Snow

"You feeling okay?"

I stopped rubbing the orchid tattoo on my arm for a moment and looked up at Kern. "I'm fine. You know I hate these meetings."

"Doesn't everyone?" Kern laughed and put his arm around me. I scooted closer to him as we waited for the other Capitol officials to arrive. "It'll be fine, generic stuff like always." He tried to put me at ease. I nodded but didn't respond.

"What happens after all of this?" I looked over at Kern. His ice blue eyes narrowed in confusion. My mouth seemed to go dry as I tried to clarify. "If the Capitol wins the war-"

"When. When the Capitol wins the war."

"Right." I forced a smile. "When the Capitol wins the war, what happens to us? And not just us, but Panem? President Snow isn't just going to go sweet on the Districts. He'll want to punish them."

"They deserve to be punished. Have you seen the death count?" 

"And how many of those bodies are of the people of the Districts themselves?" I shot back. "How many friends, parents, and lovers have been killed by our own Peacekeepers?"

"Snow, don't." Kern muttered.

"I'm just saying-"

"I get what you're saying." His voice dropped to a whisper and the look on his face softened. "But talking about everything wrong with the Capitol right now isn't exactly the greatest idea."

"Something needs to be said. How can you just lie down and let them do this?"

"We can't worry about that right now. We have to focus on ending the war." When he saw my angry expression, he put his hand on my arm. "I just don't want you to get hurt. Not like Orchid."

I still didn't answer but didn't move away from him either. Instead, I closed my eyes and tried not to see that memory of Orchid getting hit with the spear, dying out in front of me. It was confusing. President Snow had told me what happened. During the Games, my old allies had attacked me right before District 13 came into the arena and all hell broke loose. In order to revive me, the Capitol had to perform an emergency surgery on the trauma in brain. But ever since then, it felt like there were gaps in what I remembered. The doctor said it was normal. He told me that everything should come back. Fast forward to now? I still couldn't recall everything. Especially about things surrounding the Games and the first few weeks I spent in the Capitol. I had the Capitol tapes of the coverage of the Games though. And Kern. I had Kern. He'd been saved, just like me.

"It won't happen like that." I finally said. "I know better now. If I ever see them again, I'll crush them." A replay of Orchid's dead body with a spear jammed into it filled my brain.

Jerome's choice of weapon had been a spear. 

I'd asked Kern about his time in the Games, his perspective. We hadn't been allies for sure. I remembered that. But the surgery had the same effect on him and his memory was fuzzy. Worse than mine even. He couldn't remember bits and pieces from when we both lived in District 2. 

"Snow. Kern. Lovely, you're already here." President Snow came in and sat down in his chair slowly. Age was starting to get the better of him. "Let's get started."

Usually during these meetings, Kern and I would stay silent. We'd speak only when addressed to. There was really no reason for us to talk after all. All I did in the Capitol was train and occasionally appear on TV in a pretty dress. Kern did the same. Minus the TV, dress part.

"First order of business, new weapons." Persei, one of President Snow's head advisors, stated. "Despite our limited knowledge on the arsenal of District 13, we can expect heavy fire. Our grade A, typical guns aren't going to cut it."

"Interesting." President Snow put his hands together. "Roxen? Any ideas?"

Roxen was one of the war strategists and a general. "Yes, well, of course we already have the electric guns." He shifted uncomfortably and glanced at me. "But those are typically only for detaining enemies, er, or people." Roxen looked at me once again. "If we can up the voltage in the gun though, give it another setting, it could generate enough electricity to stop someone's heart in one shot."

"And you think you'd be able to do that?" President Snow turned to Phox. Phox was sort of our Beetee here in the Capitol. Unfortunately, he was merely a copy and definitely not as good as the original.

"Uh, yes." Phox quivered. "I believe so. We'd need a larger generator line though."

"Done. What's next Persei?"

"Um, sir?" Phox lifted a shaking finger. "I have another idea about the weapons." Everyone in the room turns to look at him and he cowers under our gazes. "You see, under the same electric powered system as the taser guns, I think I could create a new type of bullet-gun system."

"Then hurry up and explain because we have other things to discuss." President Snow snapped.

"Yes, of course, sir. Sorry sir." Phox fidgeted. "You remember the pods we created to defend the Capitol?"

"Considering the keep malfunctioning thus resulting in several injuries and deaths of my men, yes Phox, I do." Roxen stared him down. I gripped Kern's hand under the table nervously. He glanced at me, smiled, but didn't say anything.

"Um, well, I've been working on that. Very sorry General, I don't mean to cause any-"

"Spit it out." Roxen's second hand man, Velorum, demanded.

"I could create the bullets in a way so that on impact they could release other substances or propellants." Phox rushed. "Like poison or darts for example. The electric power could bind the innards of the bullets together and fire it with precision and strength despite the heavy weight of the bullet."

I forced myself not to recoil. That kind of weaponry meant a lot more deaths of the people who dared to join the rebellion.

"This technology isn't developed yet." Phox continued. "But with a little more work, time, and manpower-"

"We don't have anyone to spare." President Snow interrupted coldly. "We're too busy fixing your pods at the moment." Phox paled at his words. "You're idea, Phox, is ambitious, but unattainable. How in the world would we-"

"I'll do it." Kern suddenly volunteered. Now everyone was looking at us. The portraits. The figures. The pretty faces that were supposed to keep their mouths shut. "I'll help Phox. I have a lot of time on my hands."

"Me too." I added. Perhaps I could sabotage the efforts or at the very least stall them. "I'd be glad to assist the Capitol in any way I can."

"It's settled then." President Snow's eyes had a mischievous twinkle to them. "Next order of business Persei?"

Kern's tense body told me he wasn't happy with me adding myself to his offer. We'd probably have an argument later. 

"-Send milita to District 9 immediately. Shoot down a few people, remind them who's in charge." Velorum said, causing me to immediately wake up from my day dream.

"Wait what?" I demanded looking around the table, ignoring the questioning gazes of the officials. "You're plan is just to go to District 9 and shoot up some people?" 

Velorum glared at me like I was a child. "I know that you might not realize this, but there's a war going on sweetie. We need to keep order and you might not understand how these things work but-"

"What I understand," I retorted, "Is that you're trying to murder innocent people from one of the only districts that isn't rebelling and hasn't joined the revolution! Do you really think that's going to win any of them over?"

"If we play nice they'll think it's perfectly okay for them to join District 13 with no consequences. Don't be ridiculous."

"If you think fear is going to work as a means to keep order, when clearly it hasn't as the Games haven't stopped the rebellion, then not only are you ridiculous, but you're stupid too." I snarled.

"Snow." Kern said warningly as he put his hand on my arm. I shook him off.

"The people want change. They don't want their children to be murdered every year for some pointless entertainment-"

"So you propose we stop the Games?" Velorum rolled his eyes. "You're a child, sit down."

I slammed my fist against the table top, causing the whole thing to shake. "You're an idiot, so shut up and listen for once." 

Velorum gaped and looked over at President Snow, but he just sat there with his fingers intertwined and looked at me with amusement, perhaps even curiosity. "Go on Snow." He nodded. 

"The people want change." I repeated slowly as I tried to calm down. "More murder isn't going to win anyone over. And right now, that's what we need to be focused on. District 13 has weapons, yes, but having spent so much time buried under ground, we know that their technology isn't superior to ours. We let them live because of their nuclear weaponry, but now that 80 years have passed, our systems can protect and attack against theirs. The sheer number of their people is miniscule. They know this. Is it really that hard to see that their plan is to bring the Districts to their side?" I asked. "If they succeed in that, it's game over for us. What we need to do is bring the people back to our side. They want change, then let them think we're willing to give them change."

"Isn't your job supposed to be taking care of the Capitol's public appearance?" Roxen suggested with Velorum nodding along with him.

"Me sitting in a pretty dress isn't going to do anything." I shot back. "If you recall, my request at the beginning of the war for the Districts to stand down worked, albeit temporarily. Things quieted now. But I haven't done anything worth noting in a while. My name, my figure, my words are meaningless. We need to find a way to portray myself as the people's soldier, not the Capitol's, and certainly not the rebels'. Simply having me sit on screen and complain about Jason and Jerome isn't going to be enough." My voice seemed to tremble, and I cleared my throat to stop it. "Once the Districts are ours again, we can crush the rebellion for good."

Silence. Not even Velorum dared to speak under my death-threat gaze.

President Snow looked at me and smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, but rather a victorious one. It was almost as if he knew he succeeded in something he'd spent years trying to accomplish. "And you will be the face of it all." He agreed. "I have to say, you make a compelling argument. Persei, any ideas on how to-"

All of a sudden, the lights flickered then cut out. 

"What the hell is this?" President Snow demanded. I couldn't see his angry face in the dark, but I certainly could imagine it. "What's going on?"

"District 5." I managed to say over the blur of voices. "The dam."

"Ugh, not the damn dam." President Snow sighed. "Ashby! Get a hovercraft ready!"

"Sir?" His personal assistant asked in confusion. "You want to fly to District 5 right now?"

The emergency backup generator began working as the lights flickered on again, much dimmer now. "Not me." President Snow shook his head. "Her." He pointed at me. "And while you're at it, get a camera crew ready. Roxen, prepare a drop on the bombs. But before you go, have some of your soldiers paint District 13 on the plane wings and bottom. We're going to play an imitation game." President Snow glanced at me next. "You got your wish Snow. Get ready for your closeup. It's time to win this war."