Magnesium

Magnesium was a flammable substance that when burned produced a bright, blinding flash that could be used as a flare. During the reign of the Galactic Empire, the pirate Handsome Tar tossed magnesium burners through the magnetic field of a Ghtroc star yacht while boarding it and created a two-meter circle on the hull that burned through the surface and created a hole when ignited by a shot from a powder kicker. While fleeing from Imperial stormtroopers on Tovio, the rebel Fanya recognized a moss that was a natural source of magnisium and ignited it with sparks from two stones, temporarily blinding a pair of troopers and allowing her and her companion Rorric to escape.

Text and facts from the “Magnesium” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.