Danger Zone - Top Gun: Maverick

12. "Baby?"

Everyone is dismissed for the day, but they all choose to stay on base and hang out in the common area. Nova thinks it's a good idea to go find her father, he should be landing right about now.

"Mitchell." Cyclone grabs her attention.

"Yes, sir?"

"Did you have something to do with this?" He asks, knowing someone had to of let Maverick into the hangar.

Nova doesn't want to lie, but she would also rather not snitch on herself. She takes the middle ground, avoiding the question all together and focusing on the real issue.

"You know there's no way for them to survive that mission with the parameters you've set, sir. You said the pilots didn't believe Maverick's idea for the mission couldn't be flown, so he's proved that it can."

"You're saying?" He squints his eyes at her.

"I'm saying that you are planning to send these people on a death mission, while Maverick is trying to give them a greater chance of survival. You asked me what speed would be needed, I told you 660 knots. That's my job. 420 isn't gonna cut it, unless you don't care whether or not the Navy loses its six most skilled pilots." Nova tells him her whole opinion.

"I'm trying to hit the damn target, Nova!" He gets angry at her for disagreeing.

"By shooting from a higher altitude? You're trying to not use Maverick's plan because you don't want him to be right!" She argues back.

"Look Nova, I know you and your father have an attachment to Lieutenant Bradshaw, but you've got to understand that there is no safe way of completing this mission." He tells her.

"No, but there is a way that offers a greater chance of survival. That's my job, that's why I'm here, to make sure these pilots survive." She continues to argue with him.

"Ahem." Bates clears his throat. "Captain Mitchell has landed."

"My office. Now." Cyclone orders them.

Nova follows the two admirals to the main office, meeting with her dad in the hallway and silently giving him a fist bump behind the other men's backs. He smiles at his daughter, putting a hand on her shoulder and pulling her in for a side hug before they reach the office door.

"You have put me in a difficult position, Captain." Maverick stands in front of Cyclone's desk in between Warlock and Nova.

Nova looks at her father next to her, and sees him standing with his postures uptight. She's seen people in the Navy stand like that before, but she's never had to do it. She decides to fix her own posture, replicating her dad.

"On one hand, you have demonstrated that this mission can be flown. Perhaps the only way it could be survived. On the other hand, you did it be stealing a multimillion dollar military aircraft, and flying it in such a manner that it may never be airworthy again. Iceman is no longer here to protect you, and I have everything I need to have you court-martialed and dishonorably discharged. So what do I do? Risk the lives of my pilots and the success of the mission, or risk my career,,,by appointing you team leader?"

Nova looks between the three men, wondering why she's the only one shocked.

"Sir-" Maverick starts to talk.