Danger Zone • Top Gun: Maverick

• Chapter Fourteen •

"So, he finally manned up, huh?" Skye quizzed with a smirk as she walked beside her pilot.

A light pink blush dusted across Emerson's face as a bright smile glittered across her lips.

"I'll take that smile as a yes." The blonde giggled and playfully nudged her best friend. "I'm so happy for you both and relieved that you two aren't going to kill me anymore with your oblivion."

"Yeah, yeah." The brunette laughed in response with a playful roll of her eyes as they entered the briefing room and took their seats just as the rest of the pilots and WSOs had filed in.

Once everyone had settled down in their seats, Admiral Bates had stepped up to the front of the room and looked over the graduates. 

"Good morning." He said. " The uranium enrichment plant that is your target will be operational earlier than expected. Raw uranium will be delivered to the plant in ten days' time. As a result, your mission has been moved up by one week."

Emerson took in a breath and exchanged a look with Skye before she met Bradley's eyes; the rest of the pilots and WSOs all shifted nervously in their seats.

"Sir, no one here has successfully flown a low-level course." Javy stated, saying what had been going through everyone's minds.

"Nevertheless, you've been ordered to move on. Captain." The Admiral gave a nod at Pete, stepping down and allowing him to take over.

"We have one week left to focus on phase two. It is the most difficult phase of the mission." Pete stated as he walked in front of the graduates. "It's a pop-up strike with a steep dive, requiring nothing less than two consecutive miracles." He said and held up two fingers before he had mapped out the entire flight plan.

"Two pairs of F18s will fly in a welded wing formation. Teamwork. Precise coordination of these aircrafts is essential to both the mission's success and your survival." He continued, with Emerson and Bradley exchanging concerned glances between each other. "As you know, the plant rests between two mountains. On final approach, you'll invert directly into a steep dive. This allows you to maintain the lowest possible altitude and the only possible angle attack."

The pilots and WSOs watched the screen behind their instructor which displayed the flight plan.

"The two-seat aircraft will paint the target with a laser bulls-eye. The first pair will breach the reactor by dropping a laser-guided bomb on the exposed ventilation hatch. This will create an opening for the second-pair." He explained and held up one finger. "That's miracle number one. The second team will deliver the kill shot and destroy the target."

He held up two fingers. "That's miracle number two" He continued. "If either team misses the target, the mission is a failure. Egress is a steep high-g climb out to avoid hitting this mountain."

"A steep climb at that speed? You're pulling at least eight Gs." Jake said, gaining the attention of his instructor.

"Nine, minimum." Pete replied.

"The stress level of the F18's airframe is 7.5." Bradley stated causing his godfather to look over at him.

"That's the accepted limit. To survive this mission, you'll pull beyond that, even if it means bending your airframe." The Captain responded as Emerson leaned back in her seat, releasing a soft, shaky breath as he continued. "You'll be pulling so hard, you'll weigh close to two thousand pounds - your skull crushing your spine, like an elephant sitting on your chest - fighting with everything you have just to keep from blacking out. This is where you will be at your most vulnerable. This is coffin corner."

"Assuming you avoid crashing into the mountain, you'll climb right up into enemy radar while losing all of your airspeed." He continued his explanation as the screen displayed just how quickly it will take place. "Within seconds, you will be fired upon by enemy SAMs. You've all face sustained Gs before but this.. This is going to take you and your aircraft to the breaking point."