The Admiral's Affairs

7 - Dogfight

I woke up with a pounding headache, the sunlight was already creeping through the windows and a ray of light directly hit my eyes. "Oh my God." I sighed as I slowly pushed myself up.

The sound of giggling filled the room, "Good morning sunshine." Phoenix was sitting on the side of her bed, already dressed.

"I hate your positivity this early in the morning."
I mumbled.

She stood up, grabbed her pillow from the bed and chucked it towards my head. "Get dressed, the briefing begins in fifteen minutes."

I grabbed the pillow and threw it to the other side of the room, perfectly landing on her bed. I had no desire to get dressed and sit in a room full of people from the past. They were in the past for a reason. Although it was nice to see some of them again, nostalgic even, some things are better left were they belong. I stood up with a sigh, and got startled by my feet hitting the cold floor. They could do something about the central heating in this place for sure. I got dressed as fast as I could and made my way over to the hangars, all of the luitenants were already seated in the briefing space. I took the seat next to Hangman in the front. He moved his body to the side, his knee hitting my thigh, and flashed his pearly white teeth. "Good morning Royal."

"Morning cocky."

"I heard what your dad did, good for him." He stuck a cocktail stick in his mouth and grinned. He knew exactly how to wind me up. Phoenix had told me multiple times that I shouldn't let him get to my head, but I couldn't help but to bite back. Exactly what he wanted of course.

"Old Mav." He repeated.

"What did he do?"

"You haven't heard?" He grabbed the stick with two of his fingers and pulled it nonchalantly out of his mouth, "he hit Mach 10, without permission of course. Nearly cost him his job."

I shook my head and laughed, "typical."

"Attention on deck."

I looked to my left and saw admiral Simpson and  admiral Bates enter the hangar. We stood up and watched as admiral Bates walked up to the podium in front of the flag.

"Morning. Welcome to your special training detachment. Be seated."

While he was introducing himself I felt Hangman tap his knee against mine, "fuck off Jake." I whispered. I didn't even have to look his way to know that he was grinning from ear to ear.

Bates explained the mission in few details, talking about the enemy's new fifth generation fighter planes. "Half of you will make the team, and one of you will be named mission leader."

I hit my knee against Hangman as hard as I could, and smiled at him, mouthing the word "me." Now it was my turn to get on his nerves.

Admiral Bates introduced our new instructor, a TOPGUN graduate himself. My father, captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell. He slowly walked up to the front, carrying the F-18 NATOPS, the instruction manual for our aircrafts. I felt the eyes of all the luitenants in the room burning in the back of my head. I knew what they were wondering, if I took after him. 

"Good morning." Maverick took his place behind the podium and held the instruction manual into the air, before chucking it into the bin. With excellent showmanship he held his speech, to the admirals' dismay. I looked to my left again and saw admiral Simpson's face turn a slight hue of red. He was probably thinking of different ways to get rid of Maverick, and I couldn't blame him. He quickly glanced at me, before fixing his gaze back on Maverick. I let my eyes wander up and down his body, he was actually pretty good looking.

"Let's go."

The sound of moving chairs ripped me away from my thoughts. "What are we doing?" I stood up and pulled on Hangman's arm.