally. After all, he had to redefine his approach for the planet he was on.

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]


Nomad holted for a moment. 'for a time'? he wondered but he didn't dwell on it, he had more imprtant things to worry about. he smirked slightly, "The force has given me power but I can't use it. All I can use is technology." He said, a slight hint of annoace in his voice.

The screens in the cockpit flashed at him. Smaller life was all around them, and it seemed like the only seintant life was a good click or two away. Nomad then relayed the readings to his smaller compainon.

Nomad used the breif moment. "What did you mean by She was a Jedi for a time?" He blinded himself to a terrible possiblity he was in league with a being of evil.

Well, that's what he saw it as.

 

[Olom Grihk]

[member="Nomad Crimson"]


[member="Nomad Crimson"]

Olom simply nodded. "Time will change that. Those given power by the force will usually discover a knack for something within it, one way or another," he mused softly, his voice sounding rather like someone dragging a towel across sand. Gentle, but still scattered and uneven in tone.


He looked at the scan. "Interesting, " he said thoughtfully. "It seems as though there is less aquatic life about five clicks ahead, before this band of what is likely an expedition," he pointed at the screen with a clawed finger. "They are likely passing over a concealed tunnel of some form," he then tapped his cane, looking towards his newfound colleague as the question was posited to him.


Olom was no empath, but he could read body-language and tone fairly well. The man had apprehensions about him, about other force-users. Given his prior master's death and disappearance, it was unsurprising. However, the answer might placate him.


"The woman who trained me...she was many things at many times in her life. Jedi, Sith, Jed'aii, Mistress, apprentice, governor, queen, scholar, Templar, and many other appellations," he said, waving a hand. "I have not seen her in nearly seven years, who is to say what she does now? However, I am of the opinion she is alive and well. She was, among other things, a person who seemed nearly impossible to end the life of. Even time itself seemed to ignore her somewhat," he said, avoiding his own discussion of alignment entirely. He was a heretic, both among Columi and other Sith. He didn't have an easy answer to what he was, even after seven years of meditation.

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]

He blinked several times, not entirely understanding the answer, "Aright." he said unsure of himself. He turned back to the sensors, something- No, someone was getting closer, A scavenger probably.

His mind swam, regaining his focus, he went to the cargo bay of his ship, and collected a datapad. It was rusted, and damaged and no longer worked.

He hooked his E-11 blaster rile to his back and held the datapad in his left hand. "I'll trust you for now." He said the truth. "Now, which way?"

The datapad he held was something he picked up on tatooine, he had spent sometime trying to repair it. The datapad was his pass time.

 

[Olom Grihk]

[member="Nomad Crimson"]


Olom rolled his shoulders absentmindedly. His answer, while a deliberate attempt to keep the young man guessing, had bought him time. He walked towards the door. "Trust is often a hard decision. However, regardless, of your trust, rest assured that I mean you no harm," he said, again avoiding the truth, but still not lying. He meant the boy no harm. His visions, and intentions, would lead them both to a destination the Force had already provided.



He smirked a little as the door opened. "I think I have an estimate as to the tunnel's point of origin. From there, we should be able to walk upon the sit, and begin our search," he said with a nod. "Let us begin. To the left and forward," he said, noting the broken datapad. The lad liked to tinker. Good. If Olom was right, technical savvy would be the best kind. Then again, the potential in this young man might be easier to relate to with his prowess.



"So, then, Nomad," he said with his usual dryness as he walked along the marsh slowly, his weight not seeming to even bend the grass, "I should warn you, since you've likely not gone on excavations of this type before. It is not uncommon for portions of the equipment and security systems to still be active in these situations. The owners have long since passed, but they may have employed weaponry and droids that are still prepared to deter intruders. Keep the blaster handy, as well as a decent cutting tool. We may need both," he said gently as he continued, smiling as the marsh gave way to some rocks. "Hmmm. These aren't liekly to occur naturally in this sort of terrain. They were built here. We are nearing an entrance, I believe...."

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]

"Right, I have a blaster, just not a cutting tool." His walking was heavy, and made a crunch sound every time his foot landed on dead branches or leaves. "I agree with you, normally this marsh continues for a good while." Vines were hanging from the low branches, making gates.
"Who do you think researched here?" Curiosity was one of Nomad traits, he was always curios, always wanting to learn more.

 

[Olom Grihk]

[member="Nomad Crimson"]


"That's alright. We can improvise if we have to," he mused as his clawed feet and walking stick hit harder floor, giving way to a small stone path in shallow water. If he was a right there should be a descent, or at least some kind of an entry way down. After all, they had to build the place beneath the water, since there was no structure above it.


Still, the smaller man was not one to frown from a challenge as he found it. "There we are. Stone pressure switch. Let's see if it still works," he said as he thwacked it with his cane. "I believe they were a group of force-users, based on the visions I've gotten. However, their actual knowledge and discipline--I'll need to look at what they left behind in person," he said with a nod. "I've heard some rumors that they might be affiliated with an off-shoot order, though. Well before the Clone wars, supposedly."

 

[Noamd]

[member="Olom Grihk"]


Nomad followed, listening and rewiring his broken datapad, a gray wire disconnected and reconnected in a different socket. Another strange wire attached to a normal one.

"The clone wars? I've heard stories of those. Some great war that ended badly for everything eight hundred years back?"
Nomad remembered hearing about them. Great Jedi charging off into battle, heroes emerging from the rank and file.

A small tunnel appeared, Nomad could fit in if he crouched.