Like Fathers, Like Daughter | Bradley Bradshaw

11

            "Good morning. The uranium enrichment plant that is your target will be operational earlier than expected." Bates stands in front of us in the briefing room. "Raw uranium will be delivered to the plant in ten days time. As a result your mission has been moved up one week. In order to avoid contaminating the target valley with radiation."
The fun and games are over.
           "Sir, no one here has successfully flown a low-level course." Coyote says what the rest of us are thinking.
           "Nevertheless you have been ordered to move on." Bates said. "Captain." He steps aside and gives Maverick the floor.
           Mav walks forward, "We have one week left to focus on faze two. It's the most difficult stage of the mission. It's a pop-up strike with a steep dive requiring nothing less than two consecutive miracles. Two pairs of F-18s will fly in a welded wing formation. Teamwork. Precise coordination of these aircraft is essential to both the mission success and your survival. As you know, the plant rest between two mountains. On final approach, you'll invert directly into a steep dive. This allows you to make the lowest possible altitude. And the only possible attack angle. Your target is an impact point less than three meters wide. The two seat aircraft will paint the target with a laser bullseye. The first pair will breach the reactor by dropping a laser-guided bomb on an expose ventilation hatch. This will create an opening for the second pair. That's miracle number one." 
       Watching the schematics on the screen behind him makes all of this seem so easy. But saying this would be a miracle is putting it lightly. Is this even possible? Like Coyote said, none of us have completed a low level course. My eyes drift over to Rooster. Who looks back at me with a worried look in his eye. Both of us look back at Mav. Gods, I hope we can do this. 
        "The second team, will deliver the kill shot." Mav continues. "And destroy the target. That's miracle number two. If either team misses the target, the mission is a failure. Egress is a steep high-G climb out to avoid hitting this mountain." The two miracles were just the beginning of this mission. But there would be one more." 
        "A steep climb at that speed..." Hangman speaks up. "You're pulling at least eight Gs." 
         "Nine. Minimum." Maverick corrects. 
         "The stress limit of the F-18's airframe is 7.5" Rooster adds. 
        "That's the accepted limit." Maverick replies. "To survive this mission, you'll pull beyond that. Even if it means bending your air frame. You'll be pulling so hard, you'll weigh close to 2,000 pounds. Your skull crushing your spine, your lungs imploding like an elephant is sitting on your chest. Fighting with everything you have to keep from blacking out. And this is where you'll be at your moat vulnerable. This is Coffin Corner. Assuming you avoid crashing into this mountain, you'll climb straight up into enemy radar while loosing all of your airspeed. Within seconds you'll be fired upon by enemy SAMs. You've all face sustained Gs before but this...this is going to take you and your aircraft to the breaking point." 
        "Is this even achievable?" I ask.
        Dad's gaze drifts over to me. "The answer to that question, will come down to the pilot in the box." 
         No one was able to hit the target. The steep climb made me have a massive headache. I held my cool water bottle to my forehead as I lay on the couch. Trying my best to take deep breaths now that my lungs weren't being crushed. Every so often, I take sips of my water. Which helped a little. I would go to the med bay for some tylenol but I'll manage before I get home. A shadow falls over me and my eyes open to see Rooster kneeling down next to the couch. I bring my water bottle to my chest. 
        "How are you feeling?" He asks softly. His hand reached up and gently starts to stroke my forehead. His warm skin contrasting with the cold from the water bottle. 
         "A little better." My head slowly turns to face him. He keeps the steady movement of his hand against my forehead. Which was very soothing. "It's been a while since I pulled G's like that." 
         He smiled a little. "Maybe if you did it more often, you would feel better." He teased. 
         Making me laugh a little, which hurt my head more but I ignore it. "Shut up." I tease back. 
          He laughs as well. "Coyote, Phoenix and Bob are up now. Hopefully they are last for the day. Then we can go home." He sighs softly. Just as exhausted as I am. As we all are. 
         I can hear them on the radio. Maverick had showed up as as a bandit but the team is still deciding to continue. Rooster plants a soft kiss on my forehead before getting up to walk over to the radio. That was his first public display of affection. It made my heart flutter. My gaze drifts back up to the ceiling and my water bottle goes back to my head. Hopefully this team is the last to go today. I just want to curl up in bed and pass out. 
       Coyote drops the missile blind and ends up missing. Mav gets missile lock on Phoenix and Bob. Mission was a failure. But Coyote stops responding. He doesn't level out. He's in G-LOC. Mav goes after him to get missile lock on him in hopes it would snap him awake. Thankfully he gains consciousness and pulls up before he hits the ground. As his voice comes over the radio, we all collectively breathe a sigh of relief. 
       "Bird strike!" Phoenix's panicked voice comes over the radio. Making me sit up quickly and my head snaps to look at the radio. 
       "Phoenix, left engine's on fire!" Bob's voice joins hers. 
      "Climbing!" She replies. "Throttling back. shutting off fuel to left engine. Extinguishing fire."
       I get up from the couch quickly, abandoning my water bottle as I rush to the radio. Standing with Rooster as I listen anxiously. 
       "Right engine is out!" Bob says. 
      "It's still spinning. Trying to restart it." Phoenix said. 
      "Phoenix it's on fire! Don't start it!" Mav tries to warn her. 
      "Throttling up." It's too late. 
       "We're on fire! We're on fire!" Bob yells. 
        My hand slips into Rooster's and I squeeze it. Hanging on for dear life. 
       "Phoenix, Bob, Punch out!" Mav orders. "Punch out!" 
       "Warning lights everywhere! Hydraulic failure!" Bob warns. 
       "I can't control it!" Phoenix panics. 
       "We're going down Phoenix!" Bob yells. Making me gasp and hold my breath. "We're going in! We're going in!" 
        Please eject. 
       "You can't save it! Eject! Eject!" Mav orders. 
      "Eject! Eject! Eject!" Phoenix yells. 

       Everyone else has gone home. Rooster and I stay in the lounge. Waiting for an update on Phoenix and Bob. I hope they're okay. Accidents happen. But this has been one hell of a day. This is only training for the mission. I can't imagine what the actual mission is going to entail. Rooster and I sit on the couch. He's hunched over next to me with his elbows on his knees. I slowly sit up from where I was resting against the back of the couch. My hand starts to rub slow circles on his back. He glances at me before his head drops again. He leans back and his head goes to my shoulder. I wrap my arm around him and rub his shoulder. I want to tell him everything is going to be okay. But I don't know if it is. I press a kiss into his head. Inhaling the scent of his hair. Which helps ease my anxiety. 
     As Maverick walks through the door, Rooster sits up and goes back to his hunched over position. My eyes dart to him. Eagerly awaiting the news. Praying to the gods that they are both okay. 
      "They'll keep Phoenix and Bob overnight for observation." Mav says. Rooster doesn't look at him. "They're gonna be okay." 
        I let out a breath and rest my back on the couch again. My hand goes to my head. Gently rubbing my forehead. I'll have to stop by before heading home. 
       "That's good." Rooster says as he nods. "I've never lost a wingman." I hope that wasn't a jab at Maverick. We don't need that today. 
       "You're lucky." Mav says. "Fly long enough and it'll happen. There will be others" That's the sad truth. But it's not coming true today or during this mission. "Go home." His gaze drifts from Rooster to me. "Get some sleep." 
       Dad turns to leave and Rooster stands suddenly. "Why'd you pull my papers at the academy?!" His voice began to get louder. "Why did you stand in my way?!" He angrily points at Mav. 
         I get up from the couch. "Bradley." I try to calm him down, my hand rests on his shoulder. He's had all this pent up anger for years. But he shouldn't take it out on dad without at least hearing him out. 
        "You weren't ready." Mav keeps his back to Rooster. 
        Rooster walks forward. My hand slips from his shoulder. "Ready for what?" He snapped. "Huh?" He stands face to face with Mav as dad turns around. "Ready to fly like you?" 
         "No. Ready to forget the book." Mav says. "Trust your instincts. Don't think. Just do.  You're think up there, you're dead. Believe me." 
           "My dad believed in you. I'm not going to make the same mistake." 
           "Rooster." I say through a exhale with a disappointed tone.
           It looked as if Maverick was just punched in the chest. That stung. It was a low blow when Hangman mentioned it. Now it was just...cruel. He doesn't say anything. Mav turns and leaves the room. Rooster's head drops and he turns to meet my gaze. My arms crossed over my chest. I don't say anything before leaving as well. Walking past him. 
         I head to the med bay where they are keeping Phoenix and Bob. As I walk in, my eyes land on her sitting up in one of the beds. I walk over to it and sit on the mattress. Pulling her into a tight hug. She hugs me back. 
         "I'm so glad you're okay." I whisper. 
         We pull away slowly and there's a very worried look on her face. "Athena...how are we going to pull this off?" She asked. 
         There's a moment of silence. I want to try and be encouraging. To tell her that with practice, we will get better and we will be able to finish the mission successfully. All we need is teamwork and determination. But honestly, I don't know if that's enough. This mission seems...impossible. Even if we get it right during training, will we be able to get it right when it counts? 
         "I don't know Phoenix...I don't know."