Love Affair 》Javy Machado

Chapter 1

Pete Mitchell, more commonly known as Maverick, walked the halls of Top Gun once more. He hadn't been there in over 30 years, and now here he was. Staring at a picture of him and Iceman. One that cemented their long-standing friendship after a bitter rivalry. 

Soon enough, he was directed into a conference room, greeted by two people who obviously outranked him. (In official rank only, no one truly outranked him in experience, at this point.)

The first man, younger but stern, spoke first. “Your reputation precedes you.” 

Maverick, unable to tell if this was a slight at him, only replied with a “Thank you, sir.” 

Turns out he was right. “Wasn’t a compliment. I’m Admiral Beau Simpson. I’m the air boss. I believe you know Admiral Bates.” 

Maverick did, in fact, know him. “Warlock, sir.” The man in question nods in greeting. 

Trying to break the very obvious tension in the room, Maverick starts to talk. “Must admit, I wasn’t expecting an invitation back.” 

Warlock raises an eyebrow. “They’re called orders, Maverick. You two have something in common. Cyclone here was first in his class back in ’88.” 

‘Actually, sir, I finished second. Just want to manage expectations,” Maverick finished with a smile. Unfortunately, it did nothing. He sighed before getting back on track. “The target…” 

Cyclone, taking the cue, starts off. “Is an unsanctioned uranium enrichment plant built in violation of a multilateral NATO treaty. The uranium produced there represents a direct threat to our allies in the region. The Pentagon has tasked us with assembling a strike team and taking it out before it becomes fully operational.” 

Warlock continues, gesturing to the screen behind Maverick. “The plant sits in an underground bunker at the end of this valley. Said Valley is GPS-jammed and defended by an extensive surface-to-air missile array serving a limited number of fifth-generation fighters, which in turn are backed up by a plentiful reserve of surplus aircraft. Even a few old F-14s.” 

“Seems like we’re not the only ones holding on to old relics,” Cyclone digs. He was not a fan of Maverick, not in the slightest. 

Warlock gets to the point. “What’s your read, captain?” 

Maverick cleared his throat before analyzing the screen. “Well, sir, normally this would be a cakewalk for the f-35’s stealth, but the GPS-jamming negates that. And a surface-to-air threat necessitates a low-level laser-guided strike tailor-made for the f-18. I figure two precision bombs, minimum. Makes it four aircraft flying in pairs. That is one hell of a steep climb out of there, exposing you to all the surface-to-air missiles. You survive that, it’s a dogfight all the way home.” 

Cyclone and Warlock looked at each other during his explanation. Love him or hate him, Maverick knew what he was talking about. “All requirements for which you have real-world experience.” 

Maverick shook his head. “Not in the same mission, sir. No. No, someone’s not coming back from this.” 

“Can it be done or not?” 

But Maverick needs more information. “How soon before the plant becomes operational?” 

Warlock is quick to give it. “Three weeks. Maybe less.” 

Maverick, reading the situation in front of him, gives his answer. “Well, it’s been a while since I’ve flown an f-18, and… I’m not sure who I’d trust to fly the other three. But I’ll find a way to make it work.” 

Unfortunately, it wasn't the answer they wanted. In fact, it was the direct opposite. 

“I think you misunderstand, captain,” Warlock informs him.