Author's Note: The victors know it's almost time and there's no stopping them now (if there ever was).

….

Steadfast

Just like that, Seeder was the oldest victor. Gem had passed on the mantle to Satin for a matter of days and then it was Seeder's turn. She was not their leader, it was time for the younger victors in that respect, but she remained a key figure, someone they looked to for guidance and stability.

She would step into the shoes worn by Orchard for so many years and understand the burden he felt to be at his best for them. Seeder knew Mags and Gem had both felt the same. But whether her time as the oldest victor was long or short, she would carry herself with the dignity and resolve she had done for decades.

Seeder did not know how long the notion of the oldest living victor would mean anything if it even did anymore as the Capitol descended into chaos and everyone looked in the opposite direction to her. But so long as victors existed, Seeder would hold her head high.

Her life had been eventful, and she had no intention of winding down or ever retiring. She had not even contemplated the act of dying, only that she had already ensured the transitional arrangements would fall in place whenever she did pass away.

She continued to spend days at the factory where their businesses operated, but increasingly, more of her work was managed at home as she aged. She trusted her longest-standing employees and Chaff and Marshall to set everything straight when she was not around.

Her time at home meant that she was often the one to watch over Olive. Since the dramatics which followed her survival, Olive had not managed to surprise them. She liaised with those the victors already knew to be loyalists and in the Mayor's circle. No surprise, closet Capitol allies had been uncovered. They gradually felt more comfortable that they had known all along who would oppose them.

They had bugged Olive's house, and somehow, she had not realised. For all her talk about watching the rebel victors' every move, she was entirely lax about the security of her own home. It had been easy for Chaff to bug almost every room in the house and ensure conversations were fed back to him and Seeder. Marshall knew what they were doing and did not oppose it.

Theirs was a difficult relationship. In his role as mentor, Marshall was the most cordial towards Olive and her family in complete contrast to Chaff's open hostility. Seeder tried to find a balance and walk the line between the approaches her friends had taken. The two women spoke sometimes but never for long. Seeder was a closed book when it came to Olive and her family, and the younger victor knew she would not get her senior victor to reveal any information.

They were too well-practised in their methods whilst Olive was relatively new and had no idea about how counterintelligence worked. When her only argument was that the Capitol's stability and strength provided for the districts, Seeder was not surprised. The Capitol was falling apart in front of them, and she listened in on Olive's family hoping, contrary to all evidence, that this was a passing phase.

It was a problem symbolic of the Capitol and all its supporters. They had no idea how long and deep the rebellion ran and just how prepared the rebels were even as the Capitol was struck by an onslaught of peacekeeper attacks and constant disruption. They had remained blinded by their sense of superiority and now everything was crumbling around them.

The assassination of President Elda had provided another distraction. The Capitol was scrambling in a vacuum of political leadership whilst cabinet members fought among themselves. Eleven responded in the only way Eleven could. Their workers downed tools and attacks on peacekeeper barracks multiplied. Production had ground to a halt and the peacekeepers were too busy repairing their barracks to force people back to work. There was no chance for reinforcements either as they had doubled back to protect the Capitol during the instability.

Seeder had learnt that Eight had adopted the same tactics. Instead of factory-based uprisings, they switched to targeted attacks on peacekeeper barracks and carried out assassinations on the most prolific peacekeepers.

They had some fun in District Six too. Poppy and her network of rail workers had managed to coordinate significant disruption in supplies to the Capitol. A series of supposed track faults and emergency train repairs had seen trains divert back to the district of origin so Eleven retained an entire train load of stock. Seeder was storing some of it in her house and Orchard's former home whilst she divided it for distribution. Most of the rest was in the victors' factory and their workers were slowly spreading the extra food through their communities. Seeder was sure to leave some of her business' best chocolates and a bottle of Chaff's favourite wine on the train back to Six for Poppy.

Seeder was proud of Eleven. They were strong and resolute. Their people had waited decades, having been entirely ready in Seventy-Five for what might have been. Along with Chaff and then Marshall, they held their people firm and now they had let them loose. Panem was following in their stead and Seeder could finally see their work coming together.

….

"Do we have your permission?" Beetee asked.

Halley still found the change in roles strange so smiled to herself whilst Three's most senior victor looked to her for approval before continuing.

"We're not Two. I'm older and Wiress is your mentor but that doesn't mean we don't have to seek your go-ahead. You are the leader here, Halley. I know you're not as reticent when Finnick and Heavensbee are talking."

"Heavensbee is Heavensbee and Finnick is Finnick. He's the leader but I'm the one he goes to when he needs security. But yes, Beetee, you have my permission. Destroy whatever you want to."

"Our little test with the assassination footage has worked. We're into their network and can hold control for a few minutes, long enough to put in our messages. There's some not-so-nice footage of Thread out in the field on its way."

"I'm looking forward to it. That's one of their problems, there's always someone filming or taking photos."

"I've never really considered them an intelligent bunch. I don't see them changing my mind with what's to come either."

"I hope they continue to disappoint you. That only means more fun for us."

"I have lots of plans. We should be getting footage in from the others to filter through soon. Our homeware range is about to start malfunctioning in some places. Obviously, the oldest appliances first so we can sell them the upgrade and then watch the same thing happen again."

"As long as it adds to the chaos you can blow up as many toasters and sandwich makers as you want!"

"You know how they get at the slightest inconvenience," Beetee said, rolling his eyes.

"The government has fallen apart but their blown-up toaster is their main concern!"

"And they wonder why they're going to lose. What on earth are they going to do when conscription is extended?"

"I'd love a protest," Halley said. "The ones with the money will get all shouty when their darlings are threatened with a buzzcut and a peacekeeper uniform."

"Not that we want them here either."

"The conscripts will be useless. Unfortunate cannon fodder. We just need to stop our young people from being involved."

"We'll put them off. Skew the health test results. Nobody will be surprised to learn of a new respiratory infection in Three. And Wiress has plans for the mutts which are ready to go."

"She's told me all about them. I'm looking forward to seeing the results on the test barracks."

"Those insects will leave them scratching for weeks and they lay eggs fast, so they'll keep on finding them. The spiders could be quite something too. Orion has volunteered to help distribute the pesticides to nearby houses in case they spread. Of course, most of Wiress' work is on the higher impact creatures but we won't use them until the time is right."

"As long as our own are fine and the barracks face the worst of it, I'm happy."

"Are we anticipating any pushback from Two?"

"Lyme is aware that some of her own will be collateral. But they always have the option to defect and Four is incredibly welcoming any time of year. We can put in a good word to anybody considering it."

"Just don't let Two tear itself apart. We have to show we're better for them than the Capitol."

"That's the narrative Lyme is working on, don't worry, Beetee. She's in control."

….

They had managed it. Soleil's cell had broken into the Head Peacekeeper's barracks and made a copy of the disciplinary records. They had at their fingertips evidence of peacekeeper misconduct going back decades combined with the lists of punishments inflicted on Five's citizens. The peacekeepers had recorded everything.

Now it was Soleil's job to get the records through to Three and Four for their use. If all went well, the copies would be out of District Five in a matter of days and their tracks should be covered as best they could. They had learnt how to tamper with CCTV footage through a contact at the Justice Building, verified through Soleil's enquiries with Orion and Stella. The team who entered the barracks were kitted out appropriately so they were optimistic that their identities would not be traced.

Her friends had taken a huge risk, however. Now it was Soleil's turn to repay that. She would travel with the copied records out of Five. She was due to leave to travel west to visit another power project being upgraded, a lucky coincidence given that work in District Five was beginning to dry up due to the chaos.

She would do her work and disappear under the cover of night to reach the borderlands with District Four where she would be met by an associate of Noah and Finnick's. It would be the biggest risk she had taken yet. But she needed to continue to prove her worth and her use to the rebel cause.

Five needed to be spurred into further action and fully acknowledge what had happened to them during the decades of Capitol occupation. The rest of Panem was slowly waking up to the realities of work in District Five with the steady drip of the photos she had taken reaching the public domain. But they needed that extra drive.

The peacekeepers had been stealing from her district's businesses, with some looting the homes of those they investigated. That should not be a surprise to anybody. But they had uncovered spates of sexual assaults and rapes, violent attacks and secret killings. The likely culprits had been conveniently moved out of the district, but Panem deserved to know where they were sent next and who else could be in danger.

Reports of offences by the landowners were noted, covered up and barely investigated. There was information which could lead to District Five tearing itself apart. Soleil knew that would need to be handled carefully, but her home had to act. The rebellion was moving at pace without them, and she knew they were being left out of crucial decisions.

If they did not act decisively, they would be left behind and at the mercy of the Capitol who would only cling on harder to what they did not want to lose. Five was important and for Soleil, it was about time her people realised the power they could have. Their district powered the nation, and the lights would be switched off without them. The Capitol could not afford to lose them, and the rebellion needed to win them.

Soleil had learnt from her mentor and senior victors. Their reticence to join any rebellion was not without cause. Luna and Porter cared deeply for the district. Hal cared enough to keep his head attached to his shoulders. They understood how crucial District Five could be and did not want to do anything to jeopardise their standing.

But important as they thought they were, Soleil had realised that they would always remain District. They were not One or Two either. Nor did they carry the favour of District Four who provided the Capitol with holiday destinations. Five would never be a priority and they were taken for granted and stretched too far.

They would have to rebalance the scales in their favour. If the Capitol wanted the lights on, they would have to provide District Five with something else. Because if Soleil had her way and could push Five's workers far enough, the Capitol would be plunged into darkness.

District Five was not about to announce a general strike, they were far from it. But Soleil had heard rumblings of dissatisfaction growing. Longer trips away, fewer people sharing the load, and no pay increases. They were prepared to sabotage the quality of their work closer to home or embark on a 'go-slow' on location at the project upgrades. Soleil would do what she could to support them.

She had been a victor for over a decade and was financially in a position she could never have imagined before her Reaping. She had supported local businesses and spent generously but by Capitol or even District One standards, she lived a frugal life. She had the resources to financially assist the rebel workers if their pay was cut and she was sure she could persuade Porter to join in too.

Her mentor was growing increasingly frustrated. Her ideas and experience were being ignored in favour of new Capitol leaders who thought they knew best and inevitably did not. They saw an older, district woman, past her prime and thought she could be ignored. But Porter had worked on so many of the projects before. She knew parts of Five like the hydroelectric dam or the solar fields to the west better than almost anyone else. She had learnt the science, mastered the engineering and knew how to make something work with what little the Capitol afforded them.

Work was starting to suffer, and the Capitol had started to complain. But it was Five's workers who were being blamed, not the incompetent new leaders. Porter had tried to present them with solutions, but her ideas had fallen on deaf ears.

In Soleil's eyes, it would be enough to bring Porter from quiet support into quiet action. Respect for her years of work was something that Porter rightly felt she deserved. Instead, she had realised that to the Capitol it meant nothing. Soleil was upset for her mentor but knew it would come to this. Whilst her mentor had accepted what the Capitol threw at her, Soleil was never willing to do the same.

Years after Soleil had come home, victor and mentor were still learning from each other and could be brought closer together as Five began to stir.

…

Lyme felt sorry for Felix and Mason. Her victor had brought home his victor at a time of chaos. Where Lyme would ordinarily be devoted to one of her successors, her time was in demand. She gave Mason what she could, but she was always needed at the Institute and had become caught up in the peacekeeping crisis and Capitol-District politics.

Along with Brutus, they wanted to keep more of their candidates back as they grew older and to retain more of them as instructors. They wanted to limit the sacrifice to the peacekeepers as far as possible. But peacekeeping numbers were dire and their hope to retain more of their best did not align with the Capitol's demands. So, Lyme had asked for more money. They gave up the peacekeeper numbers they wanted, and the Institute received a premium in funds for its activities.

It was not a popular idea in the Capitol but eventually, desperation wore them down. Eight and Eleven were out of control. Rail improvements were required immediately in the borderlands and supervision would be required. Entire barracks in Three were out of use due to sudden outbreaks of illness and pest control issues.

It was a sign that the Capitol was folding. Lyme and Brutus knew the Capitol well enough to know that even twenty years ago, such a demand would never have been possible. But the Capitol was now in a position where they were forced to negotiate. Chipping away at their resources and strength year after year had worked brilliantly.

The rebels were growing in strength from the Village too. Enobaria was still going to any skirmish or riot she could find and adding to the chaos in disguise, escaping if things got too heated. Marcus and Malachite were working among the peacekeepers to try to find those who would willingly desert and turn to the rebels. Paulus and Diana were also slowly involving themselves in trying to get under the skin of their former associates from the Institute whilst doubling down on the importance of serving Two's interests to their tribute candidates.

Whilst mentoring their latest victor, Mason had found the time to have honest conversations with his own mentor. He had kept his head down for years and done his job at the Institute. Now he was on his way to completing the goal he had set for himself. He had brought home a victor and it looked as if Felix would be fine. He had handled the unwanted publicity of the assassination well and now had his head down in returning to physical form and working at the Institute.

Lyme and Brutus had both tried to speak to Petran, but his ears were closed. They knew that Marcus and Malachite had tried to have the same conversation with Remus, but he was determined to keep his eyes shut. But Lyme knew she now had six converts and with Mason, a seventh in the making. She was no longer the district's sole rebel victor or the only person able to curtail Enobaria.

Events in the district and the Capitol's incompetence had certainly helped in her efforts but District Two was changing. They could finally see how their interests were no longer being served. Brutus had joined her in their double life, shaking the Capitol's hand on one side and simultaneously working to stab them in the back on the other. The young people at the Institute were being given over to the Capitol, but they could soon become a tool for taking their district back and regaining control over their lives.

They were learning to put Two first and to go where service to the district took them. It was a leaf from District Four's book, taught in the District Two way and Lyme and Brutus had to hope it worked in the way they wanted. The lives of the children they had put so much effort into were on the line, and they wanted to safeguard as many as they could to minimise their losses.

Four would accept deserters from the force and Lyme and Brutus had done a deal with Noah and Finnick on getting any rebels from Two to safety. They had severed the psychological tie between service to Two and service to the Capitol. They were not the same and they had to lead their candidates to believe they were in opposition.

If those they had to give to the peacekeepers realised that, then there was a route to safety. The rebellion had to win but Lyme and Brutus were not going to sacrifice District Two's people.

….

It was done. Commander Thread was making his way into a car when he was hit by a spray of bullets. The shooter was initially captured but managed to escape and there was panic across the Capitol. An assassin was on the loose.

There was no leader in the Capitol. Ministers were speaking of unity whilst stabbing each other in the back and nobody had a clear run to the seat of power.

"It's done," Finnick said on a call to his fellow leaders.

"Panic, chaos and no leader. Just what we wanted," Halley said.

"Couldn't have gone better."

"Do we know if our man is in the clear?" Poppy asked.

"Nothing on the news. Nothing from the Head Peacekeeper's office either. But he'll keep his head down until it's safe."

"Are we sure he won't go for the presidency?"

"I think we need to cross our fingers, Halley. Let's hope he has more self-awareness than that."

"What do we do now?"

"Let's go, it's on."

"All in?"

"All in, but at the right time. We need to carry on destroying them piece by piece until it explodes, and they have nothing left. Five and Nine aren't there yet and we haven't heard from Thirteen. We have to finish this with Thirteen districts."

"I'm expecting something soon," Poppy said. "They'll want to see what happens in the fallout."

"We need their firepower. But let's show them we mean it this time. We're ready and it's about time. The Capitol's days are over."