Cortosis

Cortosis ore was a very rare, brittle, fibrous material whose conductive properties caused lightsabers to temporarily short out upon contact, although the wielder could solve this problem by turning the blade back on after a couple of seconds. This effect made cortosis a useful material for anti-lightsaber melee weapons, though with repeated strikes, a lightsaber could still cut through it. Cortosis, due to its heat and energy resistant properties, was also resistant to blaster fire.

Overview

This substance was used extensively in shadowtrooper armor, as well as the cortosis battle droids during the Clone Wars, and the Force-using group known as the Jensaarai. The cortosis used for this armor was smuggled out from Bespin's Cloud City. The walls of the Imperial Palace were also lined with cortosis ore. It was also used to strengthen starfighter and capital ship hulls, and was woven into body armor.

Cortosis was expensive to mine because it was so rare and it absolutely had to be refined. Pure, unrefined cortosis ore was for unexplained reasons energized, killing anyone who touched it with his/her bare skin, even Hutts, who had energy resistant enzymes in their sweat. Miners had to have filtering equipment, or else the cortosis particles would accumulate in their systems, causing hair loss, sickness, and eventually death. The substance was heat and energy resistant, meaning energy tools (such as plasma torches) were virtually useless. The brute force of hydraulic jacks were used to mine it, though it quickly wore the head of the jack to uselessness and its dust would clog the pistons.

The most valuable type of cortosis was the purified one. It is known as Cortosis-Shield, used by Roan Fel's Imperial Knights on their gauntlets. It can short out a lightsaber for a short period of time.

During the New Sith Wars, the Outer Rim Oreworks Company mined cortosis on Apatros. This was where future Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Bane was born and drilled cortosis for several years before fleeing to the Sith Army.

During the Clone Wars, the Jedi Council discovered that the Confederacy of Independent Systems was mining cortosis on Bal'demnic, and dispatched a task force led by Halagad Ventor and Sha Koon to sabotage the operation.

Large deposits of cortosis were also known to be on Duro and Katanos VII.

Roan Fel and all of his Imperial Knights had pure cortosis gauntlets.

Quinlan Vos wore a cortosis gauntlet on his left arm during the Clone Wars

The Pau'an Sith Lord, Darth Desolous, used a cortosis shield to block lightsaber attacks.

Cad Bane used a Cortosis Slugthrower against Bolla Ropal to disable his lightsaber and capture him.

Galak Fyyar had an entire powered suit of shielded battle armor created out of cortosis alloy.

Imperial riot troopers were armed with electrostaffs made with cortosis.