"Time is your greatest enemy," Maverick announces at the start of the class. Behind him on the board is a map of our mission. "Phase one of the mission will be a low level attacking of two plane teams. You'll fly along this narrow canyon to your target. Radar guided surface area missiles defend the canyon. These SAMS are lethal. But they were designed to protect the skies above, not the canyon below."
"That's because the enemy knows no one is insane enough to try and fly below them." Rooster interrupts.
"That's exactly what we are going to do." Maverick says with the most serious expression while I think he really is as crazy as my dad bought him up to be. "On the day, your attitude will be 100 feet, maximum. You exceed this altitude, radar will spot you and you're dead. Your air speed will be 660 knots, minimum. Time to target, 2 and a half minutes. That's because 5th generation fighters wait at an air base nearby. In a head to head with these planes in your F-18's, you're dead. That's why you need to get in, hit your target, and get out before the planes even have a chance of catching you. This makes time your greatest adversary"
"So today we're going to take it easy on you. Max ceiling, 300 feet. Time to target, 3 minutes."
Easy? Yeah right.
________________________________________________________________
Of course I failed. Again. Shit. I was on a team with Phoenix and Bob and everything was just fine. We were 2 seconds behind so I attempted to increase my speed but when I went to announce it there was a malfunction. Phoenix had to pull up and break the 300 ft ceiling.
"Why are they dead?" Maverick asks me.
"We broke the 300 ft ceiling and a SAM took us out." Phoenix explained.
"No. Why are they dead?" He continues looking at me.
"I told them I was speeding up but my aircraft malfunctioned."
"Why didn't you anticipate the turn? You were briefed on this terrain." Maverick asks Phoenix but before she could answer he nods towards Bob.
"Don't tell me, tell it to his family."
We all look down at our laps. Next was Hangman, Payback and Fanboy. According to a replay of their run, Payback pulled up while Hangman left him in the dust. Of course sounds like Jake.
"What happened?"
"Well I flew as fast as I could. Kind of like my ass depends on it." Hangman smirked, sucking up to Maverick.
"And you put your team in danger and your wingman is dead," Rooster added. I looked at him.
"They couldn't keep up."
Next was the Roosters group. They were the only ones to make it or alive, although they were twenty seconds behind and probably dead in the end.
"Why are you dead?" Maverick questions. "Your team lead up there, why are you and why is your team dead?"
"Sir, with all due respect, his team is the only one that made it to the target." I say, defending Rooster. He was the only one who completed the course.
"Yeah and a minute late. He gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down, so now he's dead," stated Maverick.
"You don't know that," Rooster quickly responded.
"You're not flying fast enough." Hangman groans. "You don't have a second to waste."
"We made it to the target."
"And a superior, enemy aircraft intercepted you on your way out." Maverick says.
"Then it's a dog fight."
"Against a fifth generation fighter?"
"Yeah. We would still have a chance."
"In an F-18???"
"It's not the plane sir, it's the pilot."
"Exactly!"
After a long pause Rooster responds, "there is more than one way to fly this mission"
"You really don't get it." Hangman butts in. "In this mission a man flies like Maverick here, or a man does not come back."
"No offense, lieutenant." He nods at me and Phoenix.
"Yet somehow, you always manage." Bob leans forward to look at Hangman.
"Jake, stop being such a kiss ass." I scoff.
"I'm just saying, we're going into combat." Hangman continues, still wearing that annoyingly prideful smile. "On a level no living pilot has ever seen. Not even Maverick. It's not the time to be thinking about the past." He smirks at Rooster.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rooster replies with a slightly shaky voice. I knew exactly where this was going.
"I can't be the only one that knows Maverick flew with his old man."
"Okay that's enough"
"And that Maverick was flying when his old man-"
Rooster sprinted towards Hangman, not letting him finish his sentence. Everyone ran to pull them apart. I hung back.
"That's enough!" Maverick yelled.
"You son of a bitch!"
"Hey, I'm cool, I'm cool." Hangman continued smiling at the Rooster, even though he was being held back. "You know I'm right." He says to Maverick as he leaves.
"You're all dismissed." Everyone starts to file out of the room. Rooster storms out. I follow him even though I know I should not.
