High Altitude

Chapter 1

"Mav!" You called out as you quickened your pace at the sight of his familiar strut. "Mav!" You called again louder since he never slowed his pace. He quickly turned around and saw your small frame running towards him. Your long ponytail swinging wildly in your wake. A wide grin broke out on the aviators face. "There's my girl!" He exclaimed opening his arms for you to fall in to. He squeezed you firmly in the hug before letting you go. "What's with all the ruckus?" He wondered. You swallowed hard attempting to catch your breath. "Well I finally got my certification papers in. I've been officially reassigned to the Top Gun division!" You nearly squealed with excitement. "Looks like you've got yourself a new mechanic Mav." You smiled proudly. "I told you it would happen! You just needed to be patient. How could they not want you?" He asked as if it was obvious. You did come from a long line of airmen. You had spent years working on cars and planes with your dad. Your tactical skill with weapons was off the charts not to mention the knowledge you've acquired after working on base for so many years got you high remarks. You knew Maverick had put in a good word to get you to the top. He always had your back. "Have you told anyone yet?" He asked as the pair of you continued to walk in the bright sunlight. The weather was especially beautiful today only highlighting your accomplished mood. "You were the first person I thought to tell" you admitted. He looked down bashfully, "you spoil me kid." He chuckled. "So when's your first assignment?" He inquired. "It's with your next class at 0800 hours." You recited as you read your new paper schedule. "Perfect! Enough time to get some coffee before you meet the idiots I deal with every day." He joked. You chuckled softly though you had been warned of the pilots behavior before. They were elite which meant their came a giant ego attached. But you knew your place. You knew your worth and you were elite too.

Time had been lost to you as you listened to the familiar thunderous roar that shook the ground. The planes had taken to the sky to begin a full day of training. You stood under the nose of an F-18 with a wrench and an already dirty shirt. The oil staining everywhere it touched. You wiped sweat off your brow just as you heard voices approaching. "Well look here they got us a mascot. Maybe she might do a little cheer for us." A snide voice commented making you smirk. They didn't know what you knew. Who you were and that Maverick was listening. "That would be Duchess." Mavericks voice wafted in from the rafters above. The group of feet stopped in their tracks. Your heart leapt at the thoughts of the looks on their faces. Fear? Surprise maybe? "Don't be fooled by the name. Or the size boys. She is not to be messed with. Duchess comes from a long line of honorary pilots. She can fix your car, your plane and kill you without breaking a sweat. So treat her with the respect she deserves." Maverick finished as he now stood in the front of the open hangar. You finally decided to turn around and take a look at the new class. Everyone was here for the same reason, to be a part of something so dangerous no one was told orders prior to arriving. You smiled slightly taking a long look at their faces. You felt a pair of eyes staring intently at you. "Tell me Duchess. How do they look?" Maverick asked making you chuckle. You looked down and then back up at the pilots in front of you. Those same eyes following you. "Like they wont last a week Mav." You challenged. "All fun and games aside. We have a mission to do. I will be asking of you more than I've asked anyone before. This will test you and push you past your limits. I'm interested in finding just how hard I can push you. Now let's get down to the parameters of this mission. Let's start with something easy. The hard deck." He began his class. You listened in as you worked on Mav's F-18. You had orders to make sure everything was ready to take on fifth gen fighters. You would have to work on all the planes that would be in the mission so listening to the plan would be key to make sure your modifications were correct. "She's all ready for you Mav." You sighed as you walked up to him. "Oh look it's the teachers pet." A guy chuckled as he looked to the left at his friend. She smiled at his joke. "Rooster!" Maverick chastised. "No no that's ok Mav." You turned towards Rooster, "don't make me outfly you." You threatened. A chorus of oohs broke out from the rest of the crew as you straightened back up from leaning over his desk. He just rolled his eyes at you. You had to admit it excited something within you. "Alright then. Let's get you in the air!" Maverick announced to the class giving them their next set of marching orders.

The day was long and extremely hot which left you in desperate need for a drink. You sat there on the sand just outside The Hard Deck bar with your book wide open. "Reading at the bar kid?" His familiar voice cut through the sound of the waves. Maverick was your best friend on base and you really didn't hang out with anyone other than him. You were well liked but kept to yourself mostly. "Yeah. I've been dying to get into this one." You admitted as he dropped off an ice cold bottle of beer in your hand. You took a sip relishing the taste and the temperature of the liquid. "Thanks." You moaned. "Enjoying the quiet before the real noise arrives?" He wondered. You shook your head. "Yeah that class of yours is just full of gentlemen." You rolled your eyes. It fell silent as he looked out into the distance in thought. "Can we talk about it?" You asked hoping he wouldn't completely close himself off like usual. He sighed. "He looked so familiar to me and then I heard you say his name." You began to say as you watched the tension take over Pete's body. "I'm sorry ..I shouldn't have brought it up." You began to mumble. "No it's ok." He half whispered. "He looks just like his dad. You would've caught on." He lowered his head as the sound of the bar door sounded off. You turned your head and found Bradley himself walking through the door in civilian attire. Your heart began to pound as you inhaled sharply. You didn't notice but Pete was watching you with a worried look. "I'd stay away. He'll do nothing but break your heart. He's full of anger. Anger towards me and I don't want me being associated with you to cause any of that harm." He warned you. Your heart sank. You valued his opinion more than anything else. You knew he was probably right. With the way he was teasing you today, he was trouble. You took a long sip of your beer before checking back inside the bar. Rooster was sitting down at the piano. He turned around looking for requests when he caught your gaze. Quickly you looked away attempting to catch your breath. He began to play the chords to a song you've heard a million times over, "Great Balls of Fire".  You smiled but at the same time your heart clenched knowing the pain it caused Maverick to hear it. He was never the same after losing Goose. You never get over losing your wingman. You would know, your dad was yours. You took another look inside watching him sing with glee. He was putting on a show. The only catch was that you were buying tickets to it.