A taser stave, also known as a taser staff, was a melee weapon manufactured by Merr-Sonn Munitions, Inc. and used by security forces on Coruscant during the time of the Galactic Empire. The Coruscant Guard were specially trained to use these weapons in personal combat and riot control situations.
These taser staves were the cousins of the electrostaff wielded by IG-100 MagnaGuards during the Clone Wars. The staves were electrical melee weapons equipped with electromagnetic pulse-generating tips, that created a current powerful enough to ignite fabrics upon contact. They were graduated in intensity depending on the situation's demand, so they could be used to shock, to inflict severe pain, or to kill.
Smaller one handed versions of the weapon existed, called Taser batons as well. Significantly smaller, the batons were equipped with the same graduated intensity settings, though were not as widely spread as taser staves due to their ability to be hidden. A special license was needed to privately own one of these weapons.
In the real world, a Taser is a specific brand of electroshock weapon sold by Axon, formerly Taser International. The device was first developed in 1974 by NASA researcher Jack Cover. The name is a loose acronym of "Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle", a reference to Cover's boyhood hero, the fictional inventor Tom Swift, specifically the 1911 novel Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle.
- Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook
- Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire toy line
- Gundark's Fantastic Technology: Personal Gear
- The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
- The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
- Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide