Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-76.97.80.106-20130811163656/@comment-135.23.140.68-20140823214209

There is only one correct moral choice here, and it is to join the stormcloaks, for the purpose of killing Ulfric and becoming high king yourself.

If you've done the dark brotherhood questline, you know that regardless of which side wins the war, the emperor is dead. There will be a power vaccum, and who better to claim the title of emperor than the Dragonborn? He has a base of power in Skyrim, a legit claim to the throne as the Mede dyansty seems to have become an utter failure (Signing the white gold concordat instead of fighting a guerrilla war, losing Hammerfell and losing Skyrim, about half of the empires territory)

The dragonborn can rally several (hundred?) dragons to his cause, he will have a vast network of thieves and assassins at his disposal, and he is also very popular among merchants, he will have people to reach out too who can help him fund his efforts.

Once he takes the empire, he can lead them against the Thalmor - or he could attack the Thalmor first and crush them with dragons and a large navy that sails to Summerset Isle itself. No Naval force could stop his invasion fleet if he had dragons in the air sinking wodden ships.

Once he's re-united the empire in all corners, he could introduce reforms and create a republic. Create system by which leaders are elected, allow a senate and congress to form with elected represenatives from every corner of the empire. They could then create a public education system designed to teach people the finer points of magic, tp teach history and art, and to study Dwemer science to try and finally advance into the industrial age.

Only the dragonborn can create a republic, and he needs a base of power to do it from, which Skyrim coud easily provide. Killing Ulfric in his sleep, secretly, after helping him with the war, is the correct moral choice.