ME: Time for some insight into District Thirteen from two insiders. A/N: Interlude.
*Presidential Office, the Capitol*
Caesar Flickerman came into view, smiling at the two Thirteeners. "Hello, Mr. Coin and Ms. Boggs. Welcome to the Capitol-may I call you by your first names? You can use mine."
"Alright, Caesar," Charles replied. Suzanne merely nodded silently.
"Can either of you give me an estimate as to when your former comrades will realize the senseless carnage they're causing through this war and surrender?"
Charles had a sip of water before answering. "I cannot give one, nor can Suzanne, for neither of us believes District Thirteen's sphere of influence will surrender soon." He then looked directly at the camera. "What, are there any continental rebels who honestly believe that renegade Mayor-she is not the President of our Nation-Alma Coin will allow for a fair system where all of you have a say? There shall not be more than one chair at the table of power, and in that chair only one person from a certain District shall sit."
"Please elaborate, Charles," said Caesar earnestly.
"You all learned the history of the Dark Days," the Captain went on. "Thirteen Districts rose up against our National Government seated in the Capitol. Despite numerous war crimes committed in an effort to overthrow the Capitol-that is, the National Government, since you fools cannot distinguish between the city and the State-twelve were defeated and punished for their transgressions, with Thirteen supposedly being destroyed."
Charles paused before shaking his head. "The key word being supposedly, my fellow citizens. Thirteen cut a deal with the Capitol; in exchange for playing dead and leaving Districts One through Twelve to their shared fate, District Thirteen gained political independence. Instead of being obliterated-there were no nuclear weapons used; in fact, conventional bombs were used to destroy the surface-they abandoned their supposed siblings-in-arms."
"Thank you for that revelation about Thirteen, Charles," Caesar said, smiling. "I believe every word you said. Suzanne, as a former citizen of Thirteen I'm sure you have an insider's perspective."
"Yes," replied the Lieutenant.
"Could you please elaborate? If you don't mind, that is."
The young woman took a deep breath. "I'm sure our brave Boys and Girls in White in the Peacekeeping Force and Loyalist Militias have noticed how that though continental rebels fight with primitive weapons such as bows and arrows, with that drunken coward Abrnathy's pawn Katniss Everdeen being one of the worst offenders, Thirteener troops use weapons that fire the same calibers theirs do. However, do not let this fact fool you into thinking that a glamorized bunker of cave-dwellers is an actual civilization."
"Indeed, Miss Boggs," President Snow replied. He pulled out a remote. "I warn the more sensitive members of the audience that the videos I will show will be disturbing to you."
The first video was one of District One. Loyalist POWs were gathered near a ditch, and both Thirteeners nearly vomited when a firing squad of Thirteeners opened fire.
The second was a more recent one taken from District Two. In that one, a group of fourteen-and-under rebel soldiers charged a Peacekeeper position. The video ended with a female Peacekeeper picking up a child-soldier's body and breaking down, her cries audible despite the opaque visor.
The third video displayed a group of District Five rebels charging the Mead Dam, screaming out savage war cries. Luckily enough, tragedy was averted when the would-be bombers were completely obliterated without a single Loyalist casualty. The video ended with the Peacekeepers and Militia Volunteers celebrating their victory over the now-dead rebels.
The fourth took place in an industrial zone in District Six, where local rebels and District Thirteen troops fought local Peacekeepers. A stray white phosphorus round from Thirteen landed on the rebels; the video focused on a pre-teen child soldier who couldn't be older than eleven screaming as he burned alive.
The fifth video followed a group of District Seven rebels executing captured Peacekeepers with axes while they begged for mercy and a squad of District Thirteen soldiers watched callously.
The sixth was of District Twelve's destruction. Thermobaric munitions rained down upon the small town; Peacekeepers, miners and merchants alike screamed in agony and terror.
Charles, like his friend Suzanne, was internally conflicted on it being a rebel action. While he knew Thirteen was a tyrannical entity, Snow had let the Games go on for over a quarter of a century. Either way, odds are his dear Aunty Alma didn't feel sadness over Twelve.
The seventh was of Katniss Everdeen. "-I don't have any reservations anymore. About doing whatever it takes to destroy the Capitol."
Snow shook his head. "The Mockingjay wants to annihilate an entire city?" He pressed the remote's button, playing an eighth video.
A ballistic missile armed with a nuclear warhead slammed into the Capitol and detonated. The metropolis was obliterated and the dam burst, sending the irradiated wreckage of the platform downstream.
"Citizens of Panem, Katniss Everdeen clearly wishes to murder countless newborn Capitolite children just to assassinate me. As President, I hereby sentence her to death! A half-year's worth of Victor's winnings for the hero who kills her; a full year for the Loyalist who takes her alive!"
*Command Room, District Thirteen*
Coin pounded her fist on the table. "Those traitors! How come this was allowed to broadcast!"
Fulvia Cardew, Plutarch Heavensbee's assistant, tried to calm her down. "Mad-Comrade President," Fulvia corrected herself, hoping to avoid incurring her wrath, "Beetee left with Soldier Hawthorne for Two about five minutes before we lost control of the airwaves. Your technicians are competent, but not as good as him."
"And my treacherous nephew was able to broadcast lies because of it!" The middle-aged woman shouted. "He said my home destroyed District Twelve!"
"With all due respect, sweetheart," Haymitch cut in rather gracelessly, "you guys kinda screwed us all over by abandoning us during the Dark Days."
"Enough," Plutarch snapped before Coin could, his earlier affability with the Victor gone. "Obviously, we need to both improve our control over the broadcast system by revamping security and address these allegations head on."
"Very well," Coin replied far calmer than she spoke before. "This meeting is over, dismissed."
As the other inhabitants of the room left, Plutarch glared at Haymitch, sending him a silent message: Control your emotions if you want to live.
ME: Hope y'all liked this one. It's been more than four months since I published this, and rest assured the climax is a-coming.