History Main / TreacheryCoverUp

* [[Babylon5]]

* ''{{Moonraker}}'' (the original novel).

* In ''DoctorWho'', when Time Lord Presidential candidate Chancellor Goth was revealed to have assassinated the President to further the Master's scheme, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Borusa]] ordered that his YouHaveFailedMe death be explained as dying heroically fighting the Master.

* In the ''{{Firefly}}'' episode "Ariel," Jayne, about to be ThrownOutTheAirlock by Mal for betraying Simon and River to the Alliance, pleads with Mal -- not for his life, but for Mal to make up a story to conceal his guilt. This convinced Mal to give him another chance.

* At the end of ''TomorrowNeverDies'', M orders the coverup of the death of [[CorruptCorporateExecutive media baron Elliot Carver]] and has it reported as him committing suicide on his yacht. (What had actually happened is that [[JamesBond Bond]] killed Carver [[HoistByHisOwnPetard with his giant drill]] after foiling his attempt at WarForFunAndProfit.)

* At the end of ''FullMetalAlchemist'' [[spoiler: [[TheDragon the Fuhrer]] was credited as having been a major force against the generals supposedly orchestrating the "alchemic experiment". In fact, he had been one of the driving forces for its completion and had brought the generals into the scheme. However he was far too popular with the people and the evidence against him was lacking]].

* In ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha A'''s, [[spoiler:Admiral Graham's plan to seal the Book of Darkness away with Hayate]] is largely overlooked outside of the upper echelons of the TSAB, and he [[KarmaHoudini merely resigns]], only being officially accused of breaking into Bureau systems and interfering with the investigation. In Sound Stage X of StrikerS, it is mentioned that many parts of the Jail Scaglietti incident are classified, presumably including [[spoiler:Jail's origins and connection to the Bureau, which had created him]].

* In ''OrderOfTheStick'', the circumstances of [[spoiler: Lord Shojo's death at Miko's hands]] are concealed from the people of Azure City in order to prevent morale from being more seriously damaged than it already is.

* Happens a lot in the ResidentEvil universe post destruction of raccoon city. Mostly due to goverments and "big pharma" covering their
asses after the umbrella disaster.

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* The Invisible Man's decision to sell out humanity to aliens was covered up in ''TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen''. And by "covered up", I mean Hyde raped him to death.

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* In ''{{Sacrifice}}'', if you side with James, [[spoiler: the hero cover up the fact that the prophet Mithras is also the OmnicidicalManiac Marduk]].
* Happens A LOT in the ResidentEvil universe post destruction of raccoon city. Mostly due to goverments and "big pharma" covering their asses after the umbrella disaster.

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[[AC:Real Life]]

* Anthony Blunt, one of the Cambridge Five (a group of KGB moles in Britain's intelligence services) wasn't charged after he agreed a plea bargain and named agents he'd recruited. He was in charge of the Queen's portraits and got a knighthood. Subverted as he was then outed in 1979 and stripped of said knighthood.

* Inverted very early on in GirlGenius. Silas Merlot, in a fit of temper, reveals that Dr. Beetle has been hiding a Hive Engine (a piece of poorly-understood technology containing highly dangerous organisms which can turn their victims into TheRenfield) for his own research, which Baron Wulfenbach has expressly forbidden, because of the danger. Fearing the Baron's harsh punishments, Beetle panics and tries to bomb the Baron, but the gambit backfires and obliterates Beetle instead. Merlot gets about halfway through the first sentence of trying to conspire with the Baron to hide Beetle's death when the Baron declares his undying hatred for traitors, and he holds Merlot and his theatrics directly responsible for what just happened. He then declares that Merlot's punishment is that ''he'' is now in charge of Beetleburg...[[CoolAndUnusualPunishment after the much-beloved Dr. Beetle is given a hero's funeral and the full details of his death, Merlot's involvement included, have been released to the public.]]

* Prince Serg in ''[[LoisMcMasterBujold Shards of Honor]]''.

* The ending of the Jet Li movie ''{{Hero}}'' indicates that the would-be assassin was killed as a traitor, but buried as a hero.

* {{Watchmen}}, even if it is a LITTLE more complicated...
* In ''TheRock'', a threat by a much-decorated Marine General to use chemical weapons against San Francisco was covered up, helped by the fact that the General threatened to launch the gas if the FBI alerted the media.
* In ''xXx2'', the Secretary of Defence and a General plotted to overthrow the government and kill the President.
* In ''SevenDaysInMay'', the President decided that what had happened must never become public knowledge, in order to preserve the idea that a military coup against the United States government is simply unthinkable.
* ''{{Moonraker}}'' (the original novel).
* The ending of the Jet Li movie ''Hero'' indicates that the would-be assassin was killed as a traitor, but buried as a hero.
* ''L.A. Confidential'': once in the movie, twice in the book. Ed has to cover up [[spoiler: Dudley's identity as the BigBad]], but his father did it back in the day [[spoiler: by helping Dieterling frame Atherton for the murders his son committed]].

* In ''OrderOfTheStick'', the circumstances of [[spoiler: Lord Shojo's death at Miko's hands]] are concealed from the people of Azure City in order to prevent morale from being more seriously damaged than it already is.
* In ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Worf's father is made a scapegoat for treason actually committed by Duras' father, because the Klingon government does not dare offend Duras' powerful family.
** [[IGotBetter His honor gets better, though.]]
* Prince Serg in ''[[LoisMcMasterBujold Shards of Honor]]''.
* In HBeamPiper's story [[http://infomotions.com/etexts/gutenberg/dirs/1/8/8/1/18814/18814.htm "The Mercenaries"]], the leader of a freelance scientific research team executes a traitor in their midst. The death is passed off as a suicide to protect the team (and incidentally assures that the deceased will be remembered for his genuine scientific contributions). It's understood that the ''real'' story will be read between the lines... thereby protecting the team's reputation for trustworthiness and ability to take out its own trash.
* [[DominicDeegan Donovan Deegan]] hid from his wife the fact that their friend Karnak had tried to MurderTheHypotenuse (namely, him) just before his HeroicSacrifice.
* In the ''{{Firefly}}'' episode "Ariel," Jayne, about to be ThrownOutTheAirlock by Mal for betraying Simon and River to the Alliance, pleads with Mal -- not for his life, but for Mal to make up a story to conceal his guilt. This convinced Mal to give him another chance.
-->'''Jayne:''' What are you gonna tell the others?\\
'''Mal:''' About what?\\
'''Jayne:''' About why I'm dead.\\
'''Mal:''' Haven't much thought about that.\\
'''Jayne:''' Make something up. Don't tell 'em what I did.
** Unfortunately for Jayne, the cover-up itself doesn't last long, at least in regards to the ones he betrayed. Those darned PsychicPowers....

* RealLife example (sorta): When the Nazis suspected Erwin Rommel knew about a plot to assassinate Hitler, they offered to ignore it if he would commit suicide, or according to other sources, be shot privately. This was because he was such a hero the Nazis feared public accusations would be harmful to morale. Faced with the potential consequences for his family, he agreed, either killing himself by poison or being quietly shot by the SS.
* Done in TheSimpsons concerning Jebidiah Springfield (posthumously).

* Happens in {{Suikoden}} I; [[spoiler:[[TheMole Sanchez]]]] is exposed at a vital point for the rebellion, and the game's strategist orders that [[spoiler: his]] treachery be concealed (with the rest of the cast forcing [[spoiler: him]] to play [[spoiler: his role]]) because the knowledge of a high-ranking traitor would undermine confidence. Even after the game's end, [[spoiler: he]] is eventually secretly 'pardoned' (but exiled to a single city and never genuinely forgiven) because the revelation that one of the heroes of the revolution was a traitor would be dangerous for the stability of the new republic. [[spoiler: However, the fact that he's a high ranking character with no Star of Destiny who constantly offers the main character alcohol should have been a give away if you were paying attention from the beginning.]]
* The HorusHeresy of {{Warhammer 40000}} is unknown to the vast majority of the Imperium's population-including the fact that fully half of the [[SuperSoldier Adeptus Astartes]] Legions went rogue and joined Chaos.
** That [[DependingOnTheWriter depends on the edition and writer]], mind.
** Additionally, one particular Legion is keeping further the secret that half their number turned right ''after'' the Heresy.
*** [[spoiler: And it's not made certain which half...]]
* Happens at one part during ''MetalGearSolid3'', and staying true to the series premise, is much more twisted than usual: ('''extra big spoiler''') [[spoiler:to get a spy close to BigBad Volgin, the Boss is given the mission to pose as a defector and gaining Volgins trust by bringing him two "stolen" nuclear bombs as a gift. But apparently nobody had thought that Volgin would use them against a KGB facility. To cover up that the US government practically gave the nukes to Volgin, Naked Snake is given the mission to kill her, so that nobody will ever suspect that her defection was fake. Being loyal to her country to the end, she accepts death by the hands of her former pupil and best friend. Snake learns about it only after he had killed her.]]
* ''LifeOnMars''. In one episode a drug dealer dies after rough handling by a CID officer, and even the victim's mother doesn't want an inquiry. Sam Tyler uncovers a tape of the incident and gives it to apparently by-the-book Superintendent Rathbone, only to see Rathbone destroy the tape in front of him as "the matter has been handled internally" (with the guilty officer's demotion) and he's not going to bring the police department "crashing down" over this matter. Tyler says bitterly that men like Rathbone should be "surgically removed" -- of course, coming from 2006, Tyler knows all too well that corruption can't be eliminated without destroying public faith in the police.
* In ''TalesOfSymphonia: Knight of Ratatosk'', the heroes of the first game keep the truth about [[spoiler: [[WellIntentionedExtremist Mithos]], [[DeadLittleSister Martel]], and [[PathOfInspiration the Church]]]] secret, because frankly, the world doesn't need that kind of disillusionment.
** In the original game, Lloyd and the party remain quiet about [[spoiler:Governor General Dorr]] collaborating with the Desians by [[spoiler:enabling the people of Palmacosta to be taken to the ranch so that he can get his wife turned back to normal]], so that the city can get through the crisis while trusting its leadership. Lloyd gets [[WhatTheHellHero a significant across-the-board drop]] in the party's RelationshipValues if you decide to say that you're not OK with this. [[spoiler:Palmacosta ultimately gets destroyed at the end of Disc One]].

* The Invisible Man's decision to sell out humanity to aliens was covered up in TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen. And by covered up I mean Hyde raped him to death.
* ''Inverted'' with the end of ''CodeGeass''. [[spoiler:The few people who were in on it/worked it out are covering up the fact that rather than a CompleteMonster, Lelouch was actually creating world peace.]]
** And evidently played straight several episodes prior when the Black Knights betray Lelouch and attempt to cover it up.

* In the DeepSpaceNine episode "Dax", such a coverup is the reason Dax symbiont is charged with treason. [[spoiler: It was the actual traitor who got killed]].
* At the end of DanAbnett's {{Warhammer 40000}} GauntsGhosts novel ''Blood Pact'', Gaunt is assured that [[spoiler:Rime]]'s death at Rawne's hands is being passed off as an honorable death in battle. [[spoiler:He's glad not to have the Inquisition breathing down his neck for killing an Inquisitor.]]
* Another RealLife example: Anthony Blunt, one of the Cambridge Five (a group of KGB moles in Britain's intelligence services) wasn't charged after he agreed a plea bargain and named agents he'd recruited. He was in charge of the Queen's portraits and got a knighthood. Subverted as he was then outed in 1979 and stripped of said knighthood.

* Inverted in OnePiece. After the supposedly-government-allied pirate Crocodile was exposed, the World Government didn't bother to cover it up. They did, however, cover up the fact that ''another'' pirate crew resolved the issue by giving credit to a marine who had conveniently been tailing the heroes, because a rogue pirate beating a government-aligned pirate, traitor or not, would be a source of deep embarassment.
* In [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Sacrifice Sacrifice]], if you side with James, [[spoiler: the hero cover up the fact that the prophet Mithras is also the OmnicidicalManiac Marduk]].
* At the end of ''FullMetalAlchemist'' [[spoiler: [[TheDragon the Fuhrer]] was credited as having been a major force against the generals supposedly orchestrating the "alchemic experiment". In fact, he had been one of the driving forces for its completion and had brought the generals into the scheme. However he was far too popular with the people and the evidence against him was lacking]].
* In MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha A's, [[spoiler:Admiral Graham's plan to seal the Book of Darkness away with Hayate]] is largely overlooked outside of the upper echelons of the TSAB, and he [[KarmaHoudini merely resigns]], only being officially accused of breaking into Bureau systems and interfering with the investigation. In Sound Stage X of StrikerS, it is mentioned that many parts of the Jail Scaglietti incident are classified, presumably including [[spoiler:Jail's origins and connection to the Bureau, which had created him]].
* In DoctorWho, when Time Lord Presidential candidate Chancellor Goth was revealed to have assassinated the President to further the Master's scheme, [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Borusa]] ordered that his YouHaveFailedMe death be explained as dying heroically fighting the Master.

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