She's not the only one bracing themselves. Akobi stands to his full height and adopts as neutral an expression as he can muster.

"Because, prior to my arrival on this planet, I served as a Commander in the First Galactic Imperial Army."

He hopes his phrasing will emphasize that he all but considers his time with the Empire to be past tense. He still holds his loyalties, but there's no point wearing the Imperial uniform here, where he might as well be in hostile territory.