Standard Dai Bendu and Mando'a warning here, glossary is at the bottom.
Meditation brings up unfortunately little, even with Plo joining them. Kit- and truly, who sends a Nautolan to an ice world, nevermind that Kit wasn't as tropical as some of the other Nautolans in the Temple like Fiil, they are ocean dwelling and not made for temperatures this low- takes control of the rest of the clones, organising a guard while the three of them settle into a floating meditation. A little excessively showy, perhaps, but neither Plo nor Jocasta particularly want their robes damp with melting snow, and while Thy doesn't care about the cold she does care about getting her fur wet.
It is also, Jocasta thinks, a little bit for the sake of kareh paqor. The poor dears are so worried about their Commander, in an extraordinarily lovely show of loyalty- Jocasta is almost jealous of Plo, getting to experience such bright souls every day-cycle- but they're also willing to trust that Plo will find him, and that both Jocasta and Thy will help. Jocasta somewhat expects that in regards to herself; while not many of the Pack are close enough to her for either side to consider that kind of relationship, they know that she and Plo are partners. The troopers have clearly had her paqor telling tales, but there was enough of an obvious spike in surprise-panic when Boost addressed her as ahran that they don't know if they can trust her. And Thy is an unknown, which likely would also make it hard for them to trust her, and yet apparently the fact that she arrived with Jocasta is enough.
But despite the fact that they're willing to trust the three of them to find Wolffe, they're still nervous-worried-afraid-scared, and if a little demonstration of the Force is enough to take their minds from it for a few moments then Jocasta is perfectly happy to give it.
Nonetheless, Plo's bond with Wolffe turns out not to be strong enough to reach wherever he is right now. Jocasta hopes that this is just a case of them overestimating things and their team being fine, just far away, but given the Kel Dor inclination towards telepathy that would still be a concerning distance. It's rather more likely, she thinks, dropping to her feet and stretching her arms out, that Wolffe is unconscious somewhere and thus unable to be reached, which is much more concerning.
She should speak to Sinker and Boost about the team that went out with him, perhaps. It might help to assuage her worries some, to know who was backing up her eldest.
Speaking to Sinker also puts her in range of Kiili, who is happily tearing things apart with the help of a kit that she hadn't even noticed him packing onto the shuttle, and it would probably be better to speak to him rather than Boost, given that the youngest trooper of the trio is markedly more distressed about the situation. She allows him to brush against her side again- not pressing in this time, even though he clearly wants the comfort- and waits a moment more for Plo to take her hand in order to escort her across the snow.
She doesn't need the help balancing, but it amuses her ankai'a, which he quite desperately needs even after the meditation.
"...be able to rig up a booster outta this." Kiili is saying as they approach, gesturing to something within the equipment. Sinker is leaning over it, and there's a small cluster of troopers hovering nearby enough to listen in without being too obvious about things; presumably those young ones are a bit more uncertain that they'll be allowed to join in.
"Boys." Jocasta interrupts, as much as she loathes to. The slight peace that Sinker had gained getting to mess with electronics slips away as he startles and salutes.
Kiili just glances up, sends her a complicated rude gesture that she knows once started a five-being brawl, and goes back to his tinkering.
"Gen- Master Nu." Sinker greets. "Or, er, Madame? And General Plo." He hesitates, looking at Thy. "And, um, I don't think-"
Jocasta grimaces. "Oh, my apologies. Sinker, this is Jedi Master Krrcthyyy, known as Thy to anyone who can't speak Shyriiwook. She's one of my Archivists. As is Knight Kiili, whom I hope introduced himself before he got to work."
She gets a grunt for her troubles. Obviously not, then; honestly, Kiili has no manners. She blames Oppo, he's awful as well.
"The others were Imik, they're the Ugnaught and officially part of the ExplorCorps, but they drop by the Temple on occasion to update records, and Knight Clicker, who's a Zalforian from Geological Cataloging." Jocasta continues. "And Madame is fine here, Sinker, I'm officially on Archives duty at the moment."
"You are?"
"As far as the Council is concerned." She shrugs. "I followed the Will of the Force, it told me to come to Khorm, I sent a message out and those that came with me were also guided by the Will of the Force. We came as an Archives team. So Madame Nu is appropriate if you prefer that."
Jocasta makes sure to direct her assurance at all of the clones nearby, as well, to make sure that they are aware of it.
"Now, Kiili, any progress?"
"Mmmh, depends." The Jawa tilts his head a little, digging into something. "Probably could get a half decent signal booster outta this, which is always good. Can see if we get anything on that once that's done."
"That would certainly be helpful." Plo agrees, leaning into her side for a moment. She frees her hand from his grasp and places it around his waist, allowing her to rest her head on his arm. "The issues with communications is a good part of why we had to send out that team in the first place. With them restored…"
He trails off, and Jocasta presses comfort-hope-reassurance towards him. Things will be ok, she is certain of that. It will be getting to that point that will be hard.
"Plo, ankai'a, fill us in on the rest of your campaign, please?" She requests.
"Certainly, Jo." Plo's tusks twist, clicking gently. "We were attempting to move forward to an agrocite processing facility. That is in fact where we are now. We believe there is a base in the mine not far away from here, based on the information of one of the natives, where many of the Khormai are being held as slaves."
"A native?" Thy asks, looking around.
"Yes; I believe Adaroo is elsewhere on the base." He gestures. "We were trying to formulate a plan when you arrived; Captain Ozzel wanted to attempt a direct assault…"
"But such a thing would be incredibly lethal for the troops, given that we have little idea of the terrain." Jocasta finishes, frowning heavily. "And potentially lethal for the Khormai, as well, depending on what kind of prison they're being held in and what measures are being used to keep them slaves."
Jocasta hadn't done many infiltrations on slave rings in her time as a Shadow, but she had done some, and more importantly she had done plenty of hit and run assaults. Knowing the terrain is paramount to a success, and the fact that a Captain didn't know this…
Or didn't care.
Jocasta shakes that thought free, letting it fade into the snow, and settles herself.
"That's why we sent out the scouting team." Sinker puts in, quietly. "It shouldn't have been far, but…"
She reaches a hand out and rests it on his pauldron. "All will be well." She says softly. "Do not fret."
Kiili makes a low, triumphant sound, pressing something in his mish-mash insane project. It crackles. "Got you!" He cackles. "Alright, now I just need the comm."
Plo hands his over, feeling gently amused in the Force, and after a moment more fiddling Kiili has it all linked up.
"-rel Koon, do you copy?"
"Admiral Wieler, this is General Koon." He replies, stepping forward. "Apologies, the storm was able to cut communication. What seems to be the issue?"
"Ventress, sir." The Admiral, Wieler, says. The air turns slightly fragile, the clones' fear spiking, and Jocasta has to take a moment to breathe through it. "We spotted her ship coming down, tried to stop her but couldn't manage it, we don't know where she's gone from there-"
"How long ago was this, Admiral?" Kit asks, coming over as well.
"Approximately two hour cycle ago, sir."
From the way Boost stiffens against her side, that likely lines up with when Wolffe and his team were lost.
"But, sir, the thing is- the storm opened to let her through! It destroyed the two fighters we sent after her but it opened and let her through like nothing!"
Plo blinks, tusks shivering. "Truly? How strange…"
"There were reports of the Separatists attempting to acquire weather control technology." Kit adds. "Perhaps they were successful?"
Jocasta looks to Thy, who shrugs.
"Thank you for the information, Admiral." Plo says. "It is possible that we will lose contact again shortly, however we will endeavour to reconnect quickly."
"Sir."
The comm disconnects, and Kiili hums. "Weather control stuff, huh… think I might remember summat about that?"
"Oh?"
"Yeah, yeah, gimme a minute…" The Jawa hops down from his perch, swears at the snow, then starts pacing. Jocasta watches him for a moment, sighs quietly- he'll not speak until he's wracked his memory for every scrap of information, which may take a while- and runs a hand down Boost's arm while looking to Plo.
"The time lines up, then?"
"It does." Plo feels upset-worried-horrified-afraid, but even as she notes this he takes a careful breath and lets them go. "Jo, Ventress is Dooku's assassin."
"I know." It's been haunting her since the first reports, that Dooku has a new student- Yan has a new Padawan- and how ruthless and volatile she is. From the reports, she's as imkai'an as her Master, and the possibility that Wolffe is in her hands with the rest of his team…
Passion, yet serenity, she thinks, breathing out. Bexlyth, kyii maijah. Things will be fine, by the Will of the Force.
"Aha!" Kiili exclaims, making them all startle slightly and look down at him. "Mountains! If yer gonna control the weather, yer gonna want to be high up! Makes it easier to control things if yer closer to the atmosphere."
"I believe that the mine is also in the mountains." Kit muses, his tendrils twisting and shivering in the cold. "From what Adaroo said, at least."
Jocasta hasn't led a team on a battlefield before, and it's been quite a while since she's led a team in the field in general, but every day in the Archives is leading a team of her own. And Sith Temples are quite the threat to lead a field team through. She still remembers how to do the small scale.
"So a team to go to the mountains after the weather control device, a team to prepare to scout the mines once the weather has settled, a team searching for Wolffe, and perhaps also a team to monitor for Ventress." She suggests. "As well as people staying here."
"If we get the weather device off, could use the Seeker to get some view of the mines. Or send 'em out to look for yer boys."
"Imik and I could do that." Thy says. "They're good with a 'saber but better with a ship, so that would be smartest."
Left unsaid is that Thy would prefer to be out of violence's way. Jocasta nods.
"The first objective is going to have to be the weather control device." Plo decides, as much as it clearly pains him to do so. "Taking out the Separatists' ability to cause snow storms like this will be an incredible boon to our forces."
"Then find Adaroo, and see if they can help guide a team up there without being detected." Jocasta half-commands. "Whoever ends up going, I should go with them, in case Ventress arrives."
"Take Clicker, too, he'd get mad if you left him be."
"The Devil Dogs would be right up that sort of alley." Kit puts forward. "They're quite used to dangerous missions, in my understanding."
"Jo, Knight Clicker, and myself, along with the Devil Dogs and perhaps a few of our 104th?" Plo tilts his head, hissing lowly. "Kit and the rest remaining here to defend this base and prepare to move out once the storm is dissipated and the Seeker is able to bring us information on the mine."
"I could contact Tauht and the staging area, have them brought forward as well."
"Tauht?"
"Jedi Master Tauht was assigned to assist us. He chose to remain at the original staging area until we set up our base, but then the storms took us out of contact." Plo gestures at the comm booster. "If that device can boost our outgoing signals well enough, Kit, then you could have him prepare to move out as soon as the storm is taken care of."
"Would be a good idea, better to have all our troops together if Ventress is running around."
Jocasta nods vaguely, focusing on the Force. Things are… clouded, here, possibly by the Darkness brought by Dooku's assassin, but nothing in the Force objects or suggests a better path.
"I'm surprised you don't want to go, Kiili." Thy comments as they break up to start moving, the Wookiee momentarily picking up the Jawa from the snow.
"Eh. The tech is cool but my talent means getting up close. Easier to let other folk crawl up there and blow it up if we need it gone." He shrugs. "Better use down here, monitoring our little setup."
"Fair enough." Thy pats him gently on the head- mostly because she knows he dislikes it- gets a half-hearted growl for her trouble that she returns with a much more impressive one, and then puts him down and wanders off back to the Seeker.
Jocasta knows that she'll handle filling in Imik and Clicker before sending the Zalforian back to their group, so she puts it out of her mind and turns to Boost, still at her side. "Are you well, foh paqor?"
"Not really." He replies, after looking around nervously. He's obviously trying to avoid being overheard, so after a moment Jocasta draws him closer and rests her hands on his pauldrons. "I'm worried about Wolffe…"
"As am I, dear." Jocasta assures. "It will be ok."
"I don't want to lose him." Boost murmurs, shoulders drawing up defensively. He looks like a boy afraid of his own feelings, afraid of being vulnerable, and that makes Jocasta ache, deep in her heart. "Like we have the rest of the battalion but me and Sinker and Wolffe and General Buir are the only ones left and I don't want to lose him, ahran …"
"I understand, paqor, truly I do." She soothes. "And we will do everything that we can to ensure that we do not. Between all of us, we have eight Jedi of various skills and strengths, as well as all of your siblings. We will do everything we can to get all of your siblings on that scouting party back."
"What if we don't?"
"Then we have to accept that." Jocasta lifts one hand to tilt his helmet so that she can at least try and look into her son's eyes. "I know it will be hard to handle, but if we are not able to find them again, then we will need to accept that. Not straight away." She adds, when the Force shifts like he's about to interrupt. "Not straight away, or a week from then, or even a year. But one day, we will need to accept it, and let him go."
"Like you do?"
"The Jedi preach serenity in the face of passion. In the face of suffering." She explains. "It is… a hard concept even for seasoned Masters to handle, sometimes. But when you are faced with suffering, raging at it does no good. Standing there grieving it does no good. All you can do is be serene, because when you are calm you can think and you can solve the situation. Losing someone you love is a pain that never really goes away, but in the face of that suffering you must find a calm and let them go. Clinging to their ghost will only hurt; either yourself, or those around you, if you allow your decision making to become compromised by that hurt." She runs a thumb along the grey markings below his visor. "Attachment is dangerous, not only for Jedi but for all life, because when you are attached you stop thinking clearly. Being able to let go of someone or something is important. We will do everything we can to save Wolffe and his squad, Boost, but if we do not we will have to accept that, mourn them, and let them go."
"...I understand." Boost says, shoulders drooping. "I'm scared, though."
"It's ok to be scared." She promises. "I'm scared. It's just not ok to let that fear stop us from doing what's needed. Just because we're scared for Wolffe and his squad doesn't mean that we can ignore the plight of the Khormai, or the fact that we need to destroy the weather control device."
"Duty before personal feelings."
"Exactly." She runs a thumb across the markings once more, then steps back a little, returning her hands to his pauldrons. "Now, are you better?"
"Not much." He confesses. "But I'll be ok, ahran."
She smiles. "That is all we can ask for." She pauses, waiting to see if there is anything else, and when he stays quiet she glances away instead to look for Plo.
Her ankai'a has gathered a group of troopers, presumably the Devil Dogs mentioned before as well as a few of the 104th, a being from a species she doesn't recognise on sight but is likely the Khormai Adaroo, and at some point during their conversation Clicker has returned and started up a conversation with Plo. Jocasta makes her way over to them, settling herself back into calm, preparing to move on with the mission.
Glossary;
Dai Bendu
Kareh paqor- their children (Dai Bendu plurals are based on the article and not the word itself)
Paqor- child
Ahran- parent
Ankai'a- darling, heartsong, soulmate
Imkai'an- killer, murderer (one who kills with no regard for life)
Bexlyth, kyii maijah- passion, yet serenity, part of the Jedi meditation mantra
Foh paqor- my child
Mando'a
Buir- parent