Qort

Qort, an Aloxian who was sensitive to the Force, came into existence during the High Republic Era. In accordance with Aloxian tradition, to manage the inherent aggression of members of the species, he underwent an initiation ritual that resulted in him owning a vonduun crab skull, which, when worn, could suppress violent tendencies. However, Qort was abducted by raiders while still a young child, as Aloxians were considered valuable child soldiers. The raiders confiscated his helmet to amplify his aggression.

Somehow, Qort became separated from his captors and ended up within a shipment of goods being transported by three criminals who were known to the pirate queen Maz Kanata. Due to the extraordinary strength inherent to all Aloxians, the trio struggled to restrain Qort, sustaining injuries in the process. After finally managing to confine the child in a box, they bandaged their wounds and delivered Qort to Kanata at Takodana Castle, hoping she could handle him, as they had become terrified of the child. Initially suspecting the three were up to no good, Kanata was taken aback when she opened the box and found Qort inside. Bringing him into the castle, Kanata sought the assistance of her loadlifter droid steward HURID-327, but despite HURID's best efforts, Qort continued to cry.

While Kanata went to retrieve some milk to feed the child, Qort used his innate strength and untrained Force powers to disable the loadlifter droid, leaving it in pieces on the floor, before escaping to Takodana Castle's basement storerooms, which were filled with the pirate queen's treasures. There, Qort discovered a vonduun crab skull that Kanata had received from her friend Farks, and he put it on just before Kanata found him, having been directed to the child by HURID. Calmed by the helmet, Qort refused to remove it and caused no further destruction.

Seeking to uncover the child's origins, Kanata contacted Farks for information about the skull, and the Patrolian explained the Aloxians and the importance of helmets to their culture. Farks also speculated that the child had been kidnapped by Argoban raiders, who were known for such actions. Qort surprised the Patrolian after HURID had played with him, as Farks had not expected the child to be using the crab skull that had been gifted to Kanata. The pirate queen, realizing that the information changed the situation, decided to seek assistance from Sav Malagán, a Jedi Master stationed at the nearby Jedi Temple and a long-time friend. Qort's Force-sensitivity was eventually recognized, and he was taken to the Jedi Order by Yoda. As a Jedi youngling, Qort became close friends with two other younglings, the Zygerrian Farzala Tarabal and the human Lula Talisola, with Talisola often watching over Tarabal and Qort. As younglings, the three enthusiastically watched holodramas featuring the famed Jedi Master Tal Bota, eagerly envisioning their own futures as Jedi.

In time, Qort became part of a Padawan class training on the Jedi cruiser Star Hopper under the guidance of Grand Master Yoda and Jedi Master Torban Buck. The Star Hopper was dispatched to Trymant IV to provide aid to civilians during an Emergence. Yoda tasked Tarabal and Qort with investigating the source of the debris, which they traced back to a reaction in the Hetzal system. After the Padawans landed, Qort and Bibs, another Padawan, accompanied Talisola and Tarabal on a hover platform carrying civilians. The Padawans confronted a group of Nihil raiders and requested their Spider Cruiser to transport citizens off-world. The Nihil refused, leading to a battle with the Jedi. Qort deflected blaster bolts with his lightsaber as the group advanced toward the ship. Unbeknownst to the Padawans, a massive piece of debris was heading toward them, but Zeen Mrala, a Force-sensitive native, saved their lives.

Soon, Nihil reinforcements arrived and surrounded the Jedi. Masters Yoda and Buck arrived to rescue the young Padawans. While Yoda left to rescue Mrala's friend Krix Kamerat, Qort, Mrala, Bibs, Buck, Talisola, and Tarabal continued to fight the Nihil forces. Soon, Republic forces arrived as support, and the Star Hopper travelled back to Starlight Beacon. Onboard the ship, Qort and Tarabal comforted Mrala as she mourned all she had lost.

Over the following week, Qort and his friends welcomed Mrala into their circle as they trained in the Jedi temple on the station. Avar Kriss, Estala Maru, Kantam Sy, Torban Buck, and Yoda debated whether Mrala should be trained as a Jedi. The Padawans defended her, recounting her heroic actions. Qort imitated the falling debris and her quick thinking in saving their lives. Later, the masters devised a plan to board the Nihil Spider Cruiser. Qort, Tarabal, and Bibs role-played as Jedi and Nihil, envisioning a swift battle.

The masters permitted Mrala to remain on Starlight Beacon, and Talisola began teaching her basic Force meditation techniques. A routine Jedi patrol engaged Nihil raiders in the Bright Jewel system. Qort and the other Padawans were left behind on Starlight Beacon for their safety. Tarabal and Qort agreed that they would be safer on Starlight Beacon, while Talisola was eager to fight in the skirmish. The trio discovered Mrala's abandoned room and a message on Kamerat's holoprojector, revealing her intention to rescue Kamerat. They knew she would return, as her pet cru Cham Cham clung to Qort's mask. The trio squeezed into a Vector and flew to rescue Mrala.

The signal from the holoprojector led them to Quantxi, a junk moon orbiting Ord Mantell. The trio observed Nihil raiders massacring native Junk Mavens and intervened to rescue them. While Talisola continued to search for Mrala, Qort and Tarabal fought for the Junk Mavens. As the Nihil became overwhelming for Qort and Tarabal, the Junk Mavens summoned a Savrip to defend them, and soon enough, Masters Buck, Sy, and Yoda arrived to help. Realizing she needed their help more, Tarabal sent the Masters to help Talisola, while he and Qort held off the Nihil warriors. After the battle, Qort reunited with Talisola and Mrala at the Republic Outpost on Ord Mantell, thankful they survived the encounter with Kamerat.

During a diplomatic mission to Bilbousa, the capital of Nal Hutta, Qort accompanied the crew of the Vessel, Tarabal, and his master, Obratuk Glii. The Hutts had requested the Jedi envoy because of their alliance against the Drengir. Because of Obratuk, the diplomat of the crew's hibernation, Tarabal was sent to meet the Hutts in his place, leaving Qort on the Vessel with Affie Hollow and Geode. The latter, he shared a bonding moment with. While the diplomatic mission was beginning planetside, several Hutt Cartel enforcers boarded the Vessel and forced it to fire on the planet, ruining the chances of successful negotiations, and leading to Tarabal and Leox Gyasi's imprisonment. With the help of Geode's piloting skills, Hollow's trickery, and his own Jedi abilities, Qort and the others engaged the enforcers. Caught in a standoff, they were saved by Master Obratuk and his many lightsabers, while Tarabal was able to complete the negotiations. Qort and Glii witnessed Tarabal's successful via hologram.

Upon returning to Starlight Beacon, Qort reunited with Lula Talisola and Zeen Mrala, introducing them to his new friend Ishnar Ti-Kharatal, and meeting fellow Padawan Ram Jomaram. The group made their way to the Beacon's meditation chambers to meet with Master Buck and Master Sy, as the two masters wanted to give the Padawans a chance to ask questions about the confusing goings-on of the Galaxy and Jedi Order in the recent months. After being bombarded with questions about Loden Greatstorm and the Nihil, the masters tell the Padawans about a specific Nihil cell that has been wreaking havoc on part of the Galaxy. They soon depart for the Jedi Temple on Takodana, to aid Malagán against the Nihil that recently attempted to attack her temple.

The Star Hopper arrived on Takodana, Qort's former home, and the Jedi were met by Malagán and Maz Kanata, who greeted Qort with a hug. The preparations for defense began, and the Padawans were introduced to Bareen and Sabata Krill, sisters who supposedly defected from the Nihil and wanted to help. Qort was aiding Malagán and Talisola in setting up weaponry when Malagán spotted Sabata sneaking around, simultaneously receiving information that the Nihil were back. A moment later, Sabata ignited many hidden thermal detonators around the temple, causing a very large explosion.

The temple was largely destroyed, but the Padawans and Jedi survived. Qort's skull mask was also destroyed in the explosion, revealing his face and light hair. For a moment, he huddled over the crumbled mask and held it to his face, until he noticed several Nihil ships approaching the wreckage. Qort summoned his lightsaber and took to the skies, jumping from fighter to fighter, taking out the Nihil's ships as Malagán once did. After dealing with the immediate therat, Qort landed back on the ground and reintroduced his new self to his padawan friends, who embraced him with a hug.

Back on Starlight Beacon, Masters Kantam Sy and Torban Buck brought back the Great Jedi Rumble Race from their childhood for the Padawans to have some fun during this difficult time. This race was a run around the beacon, and according to the masters, it had no rules at all, except to not blow anything up. Qort participated in the Rumble Race, even voicing his excitement by saying he's been waiting his whole life for this moment before it began. Throughout the beacon, Qort ran at the pace of his friends, despite being naturally faster than them, because he wanted to have as much fun as possible and keep pace. As him and his friends were approaching the finish line, Master Buck dove over and won the race for himself.

As part of a newly formed task force to find Krix Kamerat and his Nihil cell, Qort and many other Jedi gathered onboard Starlight Beacon for a briefing on a developing Nihil situation on Corellia. Master Sy volunteered to go, and placed Talisola and Buck in charge of the force while they were gone. Soon after, on a patrol, Bibs spotted Sabata Krill's fighter above the jungle planet Dol'har Hyde, confirming the location of the Nihil cell's encampment. Departing for the world, Qort and Farzala occupied a Vector together. Descending into a dogfight, the Jedi met the Nihil and their fighters in the skies above Dol'har Hyde. The battle roaring, Zeen Mrala's vector was heavily damaged, so she crashed into Kamerat's fighter, taking him down with her. Meeting Mrala on the ground, Qort and the other Padawans charged after Kamerat into the depths of the Nihil encampment. Eventually reaching Krix, the Padawans struggled to not ignite spilled Rhydonium in the chamber, but Tarabal eventually took Kamerat's gun and the Jedi finally captured the young man. Qort and Tarabal celebrated with a high-five after completing the mission.

Onboard the Starhopper, Kamerat was imprisoned and questioned by Mrala about the Nihil's future plans. During this time, a new group of younglings arrived and were sent to their quarters Farzala. Shortly after, Qort met a young initiate named Zint, a fellow Aloxian who took special interest in Qort. They shared a moment and bonded over their kinship. later, Tarabal walked in on Qort and Zint meditating together and joined them. This eventually turned into playing with the young Aloxian, during which the two Padawans reflected on their time as friends and adventures together. Masters Tabakan Pak, Glii, and Buck soon approached the two and asked if they knew where Lula Talisola was, and to report to the bridge in their formal robes. Talisola then arrived, and was asked by Buck if she was ready to be knighted, to which she said no, as she didn't feel ready. Qort and Tarabal were surprised by this, but respected their friend's decision nonetheless. Masters Pak and Glii, with the help of Master Buck, then knighted their Padawans, and Qort and Farzala Tarabal officially became Knights of the Republic. They raised their lightsabers in the air and repeated the Jedi mantra "for light and life", accepting their new roles.

During the Destruction of Starlight Beacon, Jedi investigator Emerick Caphtor and Sian Holt boarded the top half of the station to hopefully save survivors and to investigate the nameless creatures that killed Loden Greatstorm and several other Jedi. Qort, Zint, Master Buck, and many younglings, emerged from the shadows and were thankful to find the two newcomers, hoping they could help. The younglings boarded Caphtor's ship, while the Jedi, Beesar Tal-Apurna, and Kisma Uttersond pushed back into the station to face the creatures. Holt and Caphtor confronted one of them, and Caphtor managed to resist it's trickery so he could slice off its hand with his lightsaber. After this, Nihil soldiers charged in, and Qort and Buck provided cover as the group retreated. Returning back into the station to provide an exit for the others, Master Buck sent Qort with Caphtor as they departed the doomed beacon. Onboard the escaping craft, Qort comforted Zint and the other distraught younglings.

One year following the destruction of Starlight Beacon, Qort found himself in Bri Phrang City on the planet Eriadu. He was at the Arkorayal Cabaret Cantina, observing Zeen Mrala's performance, where she was singing alongside holographic projections commemorating those who perished in the disaster. Overcome with emotion upon seeing a holographic memorial of Lula Talisola, Mrala, in her distraught state, confronted Jackaby. Qort stepped in to comfort her in her grief. As they began conversing in Aloxian, 5A-G3 joined them, presenting a collection of unresolved cases that potentially held information regarding Talisola's location. Examining the reports, Qort and Mrala discovered one concerning something "a Mikkian wants," which had been transmitted by a warlord situated on the moon Bracront. Qort cautioned Mrala, reminding her that this moon was the territory of a Nihil named Tartak Vil. Despite Qort's reminder that individual missions were unlikely to gain approval following the implementation of the Guardian Protocols, the pair nonetheless embarked on their journey.

Upon arriving on Bracront, Qort and Mrala encountered a substantial gathering of Mikkians. These Mikkians had maintained a presence surrounding Vil's fortress for several weeks, motivated by the same transmission. Defying Qort's reservations, Mrala allied herself with the determined Mikkians and launched an assault on the fortress. Inside, Qort and the Mikkians clashed with a group of Pau'an colonists who had pledged their loyalty to the Nihil, resulting in intense and brutal hand-to-hand combat. Qort then declared to Mrala that he would manage the situation, while Mrala proceeded to infiltrate the fortress. After seizing a spear from a Pau'an, she confronted Tartak Vil, who promptly displayed a hologram of Zeen herself. Removing her helmet, Vil revealed her identity to Mrala's utter shock: she was Lula all along.

Qort possessed distinctive blue skin and brown eyes. During his time as a Padawan, Qort was relatively short, surpassing the diminutive Master Yoda in height during his younger years, and continuing to grow taller as he matured. Known for his kindness, Qort was quick to support Lula Talisola's assurance that she and her companions would stand by Zeen Mrala as the Mikkian girl wept over her separation from her closest friend. He displayed a strong willingness to assist his friends. As he matured, Qort extended his kindness to younglings like Zint, making them feel welcome, engaging in play, and offering comfort following the destruction of Starlight Beacon. This trait persisted into his later years, as Qort provided significant comfort to Zeen as she grieved over Lula Talisola's disappearance on Starlight Beacon.

Qort demonstrated proficiency in using the Force, and possessed considerable skill in lightsaber combat, enabling him to engage in battles against pirates on Trymant IV, as well as against Nihil and Drengir throughout the galaxy. Aloxians are naturally endowed with immense strength and a propensity for violence, qualities balanced by the crab skull they traditionally wear until reaching maturity. Qort harnessed this innate strength and power to confront the Nihil in the skies above Nymeve Lake. Furthermore, Farzala Tarabal noted his exceptional speed.

Qort understood Galactic Basic Standard, but initially refrained from speaking it, instead communicating in Aloxian while wearing his mask. Upon removing the mask, he began to incorporate Basic into his speech, blending it with his native tongue. This skill proved valuable, allowing him to converse with Zint upon their initial meeting. In his youth, Zeen Mrala described Qort's voice as a "scratchy little voice." However, more than a year after the fall of Starlight Beacon, Qort appeared to have no difficulty communicating entirely in Basic.

As a Padawan, Qort donned brown Jedi robes and wielded a lightsaber with a blue blade. In accordance with Jedi tradition, Qort wore a sash on his robes that matched the color of his lightsaber. From infancy until his return to Takodana, the Aloxian apprentice wore a traditional vonduun crab skull mask. This mask covered nearly all of Qort's head, exposing only his eyes, mouth, and chin. The mask exhibited a texture resembling crown-like spikes radiating outward. During the Nihil attack on Takodana, the mask was destroyed, enabling Qort to fully unleash his abilities. As a Jedi Knight, Qort adopted a more tactical attire, featuring a hood and distinctive gauntlets adorned with the High Republic crest.

Qort made his first appearance in the first issue of the comic book series Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures. He was a recurring character throughout that comic series and came back in its 2023 re-launch. Qort experienced growth and development throughout his various appearances.