#whoops I made it shippy but you know me that's my operandi with them

[varpusvaras]

*strolls into your yard* hey so what if bail had spent years pretending to be a corrupt senator so he could work on disrupting them from the inside but then the clones happen and suddenly he's being invited to abuse the corries and is expected to participate would that be fucked up or what

Ohh, that is such an interesting concept! How would he have operated, and what would've even happened for him to decide that it was the best course of action. Of course, it would probably be not so dissimilar from him working for the Imperial Senate while leading the Rebellion (aint that a depressing thought...), so the realisation that the Republic and the Senate were corrupt enough for more drastic measures must've set in much earlier in this scenario. Breha would've also be involved in this plan, because Bail is representing her world and thus also herself, and they cannot make themselves too unpopular within their own population, or the whole thing would not work. Also, Bail would probably have to have some allies still in the Senate that know what he is doing, so he can coordinate how to do this efficiently. All of this would mean that they must have a good plan, and also boundaries on what they are allowed to do- for Pre-War Bail many things probably did not come easy, and there would've been a lot of things he just was not willing to do.

But he is making it work. It is a miserable job to do, and sometimes he doubts if he is even doing the right thing.

Then the war happens.

Somehow, all of this has still kept him within the inner circle of the Chancellor, and that is raising some red flags with him. Palpatine's persona and politics should be the exact opposite from the ones that Bail is doing. How is he still here?

The Clone Army is suspicious. Entirely too suspicious. Bail hates the whole thing, though he is able to mask it, and whatever criticism he voices are made to sound like he is merely doubting the abilities of the clones, like he thinks that they are just not high enough quality. This immediately sets him as someone who thinks the clones are beneath him in the eyes of others, even if he never says or does anything else.

He manages to keep himself away from the whole thing. Would it be better to just avoid all of them altogether, so he doesn't have to be cruel to them, even a little bit? He doesn't know if he can treat the clones as not people when he is face to face with them. He doesn't know if he can rob them of even one, slightly positive interaction.

He cannot do it. So he makes a plan.

He contacts the Commander of the Guard, and he tells him some things that he knows. That there is corruption in the Senate, that there are suspicions of treason, and that he is trying to uncover them from the inside. He asks the Commander for help with this, and promises that he will try to help them otherwise whenever he can.

The Commander, eager to be of help and to serve the Senate and the Republic, agrees to this.

He is a good man, the Commander. Bail likes him a lot. They establish a good working relationship, and things do work out for them. They don't interact publicly, and do not acknownledge each other beyond yes, Sir and yes, Senator when others are present. They have their own private, secure channel they use for messaging, and they use aliases when communicating in any way - just simple B and F. The Commander is hard working, intelligent and loyal, and shares a very similar sense of humor as Bail does, though sometimes he thinks that Breha would find some of the things he says even funnier than Bail does.

Bail really likes him.

Bail hears about the abuse. Of course he does. It did start very light, but it sounds like it is ramping up, and he is just happy that he has been able to avoid witnessing the more egregious things so far.

He is in a meeting one night. Well, it is less of a meeting, and more of them sitting around, having drinks and exhancing information and few other things. Bail holds back his grimace whenever Padmé and Mon are being talked about. The amount of vitriolic misogyny is staggering. But Vice Chair Mas Amedda is there, and Bail needs to hear what he has to say to a lot of things, so he bears it. It is a bit disturbing how easily he is able to do it, these days.

The discussion comes to a halt for a moment when the Commander comes in. He has something for Amedda. Bail pretends he is not looking, when Amedda puts a datastick into a pocket inside of his robes.

The Commander has already turned to leave, when one of the other Senators tells him to stop. Where is he hurrying to? Come back in here, you meat-droid.

Bail feels cold dread growing inside of him.

The Commander does come back in. He walks with his back straight to the Senator who had called him back. The Senator tells him to take off his helmet. He wants to see if there is anything underneath it, because all the Corries wear their helmets all the time.

It's a mockery, they all know it. The Commander takes off his helmet anyway.

It takes exactly nine seconds for him to be struck for the first time that night.

This was all a mistake, Bail thinks. This was all a mistake. He should've never done this. He should've never put himself in a position where helping someone would destroy years of work.

This was a mistake.

A second hit comes. The Commander is not reacting to it. He stays silent, and he just takes it. This is riling everyone up. Look at it, not reacting. Does it even feel it? Of course not, it's not actually a person, is it now?

The next hit makes the Commander stagger. Bail jumps up from his chair before he can even think about it, just as the Commander falls down onto the floor, right at his feet.

Bail freezes.

C'mon, Organa, someone laughs. Give it a little kick. Show it where its place truly is.

The Commander lifts up his head.

Bail looks at Fox.

Fox looks right back at him, with grim determination in his eyes.

Don't ruin this, he says to Bail, without uttering a word. Don't ruin what we have worked so hard for.

Bail hates it.

He hates himself.

This was all a mistake.