The leader of Project G, Hollander wasn’t always a scientist in the conventional sense. He was brought onto the Jenova Project by President Shinra but quickly parted ways from the Junon Science Department over his drastically different views of approaching the project. He and Hojo did not get along one bit and because of this, the project was split into two units. S and G.

He left Junon with Dr. Gillian Hewley, and set up a research lab in the Banora underground, where Mako fissures were abundant. There, they carried out their experiments. Injecting Jenova cells into Gillian, who was already pregnant with Hollander's twins, Hollander hoped to create superhuman-cetra hybrids. Gillian’s cells were then injected into another pregnant woman who would be the mother of Genesis.

When the children were born, Angeal and Genesis both bore the distinct cellular make up that Hollander was hoping for. But Kess showed no signs of the change at all. It was as if the cells were rendered completely inert. Rather than waste anymore time with her, Hollander made arrangements for Kess to be taken by Shinra employees that lived in Kalm. She would grow up never knowing about her true parents or her origins.

Angeal and Genesis grew up in Banora together, eventually being pushed to join Soldier. Surprisingly enough, they made friends with Sephiroth, who had been the product of Hojo’s Jenova experiments. The three were inseparable. Kess would join Soldier as well, but with the intent on being closer to her adopted brother, Grey. After his death, and the tragic destruction of Kalm, she tried to commit suicide but failed. Her self perseverance kicked in and awoke the Jenova cells within her body.

Professor Hojo had known of her existence since Hollander gave her away and had been keeping tabs on her. When he learned of her attempted suicide, he immediately requested that she be transferred to Deepground. Her true potential was seen and he called Hollander a fool for discarding her. The Jenova cells within her body had been even a finer merger than those in Sephiroth and he was eager to see what she was capable of.

Hollander would see her only once more before he left Shinra. The night he broke into the building to steal the files on Hojo’s project, she was also there, trying to take information as well. Despite her changed hair color, he recognized his daughter immediately.

“You!”