Ness is not a citizen of the Empire,” the first centurion objected. “She was on Earth long before the first colonizer spacecraft arrived from Mars and the new world began to be developed. What’s more, she was even born long before the Empire itself existed. So, from a legal standpoint, by letting her go, you will not formally violate any laws—because there is simply no law or rule dealing with such precedents. Besides, the fact that she saved an officer of the Legion is direct proof that she has no hostile intentions toward the forces of the Empire…”