Time will tell whether Mitka and Aric made the right choice or not, but they're facing a situation where they are getting orders from obviously corrupt people who are more concerned with public appearance and covering things up than with what is actually good for the Republic.

They don't join the Empire, because they're even worse, so they takes the best choice available, one that has a chance of protecting the common people and giving them freedom. It's not a clear cut decision in terms of right and wrong, but then it's pretty rare that you actually encounter pure black and white choices in general. She and Aric are making the best choice they can with the information they have.

Looking forward to seeing how it all plays out!

Edit: Just one more note, one thing I've loved about this story is that it's not about the black and white decisions. It's about the times when things aren't clear cut, when the choices are hard. When they require thinking and hoping that you're doing the right thing (and sometimes those things not turning out well). It's been a hard story to read at times, but always engaging.