Call Back {Top Gun Maverick - Completed}

8: Rekindle

"The hard deck is five-thousand feet above ground level. A parameter is set not just for the safety of our pilots, but for the safety of their aircraft. Five-thousand feet is not just a rule. It is a law, as immutable as gravity," Cyclone stated.

Cyclone was behind his desk. Maverick standing at attention on the other end. Warlock stood off to the side of the room, watching silently.

"The hard deck will be much lower for the mission, sir," Maverick said, once he figured Cyclone was done for a moment.

"And it will not change without my approval! Especially not in the middle of an exercise. And that cobra maneuver of yours? That could've got all three of you killed. I never want to see that shit again. What exactly do you suppose you were teaching, captain?" Cyclone asked.

"That as good as they are, sir, they still have something to learn," Maverick answered, still at attention.

"You are talking about the best fighter pilots on the planet, captain."

"And they've been told that their entire career, while they've been dropping bombs from a high altitude with little to no dog fighting. The parameters of this mission call for something they have never encountered," Maverick explained.

"Okay, you have less than three weeks to teach them how to fight as a team and how to strike the target-" Cyclone stated.

"And how to come home," Maverick interrupted.

"What?" Cyclone asked.

"And how to come home, sir," Maverick restated.

"Every mission has its risks. These pilots accept that," Cyclone remarked. It was true each and every pilot accepted that they might not return from a mission the day they signed up to be naval aviators.

"I don't, sir," Maverick stated.

Warlock knew exactly who he was referring to without having to even say a signal name. Maverick was worried about Goose's twins, Penny's, Charlie's, and Admiral Kazansky's daughters.

"Every morning, from this day forward, you will brief us on your instructional plans in writing. And nothing will change without my express approval," Cyclone instructed.

"Including the hard deck, sir?" Maverick questioned.

"Especially the hard deck, captain."

"Sir," Maverick said as he set a folder down on the desk between the two men.

"What is this?"

"It's a request to lower the hard deck, sir, to practice a low-level bombing run per the mission parameters," Maverick answered.

Moments later, Warlock and Maverick were walked down the hall. Cyclone had kicked Maverick out, the folder with the request had angered the admiral.

"You could learn a thing or two about timing, Captain," Warlock stated.

《~~○~~》

The classroom was quiet. Almost everyone was in there, waiting for the day of training to be over. The twins were away, Rooster getting his share of the lecture that Maverick had gotten. While Vulture was waiting for her brother, outside of the office.

Hangman and Coyote were looking at some of the pictures of previous classes that lined the back wall. Maneater and Icarus were standing at the end of the rows of chairs, Icarus talking to Marilyn.

"Yo, Coyote. Take a look at this," Hangman called out. He was in front of a black and white picture from one of the Top Gun classes. Smack in the middle of the group of pilots was Maverick. Beside him was Iceman. Between the two men was Goose, standing ever so slightly behind him.