Jaguar ~ Top Gun Maverick

Chapter 5

In the distance, two F18's speed towards the target. Jaguar and Rookie in the lead, backed by Phoenix and Bob. "We're twelve seconds late on target. We gotta move, we gotta move." Bob says trying to encourage me. "I'm going as fast as I can." I reply agitated. "Blue team, you are spotted." Maverick says. Radar beeps. "Bandit, Bandit. Radar contact. 20 miles left, ten o'clock. He's coming fast. 700 knots closure." Rookie informs me. "Shit, it's Maverick." "Stay focused." Phoenix says. Maverick approaches from 10 o'clock. " He's swinging around to the north." Bob warns me. "Go on old man. Try me." I curse under my breath. "Jaguar. Stay calm." Rookie tells me from behind. "Continue. We're close. Stay on target. Be ready on that laser,Bob." Phoenix says. "On it...". "Popping in 3-2-1." I say through the radio. "Popping in 3-2-1." Phoenix replies. Our planes pop up, arcing into the sky and then roll over to make  their 45 degree dive. Maverick is approaching... "Talk to me, Rookie. Where is Maverick?" "I'm a little busy right now." He replies. "We've got this Jaguar." Phoenix says boosting my confidence by 60%. Bob paints it with his laser. Bob announces "Captured! Jaguar got it! Bombs away." But as he hits his payload trigger a WARNING LIGHT flashes. "MALFUNCTION." He tries again. And again. "Rookie! Fire!" I yell. Rookie locks bombs and fires. "Thanks Rookie." I hear Bob say. "No problem." He replies. Phoenix and Bob close behind, straining under the intense Gs. Suddenly, an ALARM BLARES in Phoenix's cockpit. "Mavericks got missile lock on us." Bob says. "Shit, we're dead." Phoenix says. She peels away and flies back to the hanger. I pull hard on the stick facing the steep climb ahead  My plane crosses the imaginary line. "That's a fail. Return to base." Maverick says to me. But I'm determined. I pull, harder and harder still. "Jaguar, do you copy?"  He asks. i'm blacking out. "Jaguar!" Rookie yells to me. My plane starts to roll. "Jaguar!" Rookie yells. "Cougar!" Maverick yells by accident. Maverick dives after me targeting my plane. "Come on, kid. Don't be your father." He says quietly but Phoenix manages to hear this.  A WARNING ALARM SCREAMS in my cockpit, rousing me back from the brink. The ground was coming up fast. I yank back on the stick and regain control. I started breathing heavily. "I'm okay, I'm okay. I'm good..." Phoenix sighs in relief. 'That was close'. I thought to myself. Birds smacked against the canopy. "Bird strike. Bird strike!" Maverick yelled. 

"We're on fire, we're on fire." Bob yells. "Throttling back. Shutting off fuel.Extinguishing fire." She says pulling back on throttle and activating the fire extinguisher switch. "We're losing the right engine." Bob says worried. "It's still spinning. I'm gonna try to restart it." Phoenix says fliping the APU switch and pushes the right throttle forward. "APU on.Throttle up." She says. Nothing happens. "Shit. Trying again." I hear her curse. She tries the APU and throttle again. But suddenly, with a BANG, the right engine now catches fire. "I've got every warning light lit up back here." Bob says. "We lost hydraulics. I can't control it." Their jet starts to roll off right. "EJECT! Eject!" He yells to Phoenix. "Eject!" She yells to Bob. The canopy blows. She and Bob are ejected one after the other seconds before their jet collides with the desert floor and explodes. 

A lone light on. I sit alone...I stare at a photo of my young self with Cougar, Maverick, Goose, and Merlin next to and old F-14. Maverick enter the room and walks closer to me. "They'll keep Phoenix and Bob in the hospital overnight for observation.But they're going to be okay." "I have never lost a wing-man. In combat, off a carrier, never." "You've been lucky. Fly long enough,it'll happen. There will be others." "Easy for you to say. No kids, no family. No one to mourn you when you burn in." "Go home. Get some sleep." He turns to leave, stopping when i ask. "WHY DID YOU PULL MY PAPERS AT THE ACADEMY? WHY DID YOU STAND IN MY WAY?" The words sting them both. Maverick wants to tell the truth, but can't. After a long pause. "You weren't ready." "Ready for what? Ready to fly like you?" "No, ready to forget the book. Trust your instincts. Don't think. Just do. You think up there, you're dead. Believe me." I smile at the irony. "I believed in you. But you left. Abandoned me. I'm not gonna make the same mistake twice." Before Maverick can respond Warlock enter the room. WARLOCK (O.S.)Maverick. Maverick turns, seeing something in Warlock's eyes. And in that moment I know. 

Before heading to the funeral I pass by the Hospital to check on Phoenix and Bob. I saw her standing up while Bob was asleep in the bed. "Are you okay?" She asked me before i could ask her the same thing. "Yeah. I'm more worried about you." A small smile emerges from he lips. "Now why would Jaguar be worried about Phoenix? Isn't that odd." She says sarcastically. We get a little closer to each other. "Because I've changed. I'd change again for you." I blurted out. She raised and eyebrow. "Really?" "Well... I mean... yes." I said not denying it. "Mav called you Cougar earlier. And said not to be your Father. Why?" I looked away not wanting to start the subject. She put a hand on my chest. I turned and looked at her straight in the eyes. I lowered my gaze to her hand. I begin to blush and so does she. She takes her hand away. I take it gently. "No. It's okay. I like it there." I place it back on my chest. I can see that she's blushing rapidly. We stare into each other's eyes for a moment before she says. "You never answered my question." "You just ruined the moment." "There never was one." She replies. 'Shit. I made her uncomfortable. Why is it that every time i try affection it always makes her squirm?' I decided to answer. "My Father's call sign was Cougar hence mine being Jaguar. The day my father quit before rejoining about 6 years later he was in an encounter with a MiG. The MiG got a missile lock on him. Although the MiG didn't fire he went into shock soon realizing he almost orphaned me and he had never even seen me. He quit. Mav was meaning by putting myself into shock or losing control of my jet." I explained. She nodded. "What if we can't succeed? What if you and I are picked for the mission? What if we don't come back? What if we fail?" "We can't." I replied "Huh?" She says confused. "I promised you a date and a date you shall get." I saw her smile. She opened her arms for a hug and I hugged her. "We'll be fine. Won't be surprised if you get picked. If i do though..." I trailed off. She pulled away and looked into my eyes. I stared right back. This lasted  for about a minute before i edged closer slowly leaning in. She looked at me. Blinked and looked away. I pulled back acting as if nothing happened. "Jaguar!" I heard someone yell. "I got to go. Talk later." I said and ran off. 'Dammit so close!' I cursed myself.

A picture of Admiral Kazansky is placed on an easel next to his coffin. Some pilots fold up a flag and Cyclone passes it to Sarah. Maverick takes out a set of wings and places it on Iceman's coffin. He slams his fist down on it.