Flechette

|thumb|150px|Durge's Gatling gauntlet firing flechettes.]] Flechettes were small, sharp-edged metal blades, fired at high speed as projectile weapons. Normally, they are fired rapidly at one time, meaning that one salvo of flechette fire could mean hundreds upon hundreds of blades flying at super-sonic speeds.

During the Clone Wars, they were discovered to be a useful weapon against Jedi Knights: while individual flechettes would not cause serious injuries, they could not be easily deflected by lightsabers, and moreover, while the exposed skin of most organic sentients was vulnerable to them, the armored chassis of battle droids were not, making them excellent weapons for droid troops in close-quarters combat.

Accordingly, flechette launchers were sometimes issued to Separatist forces used to fight Jedi, including some of the Confederacy assassin droids which Asajj Ventress carried aboard her personal starfighter.

Flechette weapons

 * DF-D1
 * Flechette launcher
 * FC-1 flechette launcher
 * Flechette mine
 * LX-1 laser-flechette mine
 * Flechétte missile
 * Flechette shotgun
 * FWG-5 flechette pistol
 * Weed-cutter

Behind the scenes
The word flechette is French for "dart" (literally, "little arrow"). Flechettes were first introduced during World War One as an anti-infantry weapon that was used by fighters. Pilots would fly over enemy lines and empty canisters of flechettes over unarmored targets. By the time they reached the ground these weapons could have easily attained the speed of a bullet and were capable of punching through the helmets of soldiers below.

Appearances

 * Knight Errant novel
 * Jedi Apprentice: The Death of Hope
 * Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
 * Jedi Quest: The Trail of the Jedi
 * Jedi Quest: The Master of Disguise
 * Jedi Quest: The School of Fear
 * Jedi Quest: The Moment of Truth
 * Boba Fett: Pursuit
 * MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
 * MedStar II: Jedi Healer
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars novel
 * Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
 * The Last of the Jedi: Dark Warning
 * Han Solo at Stars' End
 * Han Solo's Revenge
 * Han Solo and the Lost Legacy
 * Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88
 * I, Jedi
 * Before the Storm
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Galaxies
 * Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Star by Star