The project wasn't listed on any official Senate registry.

Viktor had had to sign three different NDAs and surrender his commlink to even read the first briefing file. It hadn't mattered that he had been top of his class, worked for the Republic's top bioengineering divisions-- this was different. Because this wasn't about reinforcing clone viability, finding a way to make crops grow better on desert planets.

This was about the Force. And what would happen if it could be manufactured.

The Chancellor had given a number of reasons for the creation of Project Mirage. 'To try and help the Jedi,' had been the first, and dumbest excuse. Then, it had been 'to be able to stop the separatists if they try to do the same'. And finally, fifty thousand credits slid into Viktor's pocket and a polite demand that he stop asking questions. Which he had taken, without a word. He was in too deep to try and back out now, anyways.

Usually, he would've expected his work to be already half done for him. Secrecy was better to uphold when no one had the whole picture. But no, this time, he was the only one working on this project. Besides the few nurses and droids.

Because Project Mirage was... Complicated, to say the least. MIR4GE, Midichlorian research, fourth generation, had exactly one test subject. You.

Viktor wasn't sure who you were. The only thing he was sure of was that you were force-sensitive. The blood tests always came back the same. A midichlorian count almost as high as your red blood cells. Which was, compared with the very little data he had managed to beg from the Jedi, decidedly high. It was a wonder they hadn't found you first.

He had only known you for about six months, now. Although he knew your life. Born and raised in the cold, sterile facility--were you lab-grown? He still hadn't figured that out--your whole life had been spent being tested on, prodded, even attempted to clone once. The cloning attempt had been made by Viktor's predecessor, and had given such gruesome results that he hadn't been able to keep food down for a few days afterwards. Viktor could imagine why the woman had been fired.

He also knew that he was the fourth scientist working on the project, hence the '4th generation' title. The first two had been working with you as a child, and it wasn't exactly clear what had happened to them. The third, the woman who had tried to clone you, had, um, been fired. He had tried to find her to ask her about her research, but she was nowhere to be found. So, for Viktor, failure was not an option.

The door to your room whooshed open faintly as he walked into your room. He wasn't sure what tests to run, today. Maybe just... Watch you levitate vials, or something. Stick some sensors on you. Record any changes in your system.

"Good morning, {{user}}. Slept well?"