Strangelet

A strangelet is a particle that can convert normal matter into more strangelets.

Creation and Discovery
While intially hypothesized to exist in the late twentieth century, strangelets where essentially a theory to describe what would happen if the chaotic composistion of neutrons in neutron stars were to collapse under enormous forces of gravity into quarks, or strange matter. The existence of strange matter was confirmed when a synthetic probe attempted to sample neutron star mass and was slowly converted into quarks and energy when traveling back from it's experiment. Though no method existed at the time to safely contain the matter, it nevertheless prompted further study into the phenomnena in the subsequent years.

Weaponization
Ever since the confirmation of the existence of the Strangelet particle, both sides of the conflict looked for ways to weaponize the exotic matter. After years of research and developement, the ISA elected to dismantle their Strangelet Weapons Program. After several failed attempts, the ISA abandoned the project, ultimately deeming the particle too dangerous to store should one ever escape. This was made apparent to the ISA after a strangelt particle escaped and tore through the unhabited world of Reflection. The ISA elected to use the Planet Cracker Class missile as their last ditch weapon.

The Singulus however, were much more successful. Thier program produced a bomb that could be mounted on a torpedo. When the prototype weapon was unleashed upon on an unsuspecting colony, the converted planet consumed the research fleet testing the weapon, destroying years of research and development. While the Singulus continue to pursue production of the device, the reasearch that would've enabled mass production of the bomb was lost with the destruction of the research fleet.