Legacy | Top Gun Maverick

Time.

"Time... is your greatest enemy." Maverick begun as he stood in front of the board, looking to it as diagrams appeared to give a visual representation of the mission. I sat beside Rooster, folding my arms. "Phase one of the mission, will be a low level ingress attacking in two plane teams. You will fly along this narrow canyon to your target." Maverick continued to explain the dangers of the mission, the SAMs and the simulation we will be going through.

"You'll fly around your nav system that simulates the canyon, the faster you navigate this canyon, the harder it will be to stay under the radar of these enemy SAMs. The tighter the turns, the more intensely the force of gravity on your body multiples. Compressing your lungs, forcing the blood from your brain, impairing your judgment and reaction time. So for todays lesson, we're going to take it easy on you. Max ceiling 300 feet. Time to target 3 minutes."

We all looked to each other in misbelief, sighing heavily, we all went off into teams. Coyote, Bob and Phoenix went up first, failing. "Why are they dead?" Maverick asked the first team.

"We broke the 300 foot ceiling, and a SAM took us out." Phoenix spoke up.

"No." Maverick looked to Coyote. "Why are they dead?"

"I slowed down and I didn't give her a warning. It's my fault." Coyote submissively replied, cowering like a puppy.

"Is there a reason why you didn't communicate with your team?" Mav asked.

"I was focusing on-." Coyote got cut off by Mav, stating the risks of the mission.

"Would that be something their families accept at the funeral?" Maverick questioned him.

"No, sir."

It was time for the next team, Hangman went up with Fanboy and Payback, wincing as Fanboy and Payback crashed into the side of the canyon. Well... what represented the canyon on the navigation system.

"What happened?" Maverick asked team 2.

"Well, I flew as fast as I could. Kinda like my ass depended on it." Hangman spoke up, cockiness floating out of his mouth with ease. Rooster elbowed me in the ribs, wincing as I looked up at him. He gave me a glare, as he then looked past me. To talk to Hangman.

"And, you put your team in danger and your wingman's dead."

"They couldn't keep up." Jake grinned.

"Rooster and Ghost, you're up." Maverick announced to us. Getting up as we set off onto the navigation path, we floated through the canyons smoothly and perfectly. Looking at the timer, I called out to Rooster.

"Roost, we are running behind on schedule. We need to speed up!" I suggested the order as in this exercise he portrayed team leader.

"Negative, Ghost. Keep going at speed." He replied. In final, we made it to the target a minute late. Sighing heavily as I looked down at the crystal blue water, flowing gracefully down the canal. We made our way back.

"Why are you dead?" Maverick asked us, directing it mostly at Rooster. "You're team leader up there, why are you... why is your team dead?"

"Sir, they are the only ones who made it to the target." Phoenix tried to stand up for us.

"A minute late." Maverick shook his head in worry and disappointment. "He gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down, he should've taken Ghosts order. He is dead, they are both dead."

"You don't know that." Rooster shook his head, feeling the tension radiate off of him.

"You're not flying fast enough!" Hangman shouted in an annoyed tone, throwing his head back on his seat. "You don't have a second to waste! You could have made it, if Ghost was leading."

"We made it to the target." Rooster continued to try and defend us.

"And superior enemy aircraft, intercepted you on your way out." Maverick stepped forward, all I could do was sit there. My head throbbing.

"Then it's a dogfight."

"Against, 5th generation fighters?!"

"We still have a chance." Rooster replied.

"In a F-18?" I raised my eyebrow at Rooster, who was gobsmacked that I wasn't defending him.

"It's not the plane, Freya. It's the pilot."

"Exactly!" Maverick shouted above us.

"There is more then one way to fly this mission." Rooster continued, there was silence for a minuscule second. Before Hangman said.

"You really don't get it, on this mission. A man flies like Maverick here, or Ghost even. Or a man does not come back." Hangman looked over to Phoenix, smirking. "No offence, lieutenant."

"Jake." I said softly, resting my head on the back of the seat.

"We're going into combat, son. On a level no living pilots ever seen." Hangman looked to Mav. "Not even him." I knew exactly where this was going, I could see it.

"Back off, bagman. Before I make you." I threatened, he smiled at me.

"There's no time to be thinking about the past." Hangman looked to Rooster, I grabbed Roosters arm.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rooster gritted his teeth.

"Roost." I said gently, to try and get him to focus on me.

"I can't be the only one that noticed that maverick flew with his old man-."

"That's enough." Maverick warned.

"Or that Maverick was flying when his old man-." In a quick flinch, Rooster leaped off of his seat. Bumping past me to grab ahold of Hangman, giving Hangman a shove. Everyone swooped up and paired off either side of the room, yelling for them to stop and to cool down as we pulled apart the two bull headed man children.

"You son of a bitch!" Rooster yelled, as I pressed my hands on Roosters chest. Pushing him away from Jake, Jake laughed.

"I'm cool, I'm cool." He walked forward, coming up to me. "He's not cut out for this mission."

"That's enough!" Maverick ordered, standing in between the boys.

"You know it, you know I am right." Hangman looked to Maverick before he walked off, letting out a heavy sigh. Everyone kept ahold of Rooster until Hangman left the room.

"You're all dismissed."