Seconds after he rushed out of the library and into the corridor leading away from it, Jacen's danger-senses tingled. Hurriedly, he erected a full-body Force-shield behind him a split second before multiple laser bolts would have scorched his back and ended his life as the two guards from the library were in pursuit of him. The relatively few other civilians who were here at this time scurried out of the way so that they wouldn't get hurt as the guards screamed out, "Move!" and "Out of the way!" to them.

Had he had his lightsaber intact on him, Jacen could have easily whipped it out, ignited it, and began batting the bolts away. Unfortunately, because of his disguise as Candak Hecluse, he had to smuggle his 'saber in pieces, with each piece in one pocket along his utility belt. So, as it was, he had no other choice but to rely exclusively on his Force-powers if he hoped to survive the onslaught of lasers aimed at him from behind. Of course, he knew that he couldn't keep the Force-shield up forever; eventually, he would weaken and tire as the bolts kept on peppering his invisible defense.

Thinking quickly, he leaped off to the right of the corridor so that his boots were placed along the wall there before he pushed himself up to the ceiling. There, in the briefest of moments that he had there before he began the inevitable descent back to the deck, he turned and, with the fire directed at him now lancing forward toward the end of this corridor, he turned and Force-pulled the guards' blasters out of their grip and into his own.

They smacked into his palms before his feet touched the deck. Then, setting the weapons to stun, he dropped both bewildered guards instantly.

However, just as those guards dropped, they inadvertently revealed two more guards who skidded to a halt just behind them. Without hesitation, Jacen fired upon them, but they both ducked for cover on either side of the corridor to hide in the thresholds of doors that led into nearby rooms. The incognito Jedi took after them and flipped off to his right as he began exchanging fire with them by ducking in and out whenever he saw an opportunity to fire.

About fifteen seconds into the firefight, an alarm and flashing red lights went off throughout this level of Centerpoint. Apparently, Jacen thought, these guards must have been smart enough to finally call in their buddies for help, unlike the ones who confronted him in the library. Opening up his Force-senses, he felt a slew of humans rushing in from either side of the corridor, no doubt deploying from wherever they were on this level to corner him.

Knowing that he had to act fast, Jacen tossed both blasters away and projected a Fallanassi illusion of himself casually stepping out. Naturally, the guards fired on the illusion, only for it to be unfazed. Then, just before he let the illusion dissipate into nothingness, the real Jacen stepped out and Force-pulled those guards' blasters of their hands. This time, though, instead of letting them land into his own hands, he let the weapons skid along the deck before he Force-smacked both guards' heads against the thresholds they were hiding behind; they fell to the deck unconscious.

Jacen turned and resumed his hurried pace to the hangar bay where the Hawk Runner was docked, though he knew that that ship probably wouldn't help him out any; without Captain Slenas' command codes, there was no way he was going to escape via that ship while he and the rest of his crew were on shore leave. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't hijack another ship to get out of here (he did intend to bring it back to the owner at some point in the future, though).

Of course, as he continued forward, he was ever aware that, around the bend ahead, he was going to confront about a dozen or so guards that intended to stop him, one way or another, with their blasters. Which was why, once he did confront those guards, there were suddenly as many Jacens heading towards them.

None of the guards called out for them to stop; they just opened fire.

The real Jacen from the group leaped over the bolts as he simultaneously allowed the illusions to dissipate; and as he sailed through the air, he allowed bolts of Electric Judgment to arc from both hands to encompass the squadron of guards below and ahead of him. They all dropped to the deck unconscious in seconds even as Jacen continued to fly over them.

Only when he was completely over the group did he finally descend gracefully to the deck in a tuck-and-roll before he sprang to his feet and continued running.

He encountered no more resistance for the next several minutes, though he did hear the footsteps of the guards who were closing in from behind him. Nevertheless, when he saw the door leading into the hangar bay just ahead of him, he grinned in triumph; he was almost out of here.

Upon stopping at the threshold, he pressed the button to open the door.

Then he was suddenly zapped into unconsciousness from an electrical current that emanated from that very button.

. . .

Upon awakening, Jacen saw his second cousin, Thrackan Sal-Solo, looking up at him with a pleasant grin from the deck of a blank grey room. It was only then that the Jedi realized that he was trapped in a white force-field that suspended his motion, cut off his Force-senses, and kept him afloat two meters off the deck.

"Jacen, my boy!" Thrackan exclaimed with his arms outstretched to either side of his body. He was acting as if he and the Jedi were on good terms. "So good to see ya after so many years. How've you been?"

"I've been fine, Thrackan," Jacen said evenly. He was now acutely aware that the prostheses on his face that made him look like Hecluse were gone. "Just fine. Until now, of course; I assume that what zapped me back there was one of your anti-Jedi traps?"

"Correct, Jacen. I would've allowed the guards on this station to let you pass, maybe save 'em some trouble, what with you knockin' 'em out, but then I figured you'd get suspicious if you encountered no resistance on your way to the hangar."

"How considerate of you," Jacen remarked sarcastically.

"And how droll of you," Thrackan countered evenly. "Especially given your current predicament."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Thrackan," Jacen replied insincerely. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Now can you please get me down from here?"

Thrackan chuckled lightly as he allowed his arms to drop back to his sides. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Jacen. After you tried to steal state secrets from this station and assaulted several security guards in your escape attempt, I'd look like an idiot if I were to let you go, even with our blood relation."

"So why the visit? Just came to say hi?"

"Not just. You see, Jacen, aside from the fact that we're related, we share another thing in common."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"We're both in quite a bind right now. You, it's quite obvious. But with me? Well, tell me, I'm sure you've heard about the death of one of your Jedi Masters, and well-known Corellian traitor, Corran Horn, right?"

"What about it?"

"What if I told you, Jacen, that I've captured the Sith who killed him?"

"Honestly? I'd say you were lying."

Thrackan shook his head as if in amusement. "But if I could prove it by taking you to her?"

Jacen raised a skeptical eyebrow. "That'd be interesting, to say the least."

"Still wouldn't believe me? Think it'd be a con job or somethin' like that? Well, then, answer me this, Jacen: what do I have to gain by lying to you right now, since you're in the position you're in presently?"

"I don't know. What would you have to gain by lying to me, Thrackan?"

"Absolutely nothing," Thrackan replied with a sincere tone (though, to Jacen, that didn't mean that he was sincere). "But by telling you the truth, you know what I'd get from you?"

"What?"

"Protection."

"Protection? From what?"

"The Sith, for one."

"The Sith? And why would you need protection from the Sith when you've already caught her, apparently?"

"Because I intend to have the both of you protect me. But with you, it'd be double the duty, as you'd be on hand to make sure she doesn't try to stab me in the back or otherwise betray me in some other significant way."

Jacen looked down at Thrackan in confusion. "And just why would you have this Sith protect you if you don't even trust her enough to look after you on her own?"

"Well, it's because I let her Masters, or at least one of her handlers, so to speak, know about her capture. I tried to cut a deal with 'em, but not only did they refuse, but now, they also want to kill me."

"So let me get this straight. Now that these Sith have made it clear that they want you dead, you're hoping to elicit the help of the one you already caught because she was no doubt disowned by them, right?"

"Right."

"And you're hoping I'll keep her in check because... why, because we're family or something?"

"Because we're family, or because you're a Jedi whose duty is to protect others, or both. Take your pick, my boy."

Jacen wanted to tell him that, as a Jedi, it was his duty to protect the innocent, and that Thrackan was far from that. But then he held his tongue; if this was his only real chance at getting out of here, he had to take it.

Of course, if Thrackan was just going to set him free, if only because he'd be working for him, that meant that Jacen would have to come into contact with the Sith he captured.

And that meant coming into contact with Tahiri.

"May I make any conditions to this, Thrackan?"

The older man looked suspiciously up at him. "What kind of conditions, Jacen?"

"I wanna have my facial prostheses back; and I wanna maintain my disguise as Candak Hecluse along with 'em."

"Why?"

"I don't want this Sith knowing who I am; I prefer to keep my anonymity if I'm gonna be around her."

Thrackan placed a hand under his chin in thought as he maintained eye contact with his second cousin. He maintained this position for an uncomfortably long time before he finally said, "Done."

"So does that mean you'll let me down from here?"

Thrackan nodded. "But just so you know, you try any funny business in here, and one of my guys will flood this room with knockout gas before you can get out that door."

"But once I am out?"

"Oh, you'll see."

Thrackan turned and headed to the door. He knocked on it, and a second later, two armed security guards—the same ones who confronted Jacen in the library—entered; one of them held a pair of stuncuffs.

Thrackan returned to the console that controlled the force-field that held Jacen in place. He pressed a few buttons on it in sequential order, and when he was done, Jacen was lowered carefully back to the deck.

He didn't resist as the guards subdued him and the stuncuffs were placed on him, his arms held in front of him; once again, as quickly as his connection to the Force was regained, it was just as quickly muted to apparent nothingness.

"A little import from the Chiss," Thrackan explained as he nodded to the cuffs. "Thought it might be useful to buy one o' those from them."

"Funny, Thrackan," Jacen said as he was herded to the cell's exit. "I thought you xenophobic isolationists didn't like dealing with aliens."

"We don't," Thrackan replied as he walked alongside his second cousin. "But sometimes, there are some benefits when dealing with alien filth."

Like getting imports from worlds like Qiilura, which were known for harboring the shape-shifting species known as the Gurlanins, Jacen thought.

"I wonder if the Chiss think the same about you," Jacen said once the four of them exited the cell.

"Eh, they probably do," Thrackan replied casually as they proceeded down this corridor. "But who cares what they think?"

Yeah, who cares? Jacen thought. Especially when they're not only waging a war with the GA, but also have Sith manipulating and commanding them.

Of course, a part of Jacen wanted to tell Thrackan that; if he understood just how grave a threat the Sith were with the Chiss under their thumb, the Corellian Head of State might prove a useful ally. It might even make Thrackan trust him more.

But then Jacen wondered if that really was such a good idea to disclose that kind of information to Thrackan. For one thing, it would no doubt be considered treasonous in the Galactic Alliance by way of Jacen's affiliation with the Jedi Order. And Jacen wouldn't be surprised if Thrackan would have found some way to turn this all to his favor exclusively while still making the Sith, the Chiss, and the GA all his enemies.

Half an hour later, after Jacen had his facial prostheses placed back upon his face, he stood outside another door, not unlike the one that led into his own cell, with the two guards still standing stoically silent at either side of him. Meanwhile, Thrackan was inside, no doubt finalizing whatever deal he had made with the Sith he captured before he was going to release her from the same kind of force-field that had bound Jacen.

After a few moments, Thrackan stuck his head out and wordlessly nodded at the guards. The one to Jacen's right undid his stuncuffs, allowing him to feel the Force freely again.

But even as he did, he made sure that his familiar Force-presence was small; he didn't want to tip off Tahiri.

Then Thrackan stepped out, followed shortly by a dark-haired Tahiri Veila.

"Miss Leary Trest," Thrackan said to Tahiri, "I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Candak Hecluse. He's an independent Force-user with some Jedi training. At least that's what he tells me. He's from..." He turned to address Jacen. "I'm sorry, where'd you say where you were from, Candak?"

"I didn't, Head of State Sal-Solo," Jacen answered, once again making his voice gruffer to match the actual Hecluse. Hopefully, it would be enough to fool Tahiri.

"Oh, right, yeah, it doesn't matter," Thrackan said. "It's anonymity and whatnot with you."

Careful there, Thrackan, Jacen wanted to say.

"Well, anyway, Miss Trest," the older man said, "Mr. Hecluse is gonna help you watch over me as my special bodyguards."

Tahiri nodded stiffly at Jacen; there was nothing in her eyes to indicate that she recognized him. And considering the fact that his ability to make himself small through the Force prevented him from reading others' Force-presences, all he had to go on at the moment were her facial tics and body language.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hecluse," Tahiri said.

Jacen returned her nod. "Likewise."