Little Bird

10

A/N This one is a pretty long part. So enjoy. ❤️

Dove's PoV

"Time is your greatest enemy." Mav says first thing the next morning while walking towards the screen in front. "Phase one of the mission will be a low-level ingress attacking in two plane teams. You'll fly along this narrow canyon to your target. Radar-guided surface-to-air missiles guard the area. These SAM's, they're lethal. But they were designed to protect the skies above, not the canyon below."

Where is he going with this?

"That's because they know no one is insane enough to try and fly below them." Rooster calls out.

"That's exactly what I'm gonna train you to do." Mav shoots back.

I turn in my seat to look at Phoenix and Bob with wide eyes mouthing 'He's crazy' before turning back.

Maverick continues, "On the day your altitude will be 100 ft. maximum. You exceed this altitude, radar will spot you and you're dead. Your air speed will be 660 knots minimum. Time to target is 2 and a half minutes. That's because fifth- generation fighters wait at an airbase nearby. In a head-to-head with these planes in your F-18's you're dead. That's why you need to get in, hit your target, and be gone. This makes time your greatest adversary."

Mav takes another short pause, as if waiting for it to sink in for all of us before he continues on again.

"You'll fly a route in 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 sam's. The tighter the turns, the more intense the force of gravity on your body multiplies. Compressing your lungs. Forcing the blood from your brain. Imparting your judgment and reaction time."

Everyone sits there in silence. Unsure if the mission is doable.

Maverick looks around the room at all of us before continuing yet again.
" So for today's lesson we're gonna take it easy on you. Max ceiling 300 ft. time to target 3 minutes. Good luck." With that he exits the room leaving Hondo to tell everyone their groups and when they are flying.

Bob and Phoenix are up first with Coyote.

Once in the air they are a bit behind schedule so Bob tells them to increase their speed. Coyote acknowledges this and increases speed.

Suddenly Coyote pulls back without giving a warning to Phoenix. In order to avoid a collision she pulls up, over the maximum altitude. Failing the exercises.

When the jets have both landed Phoenix comes storming into the ready room, Bob hot on her heels. She goes directly to the window and refuses to talk to anyone.

I move to stand next to Bob, "Is she ok?" I ask

"I'm not sure. Once we made it to the tarmac she went off on Coyote about how he needed to communicate or this partnership won't work and that he'll get us all killed with stunts like that. Then she just went quiet. Hasn't said anything since." He responded, turning slightly to look at me.

"Well are you ok? Being in a situation like that is never fun." I ask, turning my body towards his.

"Yeah I'm ok. A little shaken up but I'm good."

With that We turn back towards the windows to watch Payback and Fanboy go up with Hangman.

Hangman of course hung Payback and Fanboy out to dry. In his need to be the fastest and "best" he went way too fast. Payback attempted to keep up but
Were unable to and ended up crashing into the canyon wall, also failing the simulation.