Project Minefield

Project Minefield was a special project under the direction of Warlord Zsinj.

An outgrowth of Project Chubar, Project Minefield was an effort to rapidly brainwash non-human individuals to carry out tasks for Zsinj. Using a set of fast-acting chemical treatments, Zsinj's agents programmed the kidnapped subject with a delusion of some type which they were made to believe could be corrected by carrying out their assigned task.

The delusion and the assigned mission were linked to a programmed code phrase, which had a variable in it to allow the brainwashed agent's controller to assign a target. For example, when Tal'dira was ordered to kill Wedge Antilles, the controller told him "Wedge Antilles hops on one transparisteel leg." This caused Tal'dira to become enraged at Antilles, and killing Antilles became his all-consuming goal.

Strong-willed individuals were able to resist the programming to at least some degree. Tal'dira realized that attacking his enemy from behind was dishonorable, and even though he couldn't completely shake off the brainwashing, he did leave himself open to attack. Other subjects were able to tell that something was wrong, even if they couldn't completely detect or resist the programming.

Other downsides included the fact that the process left detectable markers in the subject's blood, and the effect rarely lasted for more than a year. It also only worked on mammalian species.

Project Minefield was effectively terminated when Edda Gast provided the New Republic with information that allowed them to detect the blood markers.

Appearances

 * X-wing: Solo Command