Wasn't Leon with the party when they were ambushed by the Uber-knights in the intro?

The question I have is why Leon specifically? It'd have been more compelling if Leon arranged for the destruction of his hometown and the initial ambush under the proviso that he was proving his worth and loyalty to the Empire, but I don't recall any justification for that in the game.

Instead, I got the impression that he was taken captive by chance and then "convinced" as to the benefits/sensibility of the Empire's cause/vision, sort of Palpatine-Anakin Skywalker style. Not brainwashed, but more like the Emperor pushed the right buttons to "unlock" Leon's deeper desires for power.

Leon = Anakin
Emperor = Palpatine
Dark Knight = Vader
Dreadnaught/Warship = Death Star
Princess of Fynn = Leia?

Mind you, the game came out before the Star Wars prequels, so it's only a loose fit in places, but a lot of the elements are there IMO.

That way I don't have to buy into some sort of psychological or magical "mind control" scenario, which IMO the game makes fairly clear with Leon's reactions to his sister and friends was not the case.