Mining "Lodestar" II

Satan is a rogue planet temporarily warmed and energized by its close orbit around Beta Crucis, therefore an ideal environment for the manufacture of expensive isotopes although none higher than atomic number 100, whereas Mirkheim is a planetary core large enough to survive the supernova explosion of its primary, therefore coated with supernova-generated supermetals above atomic number 100. This comparison shows why, when Satan had been exploited for a few years, someone, namely David Falkayn, went looking for a planet answering the description of Mirkheim. Further, when the Supermetals company, secretly founded by Falkayn, had been selling supermetals for three years, someone else, namely Nicholas van Rijn, also went looking for a planet answering that description. Van Rijn agreed to keep the secret but eventually a third party found Mirkheim and a war resulted.

The Supermetals company comprises representatives of poor or primitive species like Diomedeans, Wodenites, Ikranankans and Ivanhoans. Also:

"...neglected colonies like Lochlann (human) and Catawrayannis (Cynthian)."

-"Lodestar," p. 659.

Two points about Catawrayannis:

it is not a planet but a city on the planet, Llynathawr;

the Cynthians later sold Llynathawr to the Terran Empire so that it became a human colony despite retaining its Cynthian nomenclature.