FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade The FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade was an infantry hand grenade that contained the deadly FEX - M3 nerve gas . Manufactured by the Czerka Arms corporation , the grenade was one of Czerka ' s several types of chemical load grenade s filled with various chemical payloads . Production of FEX - M3 nerve gas grenades was banned by the Galactic Senate around the start of the Clone Wars ; however , one Galactic Republic factory on the planet Belgaroth secretly produced a large shipment of grenades for the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the conflict . When intelligence of the factory ' s possible ties to their enemy reached the Republic , a four - man clone trooper team was dispatched to investigate . During the course of the mission , three clone troopers were killed by a native droidbreaker creature , but the remaining clone , Sergeant Marrt , was able to complete the mission . He destroyed the shipment , burned the factory , captured its head , Tarin , and retrieved important data records that helped expose two traitorous senators in the Republic ' s midst . The grenade was in use again by the time of the Galactic Civil War , and it was employed by the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic . Description . The FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade was a tiny infantry hand grenade filled with the deadly FEX - M3 nerve gas , a potent and volatile yellow - colored gas that attacked the autonomic nervous system and the brain stem of most species , effectively shutting those systems down and incapacitating the victim . Although the gas achieved its greatest effect when inhaled , therefore making gas masks a means of partial protection , they were not enough , as a portion of the FEX - M3 nerve gas was also absorbed through the skin . The only way to completely protect an individual against the effects of the gas was to wear a full enviro - suit . One of a line of specially made custom grenades called " chemical load grenade s , " the FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade was produced by the Czerka Arms corporation , and , according to Czerka ' s trade agreements , it was clearly marked with labels describing its dangerous contents . Each FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade had a market cost of 1050 credits . The grenade itself had rounded curves and consisted of a top cylindrical section and a protruded conical handle , separated by a somewhat recessed middle section . A circular cavity was located at the very top of the grenade , and rectangular protrusions were visible at the sides . The top section and the handle were light gray in color , while the middle section was slightly darker . The grenade weighed only 0 . 5 kilograms and had a maximum throwing range of 20 meters . When thrown , the weapon was held by its handle . The FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade could be detonated by a blaster shot directed at it . When detonated , the grenade released the FEX - M3 nerve gas in aerosol form in a small radius . The cloud of gas dissipated after a brief period of time , but it was powerful enough to kill a droidbreaker creature in an instant and was deadly to Humans as well . Upon detonation , the shell of the gas grenade disintegrated , preventing it from being refilled and limiting the FEX - M3 grenade to be a one - time use weapon . History . The FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade was developed at some point before or early in the Clone Wars , and it was produced and filled with its contents at Czerka Arms ' factories . The grenade saw prevalent military use , as it allowed military units to kill enemy troops without damaging structures . Due to its deadly effects , the grenade was subsequently banned by the Galactic Senate . However , during the first two years of the conflict — a year after the official ban was issued — a Galactic Republic – affiliated factory owned by Czerka and located on the planet Belgaroth made a deal with the InterGalactic Banking Clan , a member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems . The head of the factory , Tarin , promised Reep Tonith , the Clan ' s representative , to produce 100 , 000 FEX - M3 nerve gas grenades for the Confederacy in exchange for a large monetary reward . When the Republic received intelligence of Tarin ' s secret dealings with the Confederacy , it dispatched a scout team of four clone troopers led by Sergeant Marrt to investigate . The team made their way to the factory ; once they reached it , Marrt ordered his men to remain in hiding nearby while he went inside alone . Meanwhile , Tonith arrived to pick up the cargo , but found that Tarin had not yet completed the order . Tarin asked for a twelve - hour delay to allow him to produce the required number of grenades , and Tonith grudgingly agreed . Their conversation was overheard by Marrt , who then inspected the completed part of the cargo and found the grenades . Taking one FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade as evidence , Marrt tried to return to his squad unnoticed , but was spotted by Tonith ' s battle droid escort . As battle droids opened fire , Marrt and his men retreated to a swamp . Tarin let them escape , believing that they would certainly be killed by the droidbreaker creatures native to the swamps . Certain that the FEX - M3 nerve gas grenades would give the Confederacy an upper hand in the war and would spell doom for the Republic ' s clone army , the four clone troopers tried to contact the Republic , but were unable to do so because of a dense fog surrounding the swamp . At that moment , they were attacked by a droidbreaker that started killing the clone troopers one by one . Eventually only Sergeant Marrt remained alive , and in a last desperate attempt to defeat the droidbreaker , he climbed a nearby tree and threw the FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade he had taken from the factory at the creature . The droidbreaker caught the grenade in its mouth , and Marrt opened fire with his blaster pistol . One shot hit the grenade , which detonated and released its FEX - M3 nerve gas , instantly killing the creature . Determined to avenge the deaths of his comrades , Marrt returned to the factory , destroyed Tonith ' s droids , burned the facility , and destroyed the entire shipment of grenades , but not before retrieving Czerka ' s data records . Marrt received heavy injuries , but was able to capture Tarin , although Tonith escaped . The data records Marrt had retrieved exposed two Republic senators who had been profiting on deals with the Confederacy . Despite the ban on the production of FEX - M3 nerve grenades and the destruction of the Czerka facility , the grenades were eventually once again widely available during the reign of the Galactic Empire years later , and they were used on the battlefields by both sides of the Galactic Civil War , the Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic . The grenade continued to see use during the devastating Yuuzhan Vong War decades later . Behind the scenes . The FEX - M3 nerve gas grenade was first mentioned in the 1991 supplement for West End Games ' tabletop wargame system , " Star Wars Miniatures Battles " . The grenades were presented as one of the several types of ordnance available for use during the game . The grenade went unreferenced for many years until it was mentioned as one of the types of chemical load grenades in the 2002 " Arms & Equipment Guide " , a supplement for Wizards of the Coast ' s " Star Wars Roleplaying Game " . The grenade was later briefly referenced in " The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology " , a 2004 reference book , before making its first actual appearance in " A Trooper ' s Tale " , a short comic strip published in " " in May of 2010 . " A Trooper ' s Tale " was written by Robin Etherington and illustrated by Andres Ponce .