Author's Note: The rebellion fails to ignite, the victors suffer further setbacks but they still carry on.

….

Succession

The attention on baby Rosa and the newest victor faded quickly at the very end of the Seventy-Seventh Games with the news that Mags had suffered another stroke.

Most of the trains carrying the victors had departed and District Four's train was about to leave with their victors eager to return home. Mags was speaking to Finnick when it happened. She had complained of a headache in the days prior but had not thought anything of it. But mid-conversation, the words she could manage stopped. Her mouth fell to one side and the left side of her body fell slack and she slumped into the sofa in the train's main carriage.

Finnick recognised the signs immediately. Since Mags suffered her first stroke just before the Sixty-Ninth Games, all of District Four's victors had become experts on strokes, the signs and the recovery process. They were immediately aware of what was happening.

Finnick immediately screamed for help and the other victors arrived at Mags' side quickly and tried to make her comfortable and keep calm. Both Finnick and Noah were trying to attract the attention of someone at the station and prevent the train's departure.

The fuss and noise did manage to prevent Four's victors from leaving and a medical team was brought on board who quickly confirmed what Four's victors already knew. They were allowed to accompany Mags to the hospital until she was stabilised but once Mags was out of imminent danger, they were asked to leave.

Chloe and Coral flatly refused to leave Mags' side. They would take the Capitol for the treatments they would be able to provide Mags, but they did not trust them enough to leave Mags alone in their hands. Chloe and Coral would not be going anywhere and would only return to Four when Mags had been deemed fit enough to make the journey.

As a compromise, Noah and Finnick reluctantly agreed to leave on the basis that the women would remain. They trusted Chloe and Coral more than anyone else with Mags' safety and promised they would take care of Shai and Annie. They knew that both victors would be distressed at Mags remaining in the Capitol.

The news had spread across Panem given that the cameras were still present when Noah and Finnick raised the alarm. So, Chloe and Coral took turns staying at Mags' side whilst also trying to control the media narrative. Mags was strong, her condition was stable, and she was going to return home. Four's victors still stood firm, and the other victors and rebels alike should be assured of their continuing resilience. This was not going to be the catastrophe the news outlets were making it out to be.

….

Mags returned to District Four as the weather began to turn cooler. It was never cold in Four, but Mags was relieved to have missed the height of summer. She was tired and weaker than she was before, but she was slowly regaining some of the limited speech she previously had and was determined to make progress with her mobility. She was not going to remain confined to the Victors' Village, no matter how many times the Capitol doctors advised her to do so.

Each of Four's victors doted on Mags following her return. Shai barely left her side, and they all knew that was for his benefit too. He felt all at sea without Mags' continuing presence and did not know what to do without her, having lived alongside her for sixty-four years. Rowan, Song and Annie took over Mags' daily routine, along with help from her children, allowing Chloe and Coral to catch up on sleep from their time in the Capitol. Noah and Finnick led the group on the public footing, ensuring the victors' continuing presence in the district and at the Centre for their tribute candidates.

They had settled into a new routine, focusing on aiding Mags' rehabilitation when they heard from their Head Peacekeeper the surprising news that Lyme was being allowed to visit District Four. She had been sent officially on business for District Two's Institute, but Four's victors were intrigued to know what strings Lyme had pulled and what she had promised in return for what would usually be a prohibited trip.

Lyme's official reasoning was for her to carry out a check on District Two's peacekeeper recruits on their first deployment. As a new leader of the Institute, Lyme wanted to ensure that her former charges were representing Two in the standards the Institute instilled into them. The Institute was a large provider of peacekeepers, being the destination of choice for those who left the tribute training route and for those who missed out on the final selection. Lyme wanted to make sure her former candidates were doing the district proud, remaining disciplined and upholding the standards Lyme and Brutus had set.

But it remained an unprecedented visit that was supposed to remain hidden from all others and Lyme was followed closely whilst she observed Two's peacekeepers and moved in between the various barracks she was visiting. She managed to escape her guard for the first time when she met with her friend, Commander Hadrian who she helped install as Four's newest Head Peacekeeper through her influence in Two.

The two spoke inside his office for quite some time with Lyme reporting on her findings and Commander Hadrian confirming that he believed the Institute to be serving its secondary purpose of peacekeeper provision in line with the standards expected. Knowing the office was bugged they remained on strictly professional terms. There were no cameras, however, so throughout their exchange, the two exchanged notes and documents they knew the other would find interesting.

Hadrian was able to confirm that relatively few of Two's newest recruits had crossed the line into brutality and that where incidents had occurred, he had instilled discipline quickly. But Four was easier to govern in comparison with Eight and Eleven. The people were friendly, easy-going, and established in their façade of compliance. Life in Four continued as it always had and the Head Peacekeeper was able to confirm how many of his own that he, Chloe and Coral believed to be loyal to the cause.

After their official conversation had ended, the two friends walked outside where they could talk quietly, but more freely than they could inside. They still did not know if anyone was in close enough proximity to overhear them, however, so they had to remain cautious.

"Seriously, Lyme. All of this to see Mags?"

"I was worried. She's important. But you are too. I lost my best asset sending you here."

"But needs must," Hadrian confirmed. "Four had to stay the beating heart. We needed to remain in control."

"Precisely. And we are, so it's a job well done at the minute," Lyme replied before changing the subject. "Mags, what should I expect?"

"She's not well," Commander Hadrian confirmed. "The limited speech she had before has deteriorated but I know she's determined to get everything she can back. She is being well looked after. The district isn't collapsing around us either."

….

When Lyme finally arrived in the Victors' Village, she was prepared for the sight that greeted her. A rather tired Mags was lying on a recliner seat in her garden with Shai, Chloe and Coral at her side. Noah and Finnick were at the Centre, Annie was cleaning whilst Rowan and Song were shopping.

"You being suitably pampered?" Lyme asked, looking towards Mags who nodded and laughed.

"She doesn't need to lift a finger," Shai said. "We've got her."

"That's what I like to hear. You're too important to want for anything."

Mags shook her head and tried to smile towards her friend from Two. She reached out and Lyme eagerly took the older woman's hand, "You had us worried Mags. Don't do anything like this again!"

"We've already told her that," Chloe replied.

"Where's Finnick anyway?" Lyme asked. "I thought he would be here fussing over you and offering to be your butler."

"We've had to send him to the Centre, something to keep him occupied otherwise we'd never get a moment's peace," Coral said. "Mags is sleeping a lot at the minute. But," she continued, "What we want to know, is how in Panem you managed this?"

Lyme laughed, "You want to know who I've bribed and what I've had to do in return!"

"Exactly. You could have hardly said that you were visiting a friend. Even if the latest calamity in charge in Victors' Affairs is a softer touch, that would never have worked."

"Hence the story about the official Institute business. And she's not softer, she has a different way of doing things."

"Come on, Lyme. That wouldn't have been enough either. What do they care about the quality of the peacekeepers you produce? They just want the numbers. Good or bad, they'll take them. And if she's not softer, you must have given them something."

"She asked me a favour in return."

Chloe and Coral started laughing immediately, "Different, not more intelligent. Still the same old predictable Capitol."

"Exactly. She asked me to spy on you all."

"Said yes?" Mags tried to speak up.

"Of course I did," Lyme said, squeezing Mags' hand. The older victor winked at her friend and laughed some more.

"Always fancied myself as a double agent. If I do the job right, it might be an ongoing thing too."

"Perfect," Chloe said. "We need someone else who is closer to them."

"When do you report back?" Coral asked.

"I'll be stopping in the Capitol briefly before going back to Two."

"H knows this?"

"Of course he does. He's all in."

"We can't thank you enough. He's been invaluable."

"Good to know my sacrifice has been worthwhile. Everyone's still gone to ground in Two. It's just me and a few others, trying to keep things alive."

As the group continued their conversation, Mags started to fall asleep, and Coral and Shai carefully moved her back inside as Chloe and Lyme left Mags' garden and walked to the cliff point where Four's victors met for their most private conversations.

"We've sorted things, don't worry," Chloe said. "I have command. I've sent messages to Beetee and Liev, so they know it's the three of us. And you."

"For how long?"

"Until Finnick is in the right position. He has been asked to fade, to shift his Capitol persona."

"They won't stop selling him. As I said, she's not softer."

"Of course they won't. It will just be quieter. There's still demand for him. But we're thinking of how to reshape his role whilst keeping him in position. We need his intel in the Capitol."

"So, Mags is stepping down, even if she recovers to where she was before?"

"In a sense, yes. I will transfer command to Finnick only, not back to Mags. Her role will be different now. But if she disagrees with a decision I make, I expect she will make it known and I'll reconsider. I'm at the helm, Beetee leads on technology and weaponry, and Liev is keeping track of our personnel. You can work the inside. But whoever is in charge, your role will always be to get Two on side and recruit from there."

"That I can do. You have my trust and confidence, Chloe."

"And you do mine, well, all of ours."

"Good. I'm all in, have been for years now."

"This isn't where we had hoped to be. But it's where we are at, and we have to make the best of it. My priority is regrouping. Keeping the strength here, Beetee will do the same in Three and Liev is tracking where Seven is, whilst not pushing right now. There's ongoing peacekeeper tensions. We can't afford a solo uprising."

"That will only agitate Eight and Eleven and bring repercussions across the whole country. We need stability."

"Exactly. We keep our heads down and plough on. I'm in charge of making sure we do that. But we all have to play our part in not getting caught."

"We're decades in Chloe, most of us anyway. We know what to do."

"Yes, and we need to get the younger ones in too. I want to lay the path for Finnick to drive everything forward. It's up to him who he chooses to lead alongside him. I have Beetee and Liev, I can depend on you and everything I think of is run past Coral. We're a solid group for the next few years."

"Finnick depends on Halley's guidance and good sense. She'd be a smart move."

"There's no doubt she'll stand alongside him. We've never made any efforts to put the brakes on their friendship. She's good for him. Besides, it makes sense for Three and Four to remain entirely in step."

"But we need someone from the east too. We're all on the west, have been for years and someone needs to keep us tied together when the time does come again. We can't afford to be split."

"We have options. Finnick has options. We can direct him to the best choice if needed, but we trust his judgement too."

"There are fewer options though. Twelve is Twelve and Eight and Eleven will always be watched too closely. Cecelia's children are approaching reaping age, and we can't rule out that influencing her decisions."

"I trust Cecelia entirely. Finnick adores her too."

"I trust her. But if it came down to her children or us, what lengths would she go to save them? It's a pressure point we would be best to avoid."

Chloe paused in thought for a few moments, "I know who you're thinking."

"She's a great option. But I think Finnick will know that when he considers his way forward," Lyme confirmed.

"Poppy then, for someone on the east. Mags would agree too. Haymitch has the brains for it but is drunk most of the time and as you say, Twelve is Twelve. Mags thinks Peeta will lead Twelve when the time comes anyway. Haymitch's victors are finding their way to us."

"Not the girl?"

"Too impulsive. Obvious pressure point in the sister. The boy's the thinker and I've seen him with the sponsors. He has the potential to be excellent if guided in the right way. Finnick can do that, he likes the boy. But Twelve is too small and he's too much of an unknown yet. So, it has to be Poppy. Finnick likes her, she's tight with Halley and Cecelia so would know if she's being pressured into anything to save her kids."

"Halley will make sure of it too. There's nothing more I can teach Poppy with a knife, and she'll thrive off leadership. She has the right people in Six under her control so why not give her the east to do the same with?"

Both Chloe and Lyme laughed before Four's woman continued, "She's in tight with the Sevens so it would keep them connected too. Linden, Blight and Johanna won't give up. She's being a sensible influence on Haymitch's girl too and speaks to the Fives more than the rest of us and we will need them on our side. Finnick will make his own choices, but I'm happy to keep him on track as long as I'm around."

"He'll cope, won't he?"

"He won't be alone here. The game is changing too, and we need someone with their ear to the ground to pick it up and run with it. He's suited to that. Snow won't be around forever."

"I'm interested to see what state he's in when I meet him."

"Report back. Finn said he's coughing more, and the vultures are circling."

"It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Lots of key players to watch out for."

"The Finance Minister is continually making public appearances. He's been in the inner circle for too long to not want the job. The Defence and District Affairs Ministries will always push candidates forward too. But I still want to know more about the adviser in District Affairs, the one who seems to have got under Snow's skin. We know the changes have come from him. We can't work out his game."

"He's smart. After an absence of intelligence and conviction around Snow, we're not used to this."

"We continue playing the long game. We're good at that. Mags has taught us well."

"Will she manage it, Chloe? She's always said she wants to outlive Snow."

Chloe sighed, "I honestly don't know. It would be her final victory over him. After everything she's managed under his nose, to be the last one standing would be perfect. But I don't know. Neither of them is well. The Capitols wouldn't answer our questions about Mags. Only what we need to manage symptoms and keep her comfortable. We've had to do our own research on rehabilitation. But she won't be in the Capitol this year. It would be too much."

"Will you be there?"

"I can't leave her. Coral can't either. So, Rowan and Song are going back. It's about time too."

"He's finally calmed down?"

"Finally. Song is firmly in charge of him though. Beetee and Liev know what to do when everyone is together."

"They've been playing the game long enough. Will either of them be stepping back?"

"Beetee won't leave Wiress to mentor unless she chooses to. Liev will hand all things Seven over to Linden at some point. But Linden has little control over Blight or Johanna."

"The dynamics are going to change. Finnick will lead very differently to Mags or you."

Chloe laughed, "It will be more of a show. But Finn can keep secrets."

"I presume he has enough to bring them all down."

"He does. If I do my job well, he will inherit a good ship too. Whoever is next in the Capitol can't say the same."

"Then it's the first point to us."

"We're still going to win, Lyme. It will take us longer than we hoped. I might not be here to see it, but I'm convinced of it."

"I just won't tell them that when I report back. I can keep secrets too."