ME: Time for a little more detail regarding Enobaria's life as well as a look at the highest official in Twelve's family (even though Mayors, living under a fascist tyranny with power centralized in the Capitol, are effectively glorified bureaucrats) and the Merchants Gale doubtlessly envied.
A/N: Enobaria is a First Lieutenant now. I mentioned she got promoted to Lieutenant post-OCS, but I forgot to specify what rank-let's just say she was a Second Lieutenant.
Gale was shown dozens of more gut-wrenching examples of the cruelty of snare-bombs he designed by Enobaria, the worst of which was a barely 14-year old medic from District Thirteen who defied orders (and would have been shot if it hadn't been for an older soldier hadn't tackled her unit's political officer) to go to the aid of a Peacekeeper whose lower left leg had been blown off by the first explosion and died just as she reached him from the second.
"STOP, PLEASE!" He screamed, any traces of arrogance and moral superiority gone from his voice. "NO MORE, NO MORE! I CAN'T SEE ANYONE ELSE GET KILLED BY SNARE-BOMBS, I CAN'T!"
Enobaria grabbed him by the collar, and though her helmet was back on Gale could tell her face was not one of sympathy for him. "Perhaps you should've thought of that before designing those bombs, Butcher Hawthorne."
"I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL PURNIA!" He sobbed while tears streaked down his face. "I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL RUE'S FATHER AND THRESH'S FAMILY! I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL THAT MEDIC!"
Enobaria ripped off her helmet and glared at him. "Do you still feel like a rebel hero, Gale Hawthorne? You designed those bombs with the intent of killing medics like that fourteen-year old girl from Thirteen. What would you have done if Snow had ordered the design and use of snare-bombs? Argue with the fact that with every single dead rebel medic killed by the second detonation, there would be less rebels who would be fixed up and live to fight another day? When I heard you had designed those bombs, myself and everyone in my unit wanted to place your head on a pike-after burning you alive first."
She then grabbed his arm and now they were back in District Two-more specifically, the Nut.
Enobaria was sitting alone in her quarters, gloomy even though it was both New Year's Eve and her birthday, on top of having been promoted to First Lieutenant yesterday.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in," she said emotionlessly, still depressed that her parents and younger sister were dead.
In walked her company commander, Major Themistocles Flavius. Unlike Enobaria, who lacked a helmet, he was dressed in full body armor.
He returned her salute, then smiled. "Happy birthday, Lieutenant Domitius. I have a surprise for you."
"Paperwork, sir?" Enobaria replied.
He handed her a blindfold in response. "I'll show you it."
Gale and Enobaria watched as the former's younger self walked through the Nut and into a dark room. The Major smiled even though no one else could see it as he turned on the lights.
"Platoon, attention!" A female voice ordered.
Young Enobaria removed her blindfold and was surprised by what she saw.
It was a full platoon of Peacekeeper soldiers, all but one dressed in what appeared to be the new combat uniforms that became infamous during the Second Rebellion. Each and every one of the grunts were in full body armor with their faces hidden by opaque visors, save for the one who had spoken up when the lights turned on.
"I'm Second Lieutenant Laura Fisher, ma'am," the other woman said as they shook hands. "I've been assigned as your assistant platoon commander."
"We'll come back to this later," Enobaria said, before transporting both herself and Gale to where he grew up. District 12.
Gale recognized the Mayor's house. "I don't see why we're here," he muttered flatly. "Sure Mr. Undersee died in the firebombing, but unlike most of the Seam he lived a fairly cushy life."
"Oh really?"
Ever since her since her twin sister Maysilee died in the 50th Hunger Games, Mrs. Undersee had been struggling with depression even after she married Mr. Undersee and gave birth to their daughter. As well off as she had been growing up, Gale felt nothing but sorrow when Madge stopped trying to get her mother out of bed at age eight.
"I never knew it was that bad," Gale said. He had heard Mrs. Everdeen had ended up like that for a while, to Katniss's immense ire, but he didn't know Madge's mother couldn't even get out of bed and have a normal relationship with her daughter.
"Of course you didn't, Butcher," Enobaria replied casually, as if she had chosen between pizza and spaghetti at any of the Italian restaurants that had now opened in Panem. "Just like you never cared for Mellark-who, I am pleased to note, has Katniss's hand in marriage now, not you."
Even before she showed him the evidence, Gale knew she was telling the truth. He had wanted Katniss to come back alone, and he hated himself for the fact he wanted a young man his age to die just so he could have a girl he lusted over for himself.
"Good God!" He screamed. "How could I ever wish death on someone just so I could sleep with Katniss?"
"You did," Enobaria answered flatly. "Oh, and he doesn't treat her like some cheap hooker, if that's what you're thinking. Not that you ever cared for Katniss as a person, just as someone you could sleep with. Not that you'll ever get a chance to, since Mellark married her and whatnot. By the way, I've seen those two in action-and he's much better than you could hope to be." The last sentence was delivered helmetless and with a smirk-the first time he had ever seen her ghost genuinely happy.
They walked into the Mellark's bakery, where a younger Peeta was hit by his mother's rolling pin. "Feed it to the pig, you stupid creature! Why not? No one decent will buy burned bread!"
Gale flinched in horror. If there was one thing he remembered positively about growing up in the Seam, it was that neither of his parents beat him for simply burning bread.
"And that's before his brother didn't volunteer for him when he got Reaped," Enobaria remarked. "Well, at least he was apologetic about it. His mother, on the other hand, flat out told him he would die. How's that for a goodbye, Butcher?"
ME: A/N: I bet you noticed me assign two Lieutenants to the same platoon. My head canon-at least for this story-is that Peacekeepers have a somewhat unique command structure. 2nd LTs are assigned as assistant platoon commanders to learn how to be officers, while 1st LTs are there to mentor the 2nd LTs and ensure the platoon has at least moderately-experienced leadership, therefore averting the Ensign Newbie trope (Google it for further reference).