I Know You ~ J.Seresin

45

"Kazansky, can I speak with you in my office?" Admiral Cyclone asks, poking his head from his office. Tate looks up at Bradley and he nods his head toward the lecture room. "I'll be in there," Tate nods before entering her Admiral's office. Cyclone takes a seat in his chair and motions for Tate to sit as well.

"I want to start off by giving you my condolences for you and Bradshaw. I can only imagine what you must be feeling right now," Tate nods as she looks down at her hands.

Her father's funeral was two days ago. She was back in her flight suit and ready to teach alongside Maverick today. The death of her father wasn't going to stop the enemies from what they had planned.

"If you need to take some time you can. Whatever you need," Cyclone says as he leans back in his chair. Tate nods as she looks up at him. "Thank you, sir,"

"But the mission is only just a few days away, Maverick and I need to make sure they know what they're doing," Tate says. Cyclone shakes his head at her before taking a deep breath.

"You and I will be taking over the mission training from here on out. Maverick is no longer an instructor for the mission,"

Tate frowns confused as she looks at him. He sighs as he leans back in his chair.

"We both know that Maverick did not want the job,"

"They're not ready,"

"It was his job, and yours, to get them ready,"

Tate frowns at her Admiral and sits up in her seat. "Sir, I don't believe you would be fit to even instruct these pilots. No one besides Maverick is fit,"

"All Maverick has done is teach them that they can't fly this mission. You both were wasting time, now someone needs to take charge and make sure these pilots are going to know how to fly this mission. I talked to Maverick yesterday to inform him that I will be taking over,"

"You're going to send them to die!" Tate yells standing up from her chair. Cyclone raises his eyebrow at her as she clears her throat and looks at him. "Sir," She says softly.

"Maverick was teaching them to come home. He was teaching them to fly the mission and to come home from the mission. With you as the instructor, I fully believe that you won't teach them to come home,"

"That's because it's a mission. When you enlist into the military, you're signing up for things like this Kazansky, take Bradshaw for example. He enlisted and during his time at Top Gun with Maver-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Tate says looking at her admiral with tears in her eyes. "Don't you dare bring up Goose!" she yells as she slams her hand on his desk.

Admiral Cyclone looks at the woman in front of him. He was shocked, to say the least. Tate had blown up out of emotions, and he was provoking her more and more.

"You didn't know Goose. You weren't there for Bradley when he was orphaned. So you don't get to pretend that you feel bad for him, or even get to use his father as an example for anything,"

Tate stood upright as she took a deep breath and glared at her Admiral.

"Imagine saying that about my father,"

Cyclone sat back and sighed at her words. She was right, he knew nothing of Goose Bradshaw or even of what her family went through taking in Bradley when they did. He had no right to mention Goose.

"If you're going to instruct this mission, then I am going to teach them to come home,"

"Kazans-"

"No," Tate says as she crosses her arms, puffing out her chest. "I know that there is a way to succeed at this mission, and, bring them home. If Maverick knew there was a way, then I believe it,"