Chapter 26: The Rebel Life of a District 8 Commander, Part 4

Author's note: Some character's lines from both the movies and books have been changed.

President Paylor sat in the lounge off of the Gamemakers control room. She continued to think of her life as a rebel that led up to Amanda Snow fighting for her life and freedom in the Hunger Games.

Flashback:

2 years earlier, District 8, rebels war plan meeting, first day of the war:

"I run the grocery store in the market." said one of the rebels, "I am carefully rationing provisions from my shelves and stockroom for the children, but it wont last long."

"We might... can't promise... but might... be able to help you on that." said Coin with a voice of reassurance. "We managed to take District 11 shortly after the revolt started this morning; we focused most of our military there. Though, so is the Capitol. But we are trying to get food spread around. We just came from District 11, now."

More large crates were brought out, and one was opened and Paylor looked inside.

"Real District 11 vegetables." Coin said as a statement of fact, "Unfortunately we were unable to bring enough with us to feed all of your children thoroughly, hunger-wise, but at least take the edge off."

"We will make every little bit count." said Paylor.

Coin looked around at the city. People were running around corners with wounded slung over their shoulders. Mothers with children were being guided into buildings by rebels.

"I have to give you credit, you are doing better fighting the Peacekeepers then the other districts."

"Did the revolt in the other nine rebel districts all happen simultaneously as planned?" asked Paylor.

"Yes," said Coin, "but unfortunately for a few of the districts, their rebellion only lasted mere hours, the Capitol has retaken Districts 1, 6, and 9. The rebels continue to fight in those districts but they again can't form a firm hold. We are attempting to send in additional troops to those ones while we continue to try to maintain a firm hold on 11."

Coin observed Paylor's rebel troops.

"Here though, your troops seem… not disciplined exactly, but for lack of word, more disciplined than the rebels in other districts. And here, attacks against your Peacekeepers are more organized."

"It was all Paylor's idea." said one of the other men.

"Commander, show her your battle-plan."

Coin and her guard were directed over to a table under a sheltered covering.

Paylor pointed at the map that was on the table and moved her finger here and there as she spoke.

"Well, I wouldn't call myself a brilliant military strategist or anything like my men think of me. But my 'Idea That I Considered Would Be Good'," said Paylor, carefully making clear her terminology, "was to exploit the Peacekeepers weakness."

Coin was then suddenly interested in the idea of the Capitol Peacekeepers having a weakness that could be exploited.

"Pardon me for asking," said Coin with interested curiosity, "but what weakness exactly among your Peacekeepers have you noticed?"

Paylor paused for a moment and thought about it. "Well as far as I have been able to tell," said Paylor, "all my life I have noticed that every time someone, or even a group of people give the Peacekeepers trouble, basically all of the Peacekeepers descend on that one person or group in collective force. And no matter what the Peacekeepers do, their attack is always straightforward and aggressive. No subtlety what-so-ever. Therefore the Peacekeepers attack is thus... 'predictable'."

Coin raised her eyebrow in interest at the textile worker Commander's clever observation.

Paylor pointed to spots on the map as she explained.

"As we were watching the tributes interviews, and the Third Quarter Quell, as the time approached for the clock to strike 12 and the arena's power to go out, I readied my troops in positions secretly, unbeknownst to the Peacekeepers. The weakness in the Peacekeepers that I exploited was that I had a group of people attack a group of Peacekeepers for just a few seconds, and then run. What happened was, that group of Peacekeepers called for help and ran after them while hundreds more Peacekeepers followed them to their position. I knew the Peacekeepers would do that; and they didn't disappoint. I lured a large number of them into one place where I sprung a trap that killed them all at once, and now that's what we have been doing all day long; performing quick hit-and-run attacks. It's been driving the Peacekeepers into chaos, and it constantly pushes back their front line."

President Coin raised her eyebrows in interest.

"Commander Paylor," said President Coin, "that is… impressive. And very clever. As modest and humble as you are Commander, you are a brilliant military strategist. I could use a brilliant strategist like yourself back in District 13."

"If you are inviting me to go with you, I'm afraid not. My place is here with my people. They know me, they respect me, they trust me. In comparison to your troops they may look a little ragtag, but if you point them at a Peacekeeper they'll fight to the death, they are loyal to me, and they will obey my orders. If you have any orders to give them, you may give those orders to me, and I will decide whether or not to relay those orders to them."

President Coin got the message; she couldn't just waltz in and take charge of the District 8 rebels so easily.

There was then a loud static sound on Paylor's communicator.

"Commander Paylor, this resistance cell 9, do you read me?" a man's voice came out of the communicator.

"Go ahead resistance cell 9!" said Paylor.

"We're at the far west sector of the city on Milton Street! The Peacekeepers have outflanked us and are pushing us back! I'm losing a lot of men over here! Request instructions!"

President Coin was now eager to see just how well Commander Paylor's leadership could deal with this? This was an opportunity for Paylor to prove herself to Coin, though Paylor already had the trust and loyalty of her people, and felt she didn't need to prove herself to anyone.

Paylor thought silently for only a couple seconds as she quickly moved her finger back and forth across the map on the table.

"Fall back to Brushroll Street, take cover, and standby!" Paylor ordered.

"Understood." said the voice over the communicator.

"Resistance-cell 19, this is Commander Paylor, do you read me?" said Paylor.

"Go ahead Commander Paylor." said a different voice on the communicator.

"The Peacekeepers are pushing back the line on Milton Street, west of your position. You and your team withdrawal from your current position and reinforce resistance-cell 9 on Brushroll Street!" ordered Paylor.

"Understood Commander." responded the voice obediently.

'That quick decision was well executed.' thought Coin, impressed. 'Clearly Paylor being appointed Commander by her people was not arbitrary.'

Paylor then looked back at Coin and then gestured to the large number of giant men in SWAT gear.

"Are those men the reinforcements that you promised me?" asked Paylor.

"Yes they are." said Coin matter-of-factly.

"I would like to ask them to reinforce Resistance-Cell 9 on the front line." said Paylor.

Coin then looked at one of the large men.

"Sergeant Timex."

The man turned in Coin's direction and saluted her.

"Ma'am." was the man's response, giving her his full, professional, and undivided attention.

"You and your men will reinforce the District 8 rebels, you will follow Commander Paylor's orders, is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am." said the sergeant loyally without question.

"I'm afraid that I must be on my way." said Coin as she turned back to Paylor. "I have other districts to visit and supplies and provisions to drop off. My medics will also stay here with you. We will bring in more supplies, troops, and food as soon as we can."

"Thank you President Coin. You have done more than we would've ever asked for. And if there is any supplies that we can offer you, we will do our best to accommodate you. Though as we are District 8, the only surplus of supply that we have is clean clothing."

She then looked at her own men and then down at herself. "We haven't had the time to change clothes since the revolt started." said Paylor.

"I will let you know about clean clothes." responded Coin.

Coin got back into her hovercraft and it took off and then disappeared.

Paylor felt that Coin was hiding some kind of hidden agenda. Paylor didn't trust Coin. Paylor was adamant not to trade President Snow for someone worse, but it was an alliance of convenience; Paylor needed Coin in order to free her people.

Paylor then addressed the sergeant.

"Sergeant Timex." said Paylor.

"Commander Paylor." the sergeant responded.

"I will ask for your preference. Would you and your men like to be a reserve unit? or would you like to be sent straight to the front line? It is very dangerous, and the Peacekeepers are killing a lot of my troops."

"Ma'am. Me and my men will go straight to the front line and fight to the death."

"Very well then." said Paylor, "My orders are, you will reinforce Resistance-Cell 9 and push the Peacekeepers frontline back as far as you can."

"Yes ma'am."

"You will find that the District 8 rebels are easy to get along with. If you have any suggestions to make to them during battle, they will listen." said Paylor.

Paylor then turned to one of her men.

"Take these troops to resistance cell 9." ordered Paylor.

"Understood, Commander Paylor."

"Commander Paylor, this is resistance-cell 26, we have good news." said a voice on the communicator.

"Go ahead." said Paylor.

"We've just taken the Peacekeepers food stores."

"Excellent," complemented Paylor, "I want the Peacekeepers food stores emptied, and the provisions distributed among the women and children. Spare whatever man-power you can." ordered Paylor.

But the Capitol managed somehow to bring in some reinforcements.

For the next 6 days the rebels continued to push the front line back, but slowly. Some of the Capitol's Air Forces managed to get through, and bombed rebels. They were hungry, they were tired, they were wounded, their dead continued to grow. But it didn't matter what the Peacekeepers did, rebels sacrificed themselves so their comrades could finish what they started. More and more people cowering in their homes kept coming out of their doors, guns were handed out to everyone, but the battle raged on.

Finally, on the seventh day after the Third Quarter Quell had ended prematurely, the army of angry textile workers covered in blood and dirt, carrying stolen Peacekeepers guns, along with a handful of District 13 soldiers, all lay there on the ground, exhausted, couldn't go on any further. And the remaining Peacekeepers continued to push forward. But Paylor shouted encouragement at the men! Paylor gave a big, loud, and over-dramatic speech about their freedom, and their children's freedom, and how there would be a day when they would be slaves again, but that day would not be today! That there would be a day when all of their courage would fail, that the Capitol would kill every last one of them, but still, that day would not be today! Her inspiring speech rallied the men! They got back on their feet, and in the name of the Mockingjay, they ran forward with no fear of death!

Then from around the corner, the Peacekeepers saw tidal wave of angry textile workers! They fired their weapons at the rebels! Rebels died.

Peacekeepers threw grenades into the crowd of rebels. Rebels died.

A group of Peacekeepers had backed a group of rebels into a corner. Paylor recklessly ran up silently behind the group of Peacekeepers who had their backs to her while firing their weapons at the group of rebels, and in a quick motion completely silently she pulled out the pin on one of their grenades and bolted away, and moments later the grenade went off while still on the Peacekeeper's belt.

One Peacekeeper held a giant Super Flamethrower and incinerated 10 rebels at once with a stream of super-heated plasma, but was killed when a District 13 expert sharp-shooter in SWAT-Gear carrying a big rifle shot the fuel tank on the Peacekeeper's flamethrower with pin-point-accuracy.

Peacekeepers mowed down the rebels with rocket-launchers and bazookas, but more just kept on coming until the tidal wave of human bodies piled over them, shot them, and beat them to dead. The cost was great! But finally the last Peacekeeper was dead! And the District 8 Peacekeepers, the enemy of the people of District 8, was defeated! The rebels of Panem had taken District 8.

Paylor shouted "VICTORY!" at the top of her lungs, and the rest of the rebels responded in kind. But their celebration was short-lived because they still have a lot of work to do. The needed to do a small census of their dead and form a mass-grave. As well as tend to their wounded.

Paylor went onto the district-wide broadcast system and told the people of District 8 that the battle had been won, District 8 was now completely Peacekeeper-free.

Not for slave labor, but now for helping themselves. Paylor ordered all of the textile factories to be re-opened immediately. And that unlike before when all of the textile production went to the Capitol, now 100% of the textile production would go to themselves. Paylor told the workers that the wounded needed cloth bandages and clean clothing. Paylor's next order to the troops was for them to get some sleep. And she told them that they were no good to her if they were half dead. Some very, very, very meager rations were given to them to eat. They quickly gave themselves a sponge bath, and put on clean clothing, and then carried out their orders, going to sleep.

The next day after the rebels had gotten a good nights sleep, they set to work. Family and friends who had been separated found each other. Large empty buildings were set up as hospitals. The hospitals were very unhygienic, but it was all that they had. To keep the patient's hygiene as best as possible they tried to change the patients clothes with their extra textile production as much as possible. But it was hard work as there were not enough hands for everyone. Food rationing was tight, the people only ate one small meal every few days. District 13 continued to send in medics as well as additional troops. While the fighting was still going on heavily in other districts. They got word that District 10 and District 7 had been taken by the rebels. Baby steps, but this was war.

Commander Paylor stood before a large pile of bodies in a deep pit. Several thousand people stood around her.

"Citizens of District 8," said Paylor, "many other pits full of bodies, identical to this one are spread across the city. These people that lay dead at my feet are the brave men and women that fought and died for our freedom." Paylor had a voice of both sorrow and anger, "The population of this district has been reduced significantly at the hands of the Capitol. The Peacekeepers shot at us, and at you, and the Air forces dropped bombs on our buildings. We have done an approximate count of the mass graves that were formed. 17,000 people… the cost of our freedom was 17,000 innocent men, women, and children, who died at the hand of a Peacekeeper and a coward. We offer respect and dignity to our fallen brothers and sisters who gave their lives so that we could all be alive right now. They will be missed. But they will be remembered. And may our honored brothers and sisters of whom we loved so much… rest in peace."

The funeral was over. Paylor then turned in the direction of the crowd, reached into her pocket, and pulled out a letter. "This letter was sent to me yesterday through the computer printer in the Head Peacekeeper's office. It is from President Snow, addressed to me."

The people began murmuring at her words.

"He has offered me his solemn, unbreakable promise that if District 8 joins the Capitol's cause against the rebels of the other districts then we people of District 8 shall receive a full pardon, unlimited medical care, more food, better living conditions, less strict laws, and less work.

The people continued murmuring.

"Citizens of District 8, my brothers, my sisters, and your peers, this is an act of desperation on President Snow's part. This means we have an opportunity to strike back at the Capitol. I sent President Snow a reply and I told him that I was offering him an ultimatum. I told him that we the people of District 8 will fight to the death for our freedom, and will accept nothing less than victory! However, I would be willing to discuss the terms of his unconditional surrender. He humbly declined. Nothing that I didn't expect, but I did have to make the offer so as to be fair. And now I give you all, my vow, my oath, my word, that I WILL NOT let the brave men and women and children who were murdered at the hands of cowards, and fought for our freedom, to have died in vain! I promise I will bring all of you, President Snows head!"

The people cheered at her words.

"The Capitol will send in reinforcements. I need more volunteers. I need more fighters. The new Peacekeepers force that arrives here will be small, it will be all that the Capitol can spare. And when they get here we will drive them out!"

The people continued to cheer. The people became emboldened. And by the end of the day Paylor had another 3000 volunteers.

One month later.

Capitol airplanes had dropped their sight shields and then began dropping bombs on buildings that they believed were rebel strongholds. Paylor sat in the chair of a giant anti-aircraft gun. She locked on target and began opening fire. Several other people in different areas of the city sitting in similar guns also began opening fire at the Capitol airplanes. But the Capitol airplanes were not to make repeated passes again and again; this was the Capitol's cavalry raid, a quick hit-and-run attack. The raid was over.

This had been going on for weeks.

There was then a televised interview with Caesar Flickerman and Peeta Mellark. There was only one way that President Snow would allow Peeta to go on TV. President Snow wanted Peeta to demoralize the rebels by supporting the Capitol. But instead he seemed to condemn both sides. He condemned the Capitol for the horrible way that the people of the districts had been treated over the years. But he also condemned the rebels for rebelling, that if the fighting does not stop immediately than the human race might be wiped out.

Many of Paylor's troops became angry at this. Paylor however was too clever to be fooled. President Snow forced Peeta to condemn not just the rebels but the Capitol also. It would've been too obvious that his strings were being pulled if he condemned only the rebels, but by Peeta condemning the Capitol, Snow made the people think that Peeta's words were more his own. It didn't matter though, Paylor told her troops to continue fighting, and they followed their Commander's orders. The only person that Paylor's troops would follow other than her, was the Mockingjay. And in spite of President Coin's reassurance that their Mockingjay was alive and well, Katniss Everdeen seemed to have dropped off the face of the Earth.

Their dead continued to mount. She went down to her men to assess the damage. More of their wounded were crippled for life, or had lost limbs. They continued to form mass graves. Paylor herself had recently received a piece of shrapnel in the side of her neck that one of her troops had then had to clumsily dig out with a pair of rusty tongs. Fortunately the wound was not fatal. She put a bandage on it and continued to go about her work. She had not bothered to change her bandage and it had gotten pretty bloody.

"Commander Paylor." said one of the soldiers, "We just received a communiqué from District 13. The Mockingjay is coming here." he said the last part with a tone of a combination of disbelief and eager anticipation.

Paylor knew Coin had told her that Katniss Everdeen was alive, but she didn't believe it. She was having second thoughts about their Mockingjay. It's quite possible that Katniss Everdeen was dead and that Coin had merely told her that she was alive so as not to demoralize the rebels. Paylor's resolve had started to waiver, lately the only thing she was being able to see was their ever mounting dead. She went to looking at the Mockingjay and maybe consider some of the things that Coin had said about her personality profile. Sometimes it seemed as though Katniss Everdeen was on the side of the Capitol, and Paylor had only ever seen her on television except for the victory tour when the two District 12 victors visited District 8. Katniss Everdeen acted like a conformist, just reading from her cards rather than inspiring the rebels that were fighting for freedom. Also while she was in the arena all she wanted to do was kill her allies so she could save her fiancé which everyone knew was a false romance.

Paylor decided that she would believe that Katniss Everdeen was alive when she saw it. And she would continue to reserve judgment.

Later that day, Paylor was in front of their hospital which was actually just an empty warehouse that was so old and rickety it looked like it was ready to collapse at any time. The inside of the building had more germs and disease than on the outside, but for the time being it was all they had. The wounded were using up the cloth bandages and clean clothing faster than the textile factories could manufacture it.

It was at that moment that a hovercraft appeared in the air and started to descend. When the hovercraft landed and the door on the side of the hovercraft opened, Paylor saw Commander Boggs of District 13. Along with a Camera crew whose fashion styles indicated they were from the Capitol.

'Capitol rebels?' thought Paylor, 'Well, there had to be a few.'

And then there she was, Katniss Everdeen, along with her tall handsome cousin from District 12. The Mockingjay looked strong and healthy except for the ragged scar on her left arm from her tracker which everyone in the entire country saw dug out by Joanna Mason inside the arena.

"Commander Boggs." said Paylor in acknowledgement.

"Commander Paylor." said Boggs in acknowledgement. "Katniss Everdeen, this is Commander Paylor, leader of District 8. Commander Paylor, may I present, Soldier Katniss Everdeen."

"So, you're alive then?" said Paylor, looking the Mockingjay over, trying to see if it was just a Katniss Everdeen lookalike... she seem the real deal. "We weren't sure."

"She's been in recovery after the lightning bolt." said Boggs, then Boggs leaned in closer and whispered, "Miscarriage." as though the one word would explain it all.

Paylor's sixth sense detected several lies, but she had no time to worry about it. If the Mockingjay's presence inspires and rallies the people, then she'll take it.

"She wants to see your wounded." said Boggs.

"Well, we have plenty of those." said Paylor.

Paylor led them inside the hospital.

Katniss Everdeen held the hands of the patients and spoke to them. And Paylor didn't know what it was but it seemed that all of the wounded seemed to muster up some reserves of strength at her touch.

Later, after she stepped out of the hospital, Paylor got word that another wave of Capitol airplanes was coming in. Paylor told them to head for a bomb shelter and then she ran up a ladder to an anti-aircraft gun. It wasn't until a moment later when Paylor realized that Katniss Everdeen had followed her.

"Have either of you been trained on how to work these?" asked Paylor.

"I have." said Katniss Everdeen's cousin, Gale.

"But we don't need them." said Katniss. "We have our bows. It's deadlier than it looks."

Paylor decided not to argue. She aimed for the nearest plane when it became visible and then started shooting at it. She shot down a few, while Katniss and her cousin set another on fire. When the next wave of planes came in Katniss fired explosive arrows that then destroyed a couple.

In that moment Paylor no longer reserved judgment on Katniss Everdeen. She looked at Katniss Everdeen with awe as she shot explosive tipped arrows at the Capitol planes, and thought, 'Now this is the the Katniss Everdeen I know from television! She is our Mockingjay! She is a fearsome warrior! This is a Mockingjay that I can follow into battle!'

It was then a moment later that they realized that the hospital had been destroyed along with everyone inside it. Every television in the city then showed President Snow saying that he was sending a message, that he and the Capitol would continue to fight if the rebellion did not stop immediately.

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