EDIT I just saw a thing on the Lightning Network which I didn't 100% understand but get enough of to see it is different than this (off chain) would Alan not be the perfect remedy to prioritized tx?
The impression I have of the Lightning Network is that it will be centralized
Where did you get that impression? I suppose that, due to routing preferences, a lot of people could use a node supplied by a company subject to KYC/AML laws. The concept is definitely not designed around centralization, though.