A Hand Within Geomancy

Black Iron

A rare and hyper dense material revered by the ancient Ryuvians for its virtual indestructibility. Its exact formation and properties are beyond the understanding of current scientific knowledge. The Church of Ryuvia worshiped black iron and fashioned it into an religious symbol, placing monoliths of black iron to be revered by its adherents on many worlds. Today, those  monoliths are humanity's primary source of black iron, as they are reforged in solar furnaces and tasked for more utilitarian purposes. Militarily, black iron is used in the production of specialized ryder parts which require perfect durability, namely high-G joints and melee weaponry. However, its extreme weight limits widespread use of black iron on ryders, despite it's durability.

Ongessite

Considered one of the most valuable natural resources in the galaxy, Ongessite, and its home planet, Ongess, has long played a central role in the galactic economy.

Found in ample supply in the world of Ongess, and virtually nowhere else, corporations and governments both jockey for control of the Ongessite mining industry. First, Ongessite ore is mined from the crust, then transported to orbit, where it is refined in zero gravity into a liquid form. Ongessite ore is highly toxic to humans and inhalation of both its dust particles and refined vapor causes severe health problems, ranging from lung disease, to permanent dwarfism. When liquid Ongessite is added to gray iron, it forms a ceramic matter which possesses a durability second only to black iron at less than 40 percent of its weight. Virtually all fusion reactors are created from Ongessite, making it a necessary ingredient to humanity's energy network. Further, the military relies on a steady source of Ongessite to create light weight fusion reactors for ryders, making control of Ongess a vital strategic necessity for every national government.

It is theorized that Ongessite is the fossilized remains of a silicon-based life form native to Ongess several billions of years ago. Coincidentally, space whales are thought to have fed on this supposed life form. Apart from the Ongess mining industry, space whale hunting is the only other avenue of collecting Ongessite, as the seemingly immortal space whales possess rich Ongessite reserves in their blubber from centuries of consuming these creatures.