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There was no more need for preparation or training; the mission was now. Time had run out. Captain Mitchell stood in front of the naval aviators; he was about to make his selection. A majority of the aviators wore dreadful expressions as there wasn't much evidence that backed the success of the mission.
"It's been an honor flying with you. Each of you represents the best of the best. This is a very specific mission, and my choices are a reflection of that and nothing else," Captain Mitchell addressed the group. Emerson couldn't stop the roll of her eyes at the lies that projected out of her father's mouth.
Admiral Simpson stood beside Maverick, "Choose your two foxtrot teams."
"Payback and Fanboy. Phoenix and Bob," he answered.
"Choose your wingman."
Maverick's eyes scanned the group in front of him. A proud smile sat on Hangman's face while Rooster avoided the captain's gaze altogether. His eyes landed on Raven's. She sent him a piercing stare; one that sent shivers down his spine. She was rightfully angry at him, yet it still didn't change his mind. He didn't care how upset Emerson was just as long as she was safe. "Rooster."
"The rest of you will stand by on the carrier for any reserve role that's required. Dismissed."
Emerson approached Phoenix, "Give 'em hell for me?"
Phoenix smiled softly at the woman and pulled her into a tight hug, "You know it, Rae."
Emerson pulled away and turned to Bob. He gave her a cheerful smile that did nothing but warm Emerson's raging heart. She returned the smile, "Make us proud, Bob. And when you get back, the first round is on me."
A blush crept up on the pilot's cheeks, "Yes ma'am."
⎯
The aviators stood dispersed on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier. Those on the mission team were checking over their respective planes before take-off. Emerson found Bradley beside his plane.
"Hey, I was about to come find—" Emerson took his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly, cutting off his sentence. "I love you," she confessed.
There was a twinkle in Bradley's eyes like he had been waiting his entire life to hear those three words from Emerson, and of course, she beat him to saying it. "I lo—"
She stopped him again, "Don't say it till you come back."
Maverick approached the two pilots, and Emerson turned to leave. She had no intention of listening to whatever sorry excuse he had to say this time.
Maverick sighed, "She's still mad at me?"
"Well sir, you did pull her from the mission. And you and I both know she's the best dogfighter here. We need her."
Maverick watched Emerson's retreating figure, "And I need her alive." He left Bradley to care for his plane and went to his own. The rest of the pilots were ready and standing by for orders from Mission Control.
"Dagger 1, up and ready," Maverick announced over the comms.
"Dagger Spare, standing by," Hangman added.
"Dagger 4, up and ready."
"Dagger 3, up and ready."
"Dagger 2, up and ready," Rooster declared.
"Dagger Alternate, standing by," Emerson finished.
Maverick's F-18 took off from the carrier and the three others followed closely behind him. As they flew over the ocean, Maverick contacted Comanche which gave the pilots the 'go-ahead' to descend below the radar.
"Comanche. Picture is clean. Decision is yours."
"Dagger attack," Maverick ordered.
The three other daggers fell into position behind Maverick's lead F-18. Above them, the Tomahawk missiles soared to their final destination at the enemy airfield. They were sent in hopes of reducing the risk of running into enemy aircraft on the return flight. Approaching the target, the pilots set their timers; it was go time.
The flight through the canyon was similar to the course of their training simulation, yet this was not the California desert. The terrain around them was littered with snow and forest. And in this reality, the SAMs above the canyon were real and lethal.
Rooster noticed the several SAMs sites scattered above him. He swallowed hard as his heart beat rapidly. His hand trembled around his center flight stick. Would one of those SAMS be his demise? His mind was clouded with thoughts of his parents and Emerson. What if he didn't return to Emerson? What if he never got to tell her how he felt? Distracted by his fears, Rooster fell behind in speed.
He was reminded of a phrase that Emerson told him during their flight training in the academy: 'You think up there, and you're dead.' Rooster couldn't let the past or his fears hold him back any longer. He took a deep breath, "Talk to me, Dad." Gaining new confidence, he increased his speed exponentially, leaving Payback and Fanboy in his dust.
Maverick, Phoenix, and Bob approached the target. Finding missile-lock, Bob shouted the coordinates into his headset. It was a hit; they accomplished miracle number one of the mission. Now Rooster, Payback, and Fanboy needed to accomplish miracle number two.
"I can't find missile-lock! Deadeye! Deadeye!" Fanboy called.
"I'm dropping blind. Bombs away," Rooster answered. Miraculously, Rooster hit bullseye. Below him, the ground imploded, destroying the uranium plant. Now, the pilots faced the G-force of Coffin Corner and the SAMs that awaited them in enemy airspace.
As the four daggers breached enemy airspace, the SAMS immediately targeted their F-18s. The shrill of their missile-lock warning systems captivated their senses. Left and right, missiles shot at the four planes. Using their own missiles and flares, the team tried to maneuver around the SAMs. Explosions occurred in every direction; it was utter chaos.
"Shit! I'm out of flares," Rooster yelled. The beep of his radar increased rapidly, alerting the pilot of his quickly approaching doom. He braced for impact, but it never came. Maverick flew straight into the course of the missile, intercepting it of its intended target.
"Dagger 1, hit!" Bellowed across the carrier's airwaves.
"Dad!" Emerson cried out.
"Dagger Spare, requesting take off," Hangman asked Mission Control.
"Dagger Spare, take off denied." Admiral Simpson even grounded the search and rescue helicopters at the risk of losing more men.
Emerson slammed her fist against the dash of her plane. She couldn't just let her father die out there. "Fuck it." She closed the canopy of her plane. "Dagger Alternate, up and ready."
"Dagger Alternate, take off is denied. Stand down," Mission Control reminded.
"I wasn't asking. I was telling," she said, moving her plane onto the runway.
Admiral Simpson's voice spoke through her headset, "Raven, don't you dare. I will have your ass court-martialed!"
"You can court-martial me when I bring my dad home, sir."
"Your da— What?"
The flight deck crew watched as Emerson's F-18 ascended into the sky. They knew better than to try and stop the determined woman.
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