Rigel XII Mining Complex

The Rigel XII Mining Complex, also known as the Lalande 8 mining complex, was a mining facility located on the planet of Rigel XII.

It was owned by the Resources Corporation of Deneva.

In 2176 SFC (circa 2237), a geophysicist named Wendell Herzog worked at the Rigel XII Mining Complex, where he experimented with antimatter in his laboratory. When his dilithium crystal bracelet began to glow, he conducted extensive research and discovered the capacity of dilithium crystals to channel and focus the energy output from matter/antimatter reactions, doubling the efficiency. He also found that this could be discharged into a powerful beam, which bored through his steel workbench, the floor, and 12 meters of rock. This new technology allowed for warp speeds over 4.8, potentially up to 8 or 9, and more powerful weapons systems. 

The Federation quickly commenced a highly classified engineering project at Lalande 8 to develop dilithium technology, with Carter Winston, a representative of the Resources Corporation of Deneva, as a contractor. It published the equally secret Dilithium Report on the technology a few months prior to the Second Babel Conference of 2177 SFC. Captain Krenn sutai-Rustazh of the Klingon Empire blackmailed the report out of Winston and Starfleet Admiral Douglas Shepherd in return for withholding information on Chief of Staff Admiral Marcus van Diemen that could dissolve the Federation. 


 * Though it follows the timeline of Spaceflight Chronology, The Final Reflection relocates this discovery to the "Lalande 8 mining complex", and does not mention Herzog. It is unclear if "Lalande 8" is a star (like Lalande 21185), a planet, some location on Rigel XII, another name for the complex itself, or perhaps even a mining company. This article assumes that these refer to the same mining complex.
 * The novel also dates the incident to over two years before the Second Babel Conference of 2177 SFC, whereas the Chronology only places it one year before. It is possible that Herzog's research took a few years to complete, with his log and final report only made in 2176 SFC (perhaps the same report mentioned in The Final Reflection). It also possible that he and his research relocated from Lalande 8 to Rigel XII during this time. The latter phases of this research could be part of the Federation's development project.

In reference stardate 1/7603, Orions discovered the Rigel XII's extensive dilithium deposits at the Rigel XII Mining Complex. The Orion Colonies then mined and sold dilithium to both the Federation and the Klingon Empire, for use as power rectifiers for warp drives, revolutionizing interstellar travel and military-grade weapons technology.