New information in regards to Final Fantasy XIII has been released today. There has been light shed on the new Cocoon Government.
"Cocoon’s government is using crystals with the power to change man’s destiny to force those on Pulse to work against their will. In turn, the citizens of Pulse are rebelling. Their force is led by the only confirmed character so far, a feisty woman who goes by the codename of ‘Lightning’.
Apparently the player won’t know if he’s (Note: I presume by "he" they are talking about Mr. 33cm) on Lightning’s side or not until a certain point in the game. One new feature to help develop the story will be a ‘split-screen’ of sorts, showing different characters in different locations on screen at the same time."
So, the break down is pretty much that this female character named Lightning is leading a rebellion against a government that treats its people poorly. The split-screen is being rumored to be in regards to having windows of other characters on your screen while you play so you get a more rounded feel as to what is transpiring throughout the story.