Packered mortar gun The Packered mortar gun was a mortar weapon utilized by the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War . The mortar gun could quickly fire a barrage of explosive shells with a wide explosive radius in an arced trajectory . The weapons were stocked in various Imperial bases and supply caches . In the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin , Rebel Alliance mercenary Kyle Katarn commandeered Packered mortar guns during his campaign to stop the Dark Trooper Project , effectively using the weapons against their original owners . Katarn used one against Imperial stormtroopers during his mission to Orinackra , where he stormed a prison complex in order to rescue the Imperial informant Crix Madine . Description . The Packered mortar gun fired explosive shells . The weapon was cylindrical , featuring a large - bore barrel . Three ammunition tubes , attached to the midsection , rotated each time the weapon fired . The thin stock had a flat end to rest against the user ' s body , while the trigger , protected by a trigger guard , was located in front of the stock . A perforated shroud covered the barrel . The weapon had a predominantly chrome finish , with dark - gray portions between the stock and barrel . Hooks behind the barrel shroud allowed users to attach a sling to the weapon . The weapon offered two primary methods of use . The first involved holding and firing the gun like a rifle . Alternately , the end of the stock could rest against the user ' s thigh , allowing the weapon to be fired with one hand . The Packered mortar gun fired silver shells with brass - colored linings and a red tip , which were lobbed in an arc . The farthest firing distance was achieved by holding the weapon at a forty - five - degree angle . Although the weapon served as an alternative to thermal detonators , the mortar ' s shells were actually weaker . Still , the weapon was useful against a wide range of foes and could potentially render multiple tight - knit targets inoperable with a single shell . History . The Galactic Empire utilized Packered mortar guns during the Galactic Civil War . Stocks of the weapons were located on the Imperial capital planet Coruscant and in the Imperial Detention Center on the world of Orinackra , along with many other locations . Shortly after the Battle of Yavin , the Rebel Alliance agent Jan Ors briefly described the weapon in a coded transmission to mercenary Kyle Katarn . Shortly after , the Empire began the Dark Trooper Project , an initiative to create droid soldiers . Imperial officer Crix Madine surreptitiously exposed information about the project to the Alliance , which eventually led Imperial authorities to arrest and issue Madine a sentence on Orinackra . Katarn , who had been making waves in disrupting the project with Madine ' s information , set out to the prison to rescue him . During the rescue , Katarn came across a Packered mortar gun and used it inside the prison against the Imperial troops on his way to freeing Madine . Katarn was able to carry up to fifty mortar shells at a time . Afterward , Katarn continued to use the Packered mortar gun throughout the dark trooper campaign , fighting through scores of Imperial stormtroopers , Imperial commando s , and Imperial officers in various Imperial installations . The weapon also accompanied Katarn during a mission to the Ramsees Hed spaceport on the planet Cal - Seti ; a brief tenure aboard the " Star Jewel " , the personal yacht of crime lord Jabba the Hutt ; a mission to the Imperial Security Operations building on the planet Coruscant ; and an excursion to the Fuel Station Ergo . Katarn eventually infiltrated the dark trooper factory ship " Arc Hammer " and destroyed the project . Behind the scenes . The Packered mortar gun was created for the 1995 video game " " , and it later featured in artwork for the Topps " Star Wars Galaxy Series 3 " trading card set , which served as promotional material for the game . Justin Chin , the game ' s story writer , named the Packered mortar gun after one of his favorite automobile companies , . According to Chin , Kyle Katarn personally favored the mortar gun and used it extensively when rescuing Jan Ors from Imperial imprisonment , as told in " " . However , no " Dark Forces " source material , including " Coded Transmissions " , mentions Chin ' s details regarding Katarn . At least one " Dark Forces " game tester referred to the weapon as " smoke " during development , having favored other weapons over the launcher . Level designer Brett Tosti purposely placed a Packered mortar gun underneath a ledge where a thermal detonator - tossing Gran was stationed during the game ' s Cal - Seti mission . Tosti felt that the weapon was most useful for that encounter .