Faction Flew the Coop | Naboo, Shiraya's Sanctuary

[Phy]

Flew the Coop
Naboo, Shiraya's Sanctuary
Tags: Syrfana Kolven , Phillip Slate , Open...

Droid Body​

Phy's hand moved her pencil across the canvas that sat in her lap with soft, calculated strokes. She had very little to do on the long flight to Naboo, so she had begun to practice drawing birds. They were mostly the sort that could be found on Sacorria. Maybe that was simply a manifestation of how much she missed her home. The Kai'el estate had to be left behind when the Galactic Empire assumed control of the planet. Maybe one day she would be able to see her home again, but today was not that day.

The Jedi Order was her current destination. Phyla was no stranger to studying with the Jedi. Her guardian had been a council member of the New Jedi Order, her surrogate sibling had grown to be a Jedi Knight, and what little friends she had were Jedi. They were just in other places, and it was time for the Shard to do her own thing. There was still a lot she had to learn, what with how different she was. Non-crystalline people were still very much something she felt she didn't fully understand. Her family sat in the extremes of how people were, not the norm. She couldn't really rely on that to shape her view of the rest of the galaxy. What she hoped was that being somewhere more populated would expand her perspective on others. Maybe that was a fools errand.

But she was willing to give it a shot. She had a very long life ahead of her after all.

When her shuttle landed, Phy took a moment to gather up her bags and shove off. Most of her large pieces of equipment necessary for maintaining her droid body had already been delivered to her accommodations by now. Most of what she carried was personal effects. Immediately the new environment filled her photo receptors, and she quickly began to take note of what sorts of things were around that she could sketch. Birds, naturally. This place had ducks, which greatly excited her. If she could get herself down to the edge of the water at some point she would surely have to find herself a good specimen to draw.

The Sanctuary itself was properly impressive. A large space with various grand towers and walkways. It certainly looked like the religious space that it historically used to be. She would have to find a schematic of the facility and study it intensively. The Shard was always keen to know everything she could about anywhere she was to stay.

For now, however, no obsessive-compulsive thoughts were in her mind. All she really wanted to do was look at everything for a moment.

Just a moment...

 

[Phillip Slate]

Tags: Phy

"Take a photo. It'll last longer."

Phillip spoke from his own position on the steps of the Temple, tapping a piece of charcoal against the banister, his face ever so slightly smudged with the material as he looked down at his own piece of parchment he had been sketching on. In the past he would have relied on using various paints or coloured pencils, but to go with his current mindset and view of the Galaxy, he believed working with charcoal was the best. Even so, he raised his eyes from the parchment, raising an eyebrow at the...droid in front of him? No. No. He could feel the Force distinctly coming from the being. Perhaps it would be worth some research later.

"I don't mean it as an insult. It's just...when you spend as long looking at the view as I do, you realise how abruptly it can all change. Life passes by faster than we can ever expect."

Was he perhaps talking from experience? Maybe. But what would a young adult even know about the passage of time? He gave a simple shake of his head, attempting to dismiss that thought from his mind. It was harder to stick to a positive mindset like he had been trying to do the past couple of weeks. This had been the first time in that long period that he had found himself in the right mindset to even start creating art once again. His room that had once been very abundent with half-finished sketches having became quite...barren.

"I should introduce myself. Phillip Slate. Jedi Padawan. A pleasure to meet you, I suppose."

 

[Phy]

Naboo
Tags: Phillip Slate

Droid Body​

"I don't mean it as an insult. It's just...when you spend as long looking at the view as I do, you realise how abruptly it can all change. Life passes by faster than we can ever expect."

"Pictures aren't my style," Phy noted, a soft smile coming to her face. "I like that things change so much. It makes them very dynamic and engaging. All the better to observe."

The young shard turned and offered a dip of her head.

"I'm Phyla," she greeted. "Everyone just calls me Phy. I am also a padawan. It's certainly a pleasure to meet a fellow artist."

Rather than walking, the young woman drifted over. She always preferred levitation to any other form of ambulation. Phy levitated over so that she could properly peer at the canvas that the young man was working on, her synthetic eyes eager to study the work of a fellow creative. There was always something so thrilling about seeing someone else's work, wondering what techniques she could try out for herself and incorporate into her style.

"Are you out here to draw what you see?" the shard asked. "Or just whatever comes to mind?"

 

[Phillip Slate]

Tags: Phy

"I see. Well, pictures aren't mine, but I believe every medium has its place in the Galaxy."

Phyla. Interesting. Doubly interesting that she seemed to...float? Levitate? Either way, he made no effort to hide his rough sketches of the surrounding area of the Temple, using the charcoal to form darker shadows. It was an interesting trial for Phillip, to work on showing something through limited resources as opposed to using colour to show the way he viewed things.

"I'm drawing what I can see. It's just...a simple exercise. I haven't drawn for an age. It was something I was quite fond of."

He gave a small nod of his head at that. Smiling wasn't exactly something he did much nowadays though he did his best to be welcoming to the new arrival. Oh. New arrival. He should...be asking questions of his own, shouldn't he?

"Are...you here to visit the Order? To stay? There's a fair few views that are quite pleasant I suppose, especially when illuminated by moonlight."

 

[Phy]

Naboo
Tags: Phillip Slate

Droid Body​

"I'm here for an extended stay," Phyla stated. "I was studying at a distant temple, but I decided it was time to set off on my own. I needed to spend some time away from my family. They're very involved in the temple, you see."

That and she had many questions about her place in the galaxy. Who she was, where she fit in alongside folks that were much unlike her. She listened dutifully, nodding her head as Phillip explained the various sights of the Sanctuary. He certainly had an eye for those sorts of things. As expected of an artist.

"You seem a good tour guide then," she mused, letting out a light chuckle. "How fortunate that our paths crossed so soon. My guardian said people often meet each other for some reason or another."

She gave his work one more glance of appraisal, nodding to herself in silent approval.

"Have you been here for long? You seem quite familiar with the grounds, at least given how well you draw it."

 

[Phillip Slate]

Tags: Phy

"Fortunately, my family wants nothing to do with any of this."

Phillip waved his hand somewhat dismissively. Family wasn't a comfortable subject for the artist, though he blinked ever so slightly at the comment about him being a good tour guide. Perhaps he had an eye for detail, yes, but that didn't entirely mean he was good as a tour guide. He couldn't give the history on the Temple, or anything of the like...That being said, it was nice to hear.

"My mother used to tell me not to mix reds with whites...for laundry I mean. It's fine if I'm doing it for painting."

A small attempt at humour. Though he gave a slight shrug at Phy's question, turning his gaze to look over towards the steps as he shoved his charcoal covered hands into his pockets.

"It's been...a while. I've lost track of time. Spent many a day out here, just enjoying the view. It all kinda blurs together. Like paint. You can't always see what's in there, but you can always guess."

 

[Phy]

Naboo
Tags: Phillip Slate

Droid Body​

"Ah... apologies for the sore point," Phyla responded in a polite tone. "If it is... reassuring, the family I spoke of is not biological. It was one I chose."

That was something that everyone had the power to choose. Even if they were strained from their biological family, the connections they made could be the truth of that experience for someone. It was only a matter of taking that decision into your own hands and making it so. Or at least, that was how Phy saw it.

Her smile was quick to return.

"You speak in a very poetic, metaphorical way," she noted. "I find that to be quite amusing. In a good way, I mean."

Her eyes drifted off towards the temple.

"So, where's a newbie like myself to start?" the Shard asked.

 

[Phillip Slate]

Tags: Phy

"Don't apologise. Everyone has messed up families in some way or another."

Phillip threw his hand into the air, giving a simple dismissive wave to the idea of it all. He didn't have some chosen family. The other Jedi weren't that close to him. There was Aiden of course. But that wasn't really anyone else. It was fine by him. Though he shook his head, trying not to focus on that, tilting his head at Phy's...compliment about him talking poetically.

"Really? I don't think so. I just...speak my mind. Though..."

If he thought about it, the way he used to talk to Isla when they were younger was filled with metaphors and poetry. Comparing things to the moon and the sun. Though he wasn't quite sunny anymore. No. That wasn't necessarily the truth. Phillip cupped his chin between his index finger and thumb, frowning in thought. If anything, he still had his sunny nature. It was just eclipsed by his negative thoughts....

"Hm? Where should you start? Not sure. You're all registered with the higher ups right? Some people afterwards might be interested to go training with a lightsaber. Some would prefer studying. I'm unsure as to what you would prefer."

 

[Phy]

Naboo
Tags: Phillip Slate

Droid Body​

"I believe I should have everything squared away," Phyla mused, rubbing her chin. "It helps that I had a file with the Jedi previously."

So where would she want to go first? Naturally her mind went to engineering. Surely they had an expansive hangar, and a forge for creating lightsabers. Then again, she would probably see all of that in time. The Shard was in no rush. Her smile returned as she decided what she wanted to do.

"What's your favorite spot?" she asked Phillip. "I'd like to see that."

 

[Phillip Slate]

Tags: Phy

"My favourite place isn't...anywhere special. It's just where I made a promise to someone."

His gaze hardened for a moment, as Phillip seemed to stare off into space. By this point, he had seen the promise as something pointless. Unnecessary now. But in a way, he had still been keeping it. Though he shook his head, glancing over towards Phy with a half-hearted smile.

"Come on."

It was different heading there during the day, as opposed to the dead of night. Sneaking past guards and trying not to be caught. That...recklessness of his youth was something that Phillip didn't quite have anymore. Either, they made their way past the Temple Gardens and onto a rather simple hill, where Phillip threw himself down onto the ground, staring up to the sky.

"It's...not anything amazing. It's...just important to me."

There was a lot about the place that was special to him. As much as he didn't want to admit it. As much as Phillip was trying to bury the fact that Isla Reingard was special to him. He didn't quite understand it himself, but it wasn't something he spoke about.

"Used to come here all the time a few years back. Just painting the same sight over and over. Don't do it anymore."

 

[Phy]

Naboo
Tags: Phillip Slate

Droid Body​

"Made a promise..." Phyla muttered whistfully as she pondered those words. "You must really care about that person. My Guardian says betrayal is the greatest crime anyone can commit. A promise is a powerful thing."

Jasper was a man of dedication. He held trust in the highest regard over all other things. A promise made by him was a promise kept, and he always had a certain intensity about the matter. There was nothing he hated more than betrayal, and it was a value he preached to Phy throughout her youth. Younger youth, at least. She was going to be considered 'young' for a Shard for a good hundred years or so.

The young woman perched herself in the sky, levitating off to the side of Phillip where she crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap.

"Flesh-based organisms are strange in that way," she noted. "My kind are either solitary or so intertwined that they're almost like a hive-mind. I find myself... enthralled by the way you connect. Perhaps I even crave it. That confuses me."

 

[Phillip Slate]

Tags: Phy

"I truly do care for her. There are some days I wonder if I need her more than she needs me nowadays however. I promised I'd always be here for when she needed me. Alas, I no longer think that will happen."

There was a slight wistfulness to his voice, as Phillip stared off into the distance. Would it truly be betrayal if he went back on that promise now, that he had made what felt so long ago? That was the thought that was on his mind. He could only imagine all of the sights he could paint, if he had set off to explore the Galaxy like he had planned to. But that wasn't who he was. He'd stick to his word. No matter how foolish they may have been.

"Your kind are strange in their own way. You know...there was one a person who wondered what it would be like to be a kath hound. Did they see the world the same way as us? Did they care about things that we'd think are pointless? Only to come to the realisation that they would never know, unless they were one."

His gaze flickered up towards the clouds, as he rested his arms behind his head, frowning in contemplation.

"What I mean to say is...there may be traits about organics that you crave...but at the same time, there are traits about you, that we crave."

 

[Phy]

Naboo
Tags: Phillip Slate

Droid Body​

"What I mean to say is...there may be traits about organics that you crave...but at the same time, there are traits about you, that we crave."

"That's an interesting way to consider it," Phyla mused.

Admittedly, she wasn't sure what was appealing about her traits at a glance. Maybe the utilitarian stuff. Not needing to eat and drink. Her kind was quite Force sensitive as well. Perhaps something she may need to ponder on. Her hand went to her chest.

"I suppose I should clarify more on what I am, though I suppose you've already observed I'm not organic in the way you are," she mused.

The shard drifted down to the ground and sat beside Phillip, a cavity in her chest opening. The gemstone that sat on her chest on the outside was purely decorative, not her. It sat within, an unworked and asymmetrical amber crystaline growth, interfaced with various cables. A little frown came to her face as she looked down at herself with her synthetic eyes.

"You could say that's my mind," she reasoned. "Even if it seems odd, it is made of carbon much like yourself. So you could call me organic as well, even if I have no flesh and bone of my own."

After all, all organic things were based on carbon.

 

[Phillip Slate]

Tags: Phy

"You're right. I could refer to you as organic. But that doesn't mean everyone will. And I don't mean that to be offensive. Just that there are ignorant people out in the Galaxy, that I'm sure you already know of."

Just because you did fit a category, doesn't mean others would think that if you looked or acted different. That was a lesson Phillip had learned himself. Even if it was somewhat difference to Phy's situation. His was mostly focused around his family, but he shook his head, trying not to focus on that. It wasn't something he wanted to think about in the moment

"But that is how it normally works when people crave something. They crave what they truly don't understand. If they took a moment to understand what was perhaps going on beneath the surface, they might not search for that...Look at me, I'm sounding far too wise for my age."

A slight smirk came to his face at that, before Phillip shook his head, resting his hands atop of his stomach and just watching the clouds

 

[Phy]

Naboo
Tags: Phillip Slate

Droid Body​

"Oh, I know well enough," Phy assured.

She paused her words for a moment, her gaze drifting up towards the clouds., her chest closing back up to conceal the gemstone within once more. This little hill must be quite pretty under the stars. Reason for her to visit it again later. Probably only once or twice though. After all, this was Phillip's spot.

"You know, I think Jedi live a lot more in one year alone," she mused. "It's like cramming three years into one. Certainly not healthy, but analogous I think. You probably are too wise for your age."

The Shard let out an airy chuckle.

"Its a bit of a shock that most don't wind up with grey hair after their first few years," the padawan remarked with an amused tone. "I always go home to my guardian expecting all of the blonde to be gone. He's a real grade A worrier."

Jasper couldn't help it. It was in his blood to worry.

 

[Phillip Slate]

Tags: Phy

"My master thinks I stress too much. That I should focus on the here and now. Not on the future. Not on pushing myself...but I don't see it that way. Training is like a muscle. You need to push it to the point of exhaustion. Then heal. That's the only way to get better. Not...in "controlled" environments."

Phillip gave a dismissive wave. He wasn't wise. In his eyes, he was just a frustrated young man. Frustrated at himself and the Galaxy. He felt as if he was being held behind by his own inaction, his own ineptitude. Of course, the truth couldn't be further than that, but he couldn't see it.

"I want to be someone people can look up to. To admire. I can't do that if I'm lagging behind everyone."

He knew pushing himself to the point of exhaustion and to his breaking point wasn't the best idea. But what else was he meant to do? How else was he meant to be able to see the progress? He had done plenty of training, plenty of training droids had been destroyed by him...and repaired, since he felt bad about it. But none of that helped him to stand out.

 

[Phy]

Naboo
Tags: Phillip Slate

Droid Body​

"I want to be someone people can look up to. To admire. I can't do that if I'm lagging behind everyone."

"You don't have to do that through strength alone," Phyla noted, running her hand through the grass. "Sometimes you need more than strength, or willpower. It takes heart. Spirit. Your bodies are fickle things. Push it too far to it's limit and eventually they stop being able to be put back together. My guardian... no, I suppose he's my father. He told me that the most important thing to do to help others is take care of yourself. You never notice how many lives are connected to yours. The people that may need or care about you, and what happens when you are gone. When he was taken away from us a few years ago, he left a vacuum. Even if it didn't last, it hurt because we needed him and just hadn't realized how much we did. He didn't become so important because he was strong... well, he his strong, but that really doesn't matter. It's because he wore his heart on his chest and welcomed people in to lean on his shoulder."

Phyla smiled wistfully now. More and more, living around those made of flesh had imparted those visual expressions onto her. Maybe she wanted what she could not have because emulating anything remotely similar felt so natural... real.

It made her feel like someone completely different.

"I want to be that for people," she decided.

 

[Ronhol Tomm]

​

Hands, overlapped in robes, twitched against one another. Master Tomm turned his head, watching the Padawans interact from a distance. He listened to the grass sway, the air, their voices. He saw. He always saw.

He observed their interactions, their connections. He leaned his head back, approaching quietly. His presence in the force was statue-esque in the sense that it was absolute in his resolve. He was discipline and resolve given flesh.

"Careful, young Jedi." He cautioned, his voice low, deep. He had a reputation for a distinct voice- it was earned in droves.

"Temper your desires and wants for yourselves- such thought and actions has led many Jedi astray." He scratched his chin, thinking. He looked off in the distance, as he often did. He knew the exact time the sun was going to come up and come down, but that still meant that he enjoyed seeing the light and times of day.

"Trust the Force, not yourselves."