Quote Originally Posted by Absimiliard View Post
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using any means at hand to protect your people from a hostile foreign power. Whatever the justifications each side is using, the reality is that a hostile power is trying to push its way into imperial territory. Conquered lands are by right the property of their conquerors. The Empire is therefore will within its rights to do whatever has to do to keep its holdings from being seized. And if it comes to it? Yes, they should by all rights deploy Black Rose in whatever quantity they feel appropriate to deal with a given threat. I would even go so far as to say large scale deployment over Eorzea would be perfectly acceptable if the Alliance becomes a severe enough threat. When manpower and technology are no longer sufficient to keep your people and way of life safe, then yes, do whatever you have to do. No matter how deplorable or destructive their methods, every nation is entitled to defend its borders.
We don't have a difference on lore questions here, just a fundamental difference in morality. I am not sure I could say anything to convince you that "conquered lands are the property of their conquerors" is fundamentally wrong, but I can't imagine a much more abhorrent philosophy for the game or for reality. And I would lay money that's not a moral belief system the writers subscribe to or one that's going to be vindicated by the story.

If I can't get to a world where people have transcended this kind of sociopathy in real life, let's at least have it in our fantasies. There's no doubt in my mind that Varis is meant to be read as a villain.

They could go for a redemption arc with him, but I think Gaius has kind of stolen his thunder on that point. Even as a villain, Gaius had redeeming qualities (like his refusal to exterminate existing populations, and his hatred of the Empire's prejudice against its female and non-Garlean soldiers) so the seeds of something redeemable were already there. Varis only thinks in terms of power and control, with a weird side of racist ideology. Even if he considers you a useful ally I have little doubt he'll betray us in the end, assuming he survives.