Talon • B. Bradshaw

e i g h t

ARDEN STARED DEAD AHEAD, her shoulders back. Her hair was in the standard low bun, her uniform adorning her body. The team had received a text with the news that morning, Iceman has passed. Maverick had given them the day off from training so that they could all attended the funeral.

Arden had known Iceman, and he was close enough to her that his death would impact her for a long time. Iceman had been the first one to suggest the naval academy to Arden. She had always grown up around her parents being pilots, and she admired them, but she never thought that she would be able to follow in their footsteps until Ice. Speaking of her parents, she was surprised that her parents weren't at the funeral, but she was sure that there was a good reason for it.

Rooster stood on her left, while Phoenix stood on her right. They listened to the speeches given by several admirals, and then they watched as Maverick walked up to the casket. He pounded Iceman's wings into the casket, and they saluted. Arden could see the tears that glistened in Maverick's eyes from where she stood.

Her mind began to run a million miles a minute. It was obvious that Maverick was only their teacher because Iceman wanted him to be. Now that Iceman was gone, would Maverick leave as well? How would that change their mission parameters? Who would be their new teacher?

She was pulled from her thoughts by one of the admirals that spoke earlier. He dismissed the crowds, and about ten minutes later Arden was in her car, and heading back to her house.

***

"Captain Mitchell is no longer your instructor. As of today there are new mission parameters," the admiral told the group. Arden sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose briefly. Rooster gently nudged her with his elbow, gaining her attention. 

"You okay?" He mouthed to her, and she nodded, offering him a small smile.

"Time to target is now four minutes." Arden's eyebrows shot up, and Rooster's head snapped towards the admiral. There was no way in hell anyone was coming back alive if the time to target was four minutes. "You'll be entering the valley level at reduced speed, not to exceed 420 knots."

"Sir, won't we be giving enemy aircraft a chance to catch up to us?" Arden questioned.

"You have a fighting chance against enemy aircraft. Especially more than the chances of surviving a head on collision with a mountain," the admiral answered. His eyes dared the blonde to speak again, ready to belittle her for questioning his authority, but she remained silent. "You will be attacking the target from a higher altitude, level with the north wall."

Just when he was about to continue, there were a few beeps that came from the screen behind him. Everyone's eyes fixed on the icon of a blue plane. Someone was flying the course.

"Maverick to range control, entering point alpha, confirm green range," they heard.

"Range control to Maverick. Green range is confirmed, but I don't see an event scheduled for you sir," came the response.

"Well I'm going anyway," Maverick told them. A smirk had grown on Arden's face.

"Nice," Phoenix mumbled in front of her.

"Setting time to target to two minutes and fifteen seconds," Maverick said. The time that was on the screen changed from four minutes to two minutes and fifteen seconds, everyone's eyes wide.

"That's impossible," Fanboy said from a little further back in the room.

"Maverick is inbound," Maverick said. The time started and Arden sat forward, anxiously watching Maverick's progress. She hadn't even noticed that her knee had started bouncing until Rooster rested a hand on it. She shot him a small smile, and laced their fingers together.