[ She answers the second part first. ] That's very kind of you, [ she admits, with a softness that belies how rare kindness is in her world. ] I've... already found myself with a lot more people than I was expecting. In a strange way, none of us are really outsiders here.

[ Anderson has been an outsider one way or another her entire life, so she feels the difference keenly. That immediate sense of community and kinship is remarkable to her.

Padme is the first person to ask her for a comprehensive explanation, rather than wanting an abbreviated version or getting things piecemeal and making up their minds on how they feel about it. Anderson is surprised at how much it means to her to have a chance to explain, and be heard. ]

Judges-- we're like any other system's judges in some respects. We sentence criminals according to the law. But we've also taken over the enforcement branch in the Mega-Cities. There's no more trials and no juries. [ Grimly, ] The crime rate is astronomical compared to here. There's no time for it. We execute our judgement on-the-spot, as the crime is occurring or soon after.

We have to be able to function independently, in hostile, violent situations and in cases where the law isn't clear, without error. We give up having families, we don't drink-- we don't do anything but serve the law. To most people, we are the law.