Katniss did not perform too well at the end of her propo. She feels like a failure when it came to her acting stint.
With her failure in mind, a couple of familiar faces are summoned to the Command center to help Katniss. There, Katniss is met by Gale, Haymitch, Beetee, and a few other people she knows.
Haymitch plays the propaganda film they just recorded, and Katniss truly looks unnatural in it. After they all view it, Haymitch brings about a question to the group: of the times they viewed Katniss, when was a moment in which she demonstrated real emotion?
The group speaks up and they give examples of moments in which Katniss truly moved them. From their input, it’s finally inferred that Katniss must be in the heat of a moment to truly move people. She cannot express such powerful emotion while acting.
Next, Haymitch comes up with an idea that he has probably been pondering for a while. He suggests that they put Katniss directly in the fight. Maybe if she is sent to the frontline another moving moment will emerge from her. They can record her on video until such a moment arises.
Katniss agrees with Haymitch’s idea. Coin decides to send her into District Eight where things have died down for now.
Everybody leaves but Haymitch and Katniss. Katniss lets Haymitch hear it for not saving Peeta in the Quarter Quell arena. This is the first time she’s had to talk to him about it. Haymitch makes it emotionally clear that he didn’t have much of a choice but to leave him behind. He points out that he will continue mentoring her while she is out on the frontlines.
Katniss gets ready for her new fighting position by dressing in new, fancy, protective clothing. She also gathers her bow and arrows from Beetee.
On her way to the Airborne Division, she runs into Finnick who is incredibly upset that he isn’t being allowed to go with her. Katniss suggests that he go check out the trident that Beetee has been preparing for him.
Katniss continues on her way to the Airborne Division. She’s taken on an elevator by Boggs and they head on out to the Hanger. There, she finds herself in a small hovercraft that finally lifts them out into the outside world.
As they fly, Plutarch gives Katniss the lowdown on what is happening in the other districts. All districts, except for District Two, are openly engaging in a conflict against the Capitol. District Two is where the Capitol gets many of its Peacekeepers and its weapons, so the Capitol has always treated them well; District Two doesn’t have the same fire to rebel as the other districts.
District Thirteen’s plan is to force the Capitol to run out of resources. As the other districts are taken over by rebels, The Capitol will run short on supplies. Eventually, the Capitol itself will be attacked and captured. From there, a republic will be formed to govern Panem.
The chapter concludes with Plutarch giving the group suicide pills just in case they are captured.