the neat thing about Stormblood is that it very much doesn't expect you to feel bad for the villains, only understand them. (Except maybe Zenos? But some people jive with him)
Yotsuyu and Fordola are very much stories about "these are the what would cause someone to turn against their own people" in ways that aren't the usual "they're just bad people/selfishly wanted personal gain"
It's part of the less obvious story of the Empire, how it recruits from the ranks of the people it conquers in ways that aren't just forced conscription
It takes advantage of flaws of the societies it does conquer and presents itself as a "better" alternative. The Bozja storyline especially dives deep into this (which somehow flies over people's heads)
I also do hold the opinion if Gaius hadn't been removed from Ala Migoh/Zenos didn't get put in charge of them and the Skulls the situation would of been a bit better to some point
Gaius entire belief is yes, under Garealmald everything can be better as we won't have Primals bleeding the land and turning it into a white husk. It's for the good of everyone and as long as a strong and competent ruler can be put in place the bad blood will go away. He straight up offers you a position as a Tribuni, a position non Garlean citzens can't
Gaius treated the soldiers under his command well, but the game makes it very clear that was considered a huge anomaly in the Imperial army and what he did was absolutely not the norm within the empire
wifeThey weren't good attempts but from the ways things aren't...destruction everywhere as we see in Dalamasca or even parts of Doma