Amirite

Amirite (pronounced a&#183;mi&#183;ra:i't) is a mineral form of (III) malide (Fe2Ma3). The compound was stable and nonreactive with most other compounds. Only a few chlorides and iodides were known to cause the electron bonds to break down in a chemical reaction. Because of its chemical and atomic stability, it was viewed as an important metaloid for alloy making. Usage of amirite dated to era of Xim the Despot, wherein the small amirite veins on Tion Cluster planets was exploited to plate weaponry. During the Great Manifest Period, the rush of settlement and colonization of the Inner Rim and Expansion region resulted in a discovery of three large amirite deposits. These deposits were concentrated in eastern Expansion Region within the ancient Amirite Nebula, the Erai–Artesia field, and near the planet. It was the principle ore that fueled the mining operations along an arc from Trammen to Reytha via Mimban. In the ensuing Alsakan Conflicts, the mining outposts and industry became one of many pawns. Amirite's value skyrocketed during the Jedi Civil War because of its unavailability due to the Sixteenth Alsakan Conflicts. This caused the compound to fall out of use in industry and metallurgy. During the Seswenna Security Crisis, it was discovered that the compound had the ability to be used for medicinal purposes when it was mixed with a hydrous iodide. Application of the mineral in medicine helped facilitate the end of the Death Seed Plague during the crisis.

Chemical and physical properties
Amirite was a compound composed of three malium atoms bonded with two iron (III) atoms. In this compound, the atoms were arranged in strings with a malium atom on each end and in the middle. Double bonds joined the malium atom at each end of the compound to an iron atom; only the central malium atom failed to have a double bond with another atom. Without extreme heat, the compound was nonreactive with all known compounds except for heavy chlorine or iodine acids with a pH lower than 2. If heat were to have been applied, the malium–iron double bonds broke down into single bonds; the malium atoms with a remaining electron bond then bonded with either available hydrogen and fluorine atoms or another amirite molecule.

Amirite in its pure form was as a dark reddish-purple mineral. It was easily polished when found in larger masses. In terrestrial deposits, the masses ranged in size from veins of a few meters in depth to entire lunar bodies. The dense ore was stronger and more durable than iron (III) oxide and not easily powderized. When refined and powderized, it was added to ferrocrete to create a dense conglomerate that exhibited a reddish color. This type of ferrocrete was used for surfaces that needed to hold heavy weight and withstand active forces pushing against it, such as a landing freighter.

Provenance and occurrence
Amirite is a compound that occurred naturally in many places in the galaxy. Most often, it was found in small quantities such as trace amounts in sands or small veins embedded in terrestrial crust. During the early years of the Republic, it was suspected that amirite was formed through the fusion of heavy elements inside a star and ejected upon its collapse. The principle theory was that the supermassive star that formed the black hole at the center of the galaxy was responsible for dispersing amirite in small quantities throughout the galaxy. The systems that had more prevalence were believed to have been formed from the nebular regions that contained the larger concentrations. In these areas, planets or moons had small amounts of amirite in their terrestrial crusts. No planet other known at the time was comprised of more than .02% amirite. It was later discovered that Sullust and Wayland had larger amounts that were able to be mined.

After the discovery of the Amirite Nebula and the Erai–Artesia field during the closing years of the, the question of the compound's origins came to the fore. The "Amirite Nebula" was a large swath of amirite-laden terrestrial objects that formed a circular shape in the eastern Expansion Region. Some objects, such as the three moons of Ishanna II were made entirely of amirite. The heavy concentration of the compound in these regions, much of which had a purity factor nearing 95%, puzzled scientists. A lively debate lasted until the time of the Great Hyperspace War. During the height of the war, the scientist Juncta Ecragi crafted the hypothesis that following the mass-ejection from the galaxy's parent star, a large concentration of amirite collected in the region of the galactic nebula in what became the eastern Expansion region. From there, a large star was born with amirite-laden satellites. This star, birthed from heavy concentrations of iron and malium, further created the compound and ejected it into a large nebula that Ecragi called the "Amirite Nebula." From this, the scientist believed, that the Mimban, Ishanna, Reytha, Trammen systems were formed among others.

Pre-Republic and early Republic eons
Among the earliest known usage of amirite was during the reign of Xim the Despot. Amirite existed in small veins embedded in the crust of the planet Argai. The metal was used as an alloying agent for melee weaponry. Swords, spears, and blades were crafted with amirite due to its strength, density, and smoothness when refined. Other planets in the Tion Cluster had small amirite deposits as well, but the fractional amounts of the compound made it extremely expensive. When the Republic was formed, the high cost and small natural occurrence caused amirite to be considered a largely useless compound and very little research was performed on it.

By the end of the Great Manifest Period, research into synthetic metals began to flourish, and amirite was crafted in labs on Coruscant, Alsakan, and Duro. Outside of Republic space, the Sullustan species was beginning to use the amirite deposits on Sullust as an additive in their alloys. Similarly, the and  species began using amirite in all aspects of metallurgy. Due to the large prevalence of the compound in the Ishanna system, it became the principle metal in both cultures.

The rapid colonization of the Expansion Region by agents of the Core Worlds was quickly followed by conflict. Even though Gyndine and Mimban were settled by 17,000 BBY, the large amirite region was still unknown to the larger Republic. By the Pius Dea Crusades, amirite-laden planets and moons were gradually being discovered in the eastern Expansion Region. The extent of the mineral remained unknown at the time, as the material was considered of low priority for prospectors. Furthermore, the ongoing conflicts between Alsakan and Coruscant were decimating the settlements in the eastern Expansion Region. The ability to successfully mine and export amirite was a daunting and expensive task while the periodic fighting continued. Shortly before the Great Hyperspace War, the size of the Amirite Nebula was being discerned. The entire nebular region was mapped shortly thereafter, providing scientists data that led to Ecragi's hypothesis about the origins of the nebular region.

New discoveries and new wars
Excitement about amirite picked up until the Great Hyperspace War caused the mineral production to shift back toward known priorities. During the war, however, the Sullustans were making advancements with amirite. They found new ways of making an alloy plating that was more economically efficient, due to the heat required to melt the ore. Also discovered was the ability to place a small amount of amirite in ferrocrete to increase its strength and durability. Around 4,221 BBY, the Amirite Nebula and the Erai–Artesia field were fully explored and settlement in these regions had been progressing with stability. The existence of the compound in the Expansion Region and the ongoing innovations on Sullust, Core World scientists expressed interest in the compound. This caused many land and ore speculators to flood into the Expansion Region on account of amirite. The price of the compound initially soared, as demand increased exponentially. After a few years, however, the propaganda from the prospectors had caused the price to become overinflated. In a matter of days, the value of amirite plummeted on the open minerals market as the belief spread that enough metal existed to replace iron oxide in importance. Alsakan controlled most of the planets in the nebular region, but Coruscant wanted access to the newly-valuable resource. The wildly volatile market helped create further levels of anxiety and sparked another round of fighting between Alsakan and Coruscant in the Alsakan Conflicts. The Sixteenth Alsakan Conflict erupted after mining operations from both worlds began to sabotage each other's operations in the Nebula.

The damage done during the Sixteenth Alsakan Conflict caused the investments in the Amirite Nebula to be rendered useless as the Old Sith Wars began. The quick succession of wars and the still largely unknown value of amirite caused the mineral to be once again ignored. During the Jedi Civil War, the Darth Revan was made aware of the compound and sent a small fleet to Mimban to protect it. He stated that any large-scale deposit of raw materials was worth protecting. Darth Malak pulled the fleet from the Expansion Region after he usurped power, opting neglect or destroy the galactic infrastructure that Revan had attempted to preserve. This caused the compound to fall out of use in metallurgy and industry for through the Great Galactic War and into the Draggulch Period.

After the Ruusan Reformation
Slowly, amirite mining in the Expansion Region began to revive. Malium was more important initially, so the large quantities of the pure element (Ma and Ma2) in the Erai–Artesia field caused the planet of Erai to boom. Amirite was steadily exported to the rest of the galaxy over the next two thousand years. By the Ruusan Reformation, amirite had become a standard compound for use in high-quality alloys and duracrete. The cost was still relatively expensive due to the small amount that existed in the galaxy as a whole. The mineral was a specialty item that was used to plate valuable metals or to mix into ferrocrete. On average, approximately 472,000,000 tonnes of the mineral were extracted and exported each standard month during the three centuries after the Ruusan Reformation.

During the Seswenna Security Crisis, it was discovered that the compound had the ability to be used for medicinal purposes when it was mixed with a hydrous iodide. Application of the mineral in medicine helped facilitate the end of the Death Seed Plague during the crisis.

Behind the scenes
The name "Amirite" stems from an IRC conversation with Atarumaster88, in which he used the word as a slang, shorthand way of asking "am I right?" Confused by the word initially, Fiolli joked if the word was a compound of some type. Thus, amirite was created and written into the draft of Golden Age of the Republic: Ghostly Images as a principle mineral in the Expansion Region.