Prologue 4:
One Month Before The Quell
Khaya Christian, 22, Capitol Prisoner
Khaya would have been dreading this day, but she just no longer could form any energy to care about the simplest things. She could barely get the energy to pull herself from bed or eat the bland small proportions of food they give her three times a day.
She's a failure. She betrayed the rebels and deserves to be rotting in prison for life.
She had one job to do in the Capitol. One job and she couldn't even do that right. No, Seraphim Lukianas is still living, Velmour is still dead, and Khaya is still in prison.
At least the torture has stopped. Khaya thought when she was first sent to the Capitol that she could handle the pain they would give her. She knew it was a high possibility, seeing as she was sent here to kill the Head Gamemaker. But the hell they put her through…day after day of slow and painful torture combined with truth serum… They got so many rebel secrets out of her and there was nothing she could do but scream and curse them, unable to hold her tongue.
But…she didn't tell them everything. Only what they had asked about the rebel involvement in the 149th Hunger Games. They didn't ask her about what they have planned for the Quell.
That is her one little shimmer of hope among the depressing blank walls of the prison and Peacekeepers who are too quick to strike the prisoners if they don't obey them fast enough. She kept the biggest rebel secret from the Capitol and she will gladly take that to her grave.
Not that she has any idea when that will be. Probably soon with today's move. Finally deemed no longer critical for information, it's time for her to be moved out to the prison in the wilds. Everyone has heard rumor about the place. Only the absolutely worst people in Panem get sent there…the serial killers, the pedophiles, the traitors…
She wasn't one of those. She was just a girl who was willing to fight for a better future for Panem. A future where children don't have to live in fear of being sent to their death for the Capitol's entertainment.
If that makes her a traitor in the eyes of the Capitol, she'll proudly wear that label.
"Khaya Christian, stand up."
Time to see her new home.
Khaya slowly stands up, cringing at the pain from all the bruises scattering her back from getting hit repeatedly by the baton from Peacekeepers. She faces the five guards at her door, dressed in an all black version of the normal Peacekeeper attire, and does her best to keep her face neutral. Any slight sign of disobedience will surely earn her their punishment.
"Stand back from the door," the one who seems to be in charge orders her and she finds herself hesitating as she stares at them. That voice…no. Surely she's just imagining that she recognizes the man under the mask. She shouldn't get her hopes up. "Stand back!"
Khaya cringes and immediately takes a step back from the door so they can open her cell. The main guard steps in, placing handcuffs on her immediately. But she notices right away that they're not on as tightly as usual. If she tried hard enough, surely she could slip them off…but where is she supposed to go when anywhere she runs she'll just find guards?
"Time for you to be relocated," the main guard puts a hand on her back, forcing her to start walking out of her cell. Once in the hallways lined with other cells, she's surrounded by the five guards, which seems a little excessive for her.
One of the prisoners across from her starts laughing when he sees her walking by with the guards. "Have fun rotting in that hell."
Khaya has enough energy to flip off Gregorio for the comment. If the former Gamemaker wasn't from the Capitol, Khaya has no doubt he would have been sent to the same prison as her. But seeing him without his precious Capitolite makeup and forced to look like a normal, almost even ugly person gives her just a bit of satisfaction. "Don't worry, I'll keep a spot warm for you for whenever you get sent out there."
"Keep quiet, prisoner!" One of the guards yells at her, lightly tapping her on the back with his baton to keep moving. "Speak again and you'll never get to see the frost on the plains at the prison."
Khaya stumbles at this, recognizing the phrase… It can't be… No guard from the Capitol would have said the phrase 'frost on the plains'. Khaya has to bite her cheek to keep from smiling at this as they step onto the elevator, all of them barely fitting into the tight space.
That was a rebel phrase. She had thought the rebels had abandoned her after she was imprisoned last year. But she wasn't abandoned. 'Help is here.'
The doors open at the hanger for the hovercrafts and as they step out, Khaya still being led by the guards, she starts scanning the room carefully now that she knows she's in the middle of a rescue mission. Right away she's intimidated by the sheer amount of guards in the hanger. How are they supposed to get out of here alive?
But they must have a plan, otherwise they never would have attempted this mission. As hard as it is for Khaya to sit back…she has to trust them.
She's led to a gateway before the actual hovercrafts and the group of rebels is stopped by another guard there. "Papers showing authorization to remove this prisoner."
"Here you go," the main guard in her entourage hands the other a piece of paper and Khaya can't help but feel like she recognizes the voice. But the damn mask is muffling his voice, making it impossible for her weakened brain to pinpoint it.
Khaya watches the real guard studying over the paper for what seems like an extended time before finally stamping it and handing it back to her rebel guard. "Bay C, hovercraft 31."
Once more, Khaya is led away by her group, yet she can't stop the anxious feeling inside of her as they start heading towards the far wall of the hanger. She glances back at the guard that authorized their access, finding him watching them carefully as he talks into a handheld device. "They know," Khaya whispers as she turns back to face where she's walking.
"We're fine," the male whispers back to her, yet despite what he said, they pick up their pace. Their hovercraft just seems to be so far away still. "You all know the mission. We do whatever it takes to get Khaya back to Seven."
The other four all give their agreement to this and Khaya starts nervously fiddling with her handcuffs, hoping to be able to slide them off if she gets a sign that things are going wrong.
"We're almost there," the man reassures them as they get within 50 yards of the hovercraft assigned to them.
Khaya snaps her head over at him, finally recognizing the voice of her friend and former trainee. "Cedar Martinez, who actually put you in charge of such an important mission?"
"Your father," Cedar answers, making Khaya start slowly smiling at that information. Her father didn't give up on her…
"Stop!"
"Go!" Cedar shouts and grabs on to Khaya's arm, making her stumble on her feet as he starts running and drags her along. Three of their rebels stay back, turning to start shooting at the large group of Peacekeepers racing towards them. The fourth races ahead to the hovercraft, slamming the button to open up the back hatch. Khaya turns back when she hears a scream, seeing one of their own collapsing to the ground. "Khaya, keep moving!"
"Let's go!" The rebel at the hovercraft yells and motions for them to race on as Khaya and Cedar reach the craft. Cedar pushes Khaya on and into the safety of the craft as the other rebel races past her and towards the flight deck.
Cedar turns back to shoot at the Peacekeepers and Khaya glances past him, trying to see if anyone else in their group is coming. But all three are dead on the ground, making a pit of guilt grow in Khaya's stomach. Even if they all know what they signed up for when they joined the rebels, they still died for her… "We have to leave, Ashla!"
Khaya can hear the hovercraft starting to lift up from the ground as the Peacekeepers get closer. Cedar presses the button to close the door as they start flying away before moving to stand in front of Khaya, protecting her as the guards try to shoot at them.
Cedar gasps just before the door is fully shut and Khaya tries to catch him as he starts to fall backwards, but her arms are too weak and she only slows his fall. He hits the hard ground of the hovercraft and Khaya tries not to stare at the hole in the front of his armor with blood starting to seep out of it. She shakily takes off his helmet, wanting to actually see her friend for what could possibly be the last time. "Ashla! Help me, he was hit!"
"I can't," Ashla shouts back, the pain evident in her voice as Khaya starts ripping off the armor as Cedar starts shakily breathing in pain, still staring up at Khaya. "We have crafts following us and I can't go on autopilot until I know we're no longer being followed."
"Damn it," Khaya yells at this before getting the chest piece of armor off and sees the wound. She presses her hands against his chest, knowing that unless they get him to a doctor in the next half hour, he's done for. The armor might have bought him a bit of time, but that bullet is still in his chest. "Cedar, you're not allowed to die on me."
"I hate to break it to you, but I think I am," Cedar mutters, letting out a small laugh before groaning in pain from the bullet in his chest. The boy – well, he's an adult now, but just barely, and he'll always be a kid to her – stares up at her, starting to smile a little despite the tears forming in his eyes. "At least I was able to get you out of there alive."
"Cedar," Khaya whispers, feeling her own eyes watering up at the sight of her best friend dying right in front of her and there's nothing she can do to stop it. "Please don't die on me."
"Khaya," Cedar says softly, barely shaking his head as tears start falling down the sides of his face. "I fucked up."
"Yeah, you got shot," Khaya answers, hoping a little that if she jokes with him, she can pretend that he isn't dying.
"No, not that," Cedar responds to her, his voice starting to shake from the pain. He gasps for air and Khaya shakes her head at him, refusing to believe this is happening. "Khaya… Protect him."
"Who?" Khaya asks in confusion, having no clue who he's talking about. She's spent years in the Capitol now and doesn't know what's happening back in Seven.
"My…" Cedar starts coughing, the pain on his face growing even more evident with the spasms to his chest. "M-my child."
Khaya stares down at him in shock, wondering what the hell she has missed since she has left District Seven that Cedar now has a child. "I want to be brave," Cedar chokes out through tears, still staring up at Khaya. He grabs on to her hand feebly, "I don't want to die."
"You're not going to die," Khaya says stubbornly, still in complete disbelief at everything.
"Promise me," Cedar whispers as his voice grows even weaker and Khaya can just tell there's nothing she can do. He's about to die right in front of her. "Promise me, Khaya."
Khaya blinks back her own tears and stares down at her bloody hands on Cedar's chest, trying to process everything happening. But when she turns her gaze back up to Cedar, she knows that she would do anything for him. She'll find his child and she will protect him from Hunger Games. "I promise. I promise I will end the games and keep your child safe."
I know this is what you're all waiting to see (or you scrolled down here first to see lol) so here we go, the tributes:
District One:
Major Emerson-Ness, 18 – CelticGames4
Anastacia Astoria, 18 – SinfonianLegend
District Two:
Odyssey Gunderson, 18 – HogwartsDreamer113
Bellona Silvanus, 18 – mistycharming
District Three:
Calvin Tailor, 18 – 4everlark
Amelia Fensa, 18 – later. glader
District Four:
Demarcus Pollock, 18 – AmericanPi
Delta Zale, 17 – goldie031
District Five:
Davy Emmerich, 14 – HogwartsDreamer113
Eva Orville-Wright, 18 – Mukkou
District Six:
Elias Pilkvist, 17 – Little Knight Mik
Courtney Cassini, 16 - Platrium
District Seven:
Adam Vignola, 18 – goldie031
Carameuse Juniper, 17 - TheAmazingJAJ
District Eight:
Fete Bayard, 18 – Little Knight Mik
Atropa Seigal, 17 – OfficialBengy
District Nine:
Eliot Eidner, 13 – basicgay
Sky Odum, 13 – david12341
District Ten:
Fox Durham, 18 – paperairline
Genesis Barrett, 17 – Golden Moon Huntress
District Eleven:
Arthur Bramble, 17 – GalacticCoach
Jessamine Briggs, 14 – EllaRoseEverdeen
Picking the list was honestly a really tough decision. I had a total of 43 (!) submissions for this story and I am absolutely humbled and amazed by all the love you have shown this story. And I am very sorry if I could not accept your tribute. I had to choose the tributes that I was going to be able to write well and they would add to the plot. If you want to know specifically why I did not select your tribute and how to improve the form, please send me a PM and I will be happy to let you know. And if your tribute wasn't accept, I strongly encourage you to submit them again, particularly to some new authors who might be struggling to fill up their list. There are a lot of authors who can use submissions and you can check out the SYOT Alliance Forum for advertisements or PM me and I can give you some suggestions.
Well, there we have our list! I'm super excited to get started with this story and for you to meet everyone! Also, the story blog is now live! The link is thesixthquarterquell . weebly . com (remove the spaces!) and there's a ton of information up! Escort info will be up soon as I'm waiting on one submission!
And now we have a little hint of the subplot for this story! Any guesses as to what the rebels are planning? I'm really excited for what I have planned!
Alrighty, hopefully the next update will be within two weeks of this one! I am starting to get to a bit of a busier time right now so I'm hoping I can keep up this update schedule. I'll be going in District order for the intro so I'll see you in District One!