"The High Republic Adventures #9: Back Together and Away Again II" by Daniel Jose Older

"The High Republic Adventures #9: Back Together and Away Again II" written by Daniel Jose Older, illustrated by Toni Bruno and Rebecca Nalty

This issue was SO cute!!!! As is appropriately indicated by the cover, this one is all about Qort. We get to see some of his past and learn more about his species which ended up being a true delight. Apparently, he was initially watched over by Maz Kanata herself!! And both Sav (the head Jedi on Takodana) and Maz are over the moon that they get to see him again. So stinking precious. The whole issue is a back and forth from Qort's past on Takodana to the present mission against the Nihil.

Quick note: Ishnar must have stayed on Starlight Beacon because she's not with the group anymore. I think I vaguely remember her leaving Nal Hutta to specifically go to Starlight Beacon for some reason but I can't remember why...

So we start off with Master Kantam, Buckets of Blood, and the Padawans (see the group below along with imagery of Takodana) arriving on Takodana where they have been given the task of dealing with the Nihil cell run by Krix (Zeen's former best friend from Trymant IV). But this issue doesn't really have any Nihil in it as the focus is fully on Qort and his past and present. The minute Maz and Sav see the boy they gather him up into a giant bear hug, surprising the other Padawans (see below). Ram is so adorable with his response of, "I think I want to be Qort when I grow up!" Awww, I can't imagine how Jedi children deal with not being able to get hugs from parents that are there's alone. I feel for Ram *heart*.

After Buckets and Kantam go off to scout the area, Maz and Sav lead the group to Maz's castle to get prepared for the battle ahead. Along the way they introduce two defected Nihil to the group--Bareen and Sabata Krill. But...are they really defected??? They do seem awfully meek and timid, but that could be just a cover... 

When the Jedi enter the castle, Sav leads them to an old weapons store room filled with ginormous blasters, leaving the Padawans a bit leery (see below). They then split off with Qort and Lula going with Sav, and Farzala, Ram, and Zeen going with Maz. At one point, Lula goes along a very interesting thought process to come up with the question of why Sav still wears her Kyuzo hat...a good question! Lula's thinking is that if most Jedi have never known their parents or their heritage, why would Sav keep something from her ancestral past. Sav's answer (after first saying it's complex)? "This hat protects me from the harsh Takodana sun. It comes in handy when I need to go downhill fast! It's an excellent plate in a pinch! And most importantly of all...it makes a great weapon!" Which ends up being extremely appropriate timing with what happens next... I REALLY like Sav, she is suave, bada**, and has a loving soul. What freaking more could you want??

As for Qort's past, he arrived on Maz's doorstep in a box (see below) after a group of men got attacked by him...Qort won...even as a baby lol. Maz takes him in of course and at one point leaves him alone with her giant groundskeeper droid, HURID-327...who Qort rapidly dismantles, much to Maz's surprise and consternation. She then finds the boy in her basement with a skull over his head (see below, the same skull he wears to this day). Turns out, there's a species-related reason for this! UGH, he is TOO CUTE for words!!!

Still in the past, Maz brings up the situation with a man named Farks who was the person that gave Maz the skull Qort claimed. And he's got a ton of information to share about the boy's species! "The skull is from a Vonduun Crab. And this little feller is wearing it because he comes from a planet called Zav Alox, way at the edge of the galaxy. The Aloxians are both incredibly violent and born with immense physical strength. That's how they survive a planet infested by murderous crabs! Hahahaha! They send their children out at a very young age to hunt down one of the Vonduuns, an initiation rite. Then that child wears the head of their first kill...unless they're killed by the crab, of course! Aloxians believe the skull fuses with its wearer, conforms to their head. It helps them to balance out their aggressive nature. It's the only reason they're not in a state of constant civil war! Eventually, the skull ceases to grow and then, usually well into adulthood, the Aloxian's naturally expanding head size shatters it. That means they've fully become themselves. I suspect our young friend was captured by Argoban Raiders. Aloxians bring a high price as child soldiers, unfortunately. They probably took away his skull helmet to enchance his murderous capacity." And just as Farks is in the middle of his next sentence, Qort starts using the Force!! I do so dearly love the world-building inherent in Star Wars tales. This is such a well fleshed out natural history of a species. Yes, it's wordy, but I think it's perfect!

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Trivia:

-Maz and Sav are very close friends and have been for decades. When Sav was a Padawan she went "undercover" in Maz's pirate gang for a time to participate in the Battle of Jedha (really she was just rebelling and having fun). I want to know more about this Battle of Jedha!!! And again, Sav is bomb!

-Two of the other Jedi (I'm assuming here) on Takodana are Madoob (a human) and Bims (a Toydarian).

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I am loving this series so much!! These characters are all so well-written and so much fun to spend time with. This series is simply a joy. Issue #10 was released yesterday and I cannot wait to dig in!! I leave you with another Galactic Data File on Takodana: