As a Pioneer Party stalwart... Well, before Earth fell, the Commonwealth's officers hadn't joined the Pioneer Party in large numbers. The whole "not even bothering to pretend anymore" routine had only begun after the Blue Star Commonwealth had effectively ceased to exist as a nation.
In any case, as a core member of the Youth League, the first official aide to a certain marshal, and a top-notch expert in armaments and military affairs, Chester Rozes was naturally a very proactive sort.
When he was reassigned to Earth by an order that made no sense, he had already begun taking action.
He had the financial resources and intelligence support of the Interstellar Alliance, his own reputation in the military, the Lionheart Society's influence over young officers and capable noncommissioned officers, and, of course, the influence of the Rozes family in the shipbuilding industry. So, during his time at the Mars shipyard, he successfully sidelined the captain appointed by Earth's high-and-mighty officials.
In fact, after the Empire entered Katun and the Cherk Kingdom was functionally destroyed, the Independence's escape plan was naturally put on the agenda.
At heart, Rozes was a pragmatist. After speaking with his former superior, he finally understood that at least he wasn't a defeatist. He was simply practical.
Anyone with even a little strategic insight could see that, once the Cherk people could no longer serve as a strategic buffer, every line of defense held by the Blue Star Commonwealth would be thrown off balance. Earth's fall was now only a matter of time.
At such a moment, only defeatists and appeasement advocates would lead their dwindling forces in a hopeless resistance, then perish heroically to the last. A pragmatist who still believed victory possible, however, would choose to relocate and preserve his remaining forces. In that sense,