Kar-shaks, also known as net-poles, were traditional melee weapons used by the aquatic Mon Calamari species. One end of the weapon was barbed like a , while the other consisted of a net. Several months after the Battle of Endor, the New Republic Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar practiced kotas with a kar-shak against holographic Imperial stormtroopers on board the MC80 Star Cruiser Home One. While practicing, he sliced the weapon's barb through the helmet of the first enemy and then captured the head of a second with the net, hurling the trooper into a third foe and downing them both. His practice was then interrupted by Ensign Deltura, who brought news that Captain Wedge Antilles had gone missing. After reviewing the information, Ackbar explained to Deltura that he practiced with the kar-shak to remain sharp and flexible, so he could remain ahead of his enemies.
To stay sharp and flexible, Gial Ackbar practiced martial arts using his kar-shak.
A kar-shak first appeared in the novel Aftermath, which was written by Chuck Wendig and released in 2015.
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