Throughout the Coruscant system, thousands of Galactic Alliance and Imperial Remnant warships were gathered not for battle, but instead for unification. And here, in GA space, the unification agreement would take place aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera, Grand Admiral Pellaeon's capital ship.
Once the two mighty fleets were gathered, three GA shuttles flew from the hangar bay of the Admiral Ackbar - one of the Alliance's own Destroyers - and headed for the Imperial side of the gathering. There, they all entered the hangar entrance of the Chimaera, where Admiral Pellaeon was waiting with a contingent of stormtroopers, commanders, and the entire Moff Council behind him. At either side of him stood Jedi Master Jacen Solo and Jedi Knight Nelani Dinn, who had been waiting here ahead of time of the gathering.
Once the GA shuttles had landed and had their engines cycled off, their landing ramps lowered to the deck. On Pellaeon's side, the leftmost shuttle disembarked a contingent of armed GA soldiers that walked out in single file and lined up on the left side of the hangar. On the right side, all of the Jedi Masters who were neither the elder Skywalkers or Jacen walked out and lined up on the right side of the hangar.
And from the center shuttle came GA Chief of State Cal Omas with Jedi Masters Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker following suit.
The trio approached Pellaeon and his retinue, and when they stopped, the only thing separating the two parties was the metallic table that was placed here for just this occasion. On top of this table was the flimsiplast that both Omas and Pellaeon would sign and make the alliance between the GA and the Imperial Remnant a reality; a pen was placed beside the flimsi, which Omas and Pellaeon would share in signing the document.
When Omas, Luke, and Mara finally reached the table over which Pellaeon, Jacen, and Nelani were standing behind, Omas and Pellaeon bowed to each other simultaneously.
"Chief of State Omas," Pellaeon announced for all to hear, "I am proud to sign the Unity Pact between our governments that shall merge the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances with the Galactic Empire."
Omas nodded. "Grand Admiral Pellaeon, I am grateful to be standing here today with you to make galactic history. By uniting two governments, one a former ruthless dictatorship, and the other a ragtag team of rebels, we will be showing the galaxy how such bitter enemies can become the closest of friends."
Pellaeon smiled. "Would you like to do the honors, Chief of State?"
Omas returned the smile. "I would love to, Grand Admiral."
The Chief of State then picked up the pen and wrote down his signature on the space reserved for him. When he was done, he lent the pen over to Pellaeon, who almost instantly began signing it.
But just as the Grand Admiral was starting to write it down, Jacen's danger sense spiked. He looked around and noticed that Nelani, Luke, Mara, and the other Jedi were acting normal; only Luke seemed to notice Jacen's slightly erratic behavior. However, before Luke could ask his nephew what was wrong, Jacen's danger sense finally zeroed in on what he was feeling.
He whipped around and found Garis standing there with an evil grin.
Before Jacen could comprehend how no one else was seeing the former Jedi apprentice, Garis suddenly Force-sped right behind Pellaeon and impaled the Grand Admiral with a crimson-bladed lightsaber that was just active.
Only then did everyone notice what was happening as they gasped in shock.
But before Jacen could strike out at his former apprentice, Garis commenced an Aing-Tii teleportation method, and he simply felt the murderer's presence leave the Coruscant system entirely.
As Pellaeon's body slumped to the floor lifelessly, GA and Imperial blaster rifles were suddenly pointed at him; Omas backed away from the table, still in shock at what had just happened, while Luke, Mara, Nelani, and all the other Jedi looked at Jacen as if he was the one who killed Pellaeon.
"Jacen..." Luke whispered, "...what have you done?"
And that was when Jacen realized that everyone did believe that he was the one who just killed Pellaeon. At first, he was confused, but then he remembered: he had taught Garis how to create a White Current illusion. So the former Jedi apprentice, who now bore the lightsaber of a Sith somehow, must have cast an illusion painting Jacen as Pellaeon's murderer.
Knowing this, Jacen didn't hesitate as two stormtroopers violently wrestled him against the table and slapped stuncuffs on him. They then dragged him away to an exit of the hangar bay that led elsewhere through the Chimaera.
.
In spite of his training in learning how to accept pain as part of himself, Jacen still screamed uncontrollably as the interrogation droid sent high voltage shocks from its attached electrostaff to run through his system.
"I'm going to ask you again," the human Imperial interrogator said. He was a short yet lanky man with a gaunt face and pale complexion. "Why did you kill Grand Admiral Pellaeon?"
"I told you," Jacen growled as he was huddled up against the floor of the interrogation cell. "I didn't kill him."
The interrogator cocked his head in annoyance, and waved the droid at his side to send another electric jolt to run through Jacen, which it did.
"Everyone in that hangar bay saw you kill him, Master Solo," the interrogator reminded him. "And it was recorded on vidcams for all of the galaxy to see. So don't think I'm dumber than a baby Gamorrean that fell on its head; why did you kill him?"
"If I wanted to kill him," Jacen said, "you think I'd do it in front of an open crowd? Where everyone can see me, and right at the time of the signing? I was with the Grand Admiral beforehand, and I could have killed him then-"
The droid sent another electric shock to run through Jacen, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"I don't know what you were thinking in killing him then, but that's what I intend to find out," the interrogator said. "And please, next time, spare me the story that it was a former apprentice of yours who tricked everyone into using an illusion from, what was it again?"
"The Fallanassi," Jacen answered. "It was a White Current illusion."
"Hmm, I see," the interrogator said. With another wave, the droid sent yet another electric shock running through Jacen.
"If you're so unwilling to tell me the truth, Master Solo," the interrogator said, "I'll simply give you some time to think it over. Maybe then, the thought of my friend here giving you another unneeded shock therapy session will be less enticing to you, and you'll be more willing to tell me the truth." He then turned around and pressed a button on the side of the door.
A second later, the door opened, and two stormtroopers walked inside.
"Take Master Solo back to his holding cell," the interrogator instructed the troops. The white-armored soldiers moved to comply, and hefted the weary Jacen up by his shoulders like he was a bag of vegetables.