Lots of misconceptions here. Going light on Republic does not mean in any way that you are a mindless drone for the Republic, in fact dark tends to be more blindly following orders. Going dark on Empire however, tends to be a mindless murder fest that's full of pointless evil.
This just shows a complete lack of understanding for the situation on Ord Mantell. Returning the supplies to the local military means giving supplies to lazy, corrupt guards who can't get the jobs done themselves, hence calling in Republic reinforcements. Giving it to the Cathar means using the supplies to heal civilians who can't get any sort of medical attention. Not to mention that it's the guards job to protect and if needed, die for the civilians.
As for the tapes, it's really just a simple matter of freedom of speech. If you can't figure it out then you belong on the Empire.