Below The Hard Deck | A Top Gun Fanfiction

CHAPTER IV

The next morning, instead of gathering in a meeting room, we all are corralled into one of the several hangers on the base. Clad in our flight suites, everyone is itching to just get in the planes and fly. Our Lieutenant Commander, however, seems have other plans and has absolutely no issue dragging on the morning briefing for as long as humanly possible. Honestly, if it doesn't end soon, I might just highjack a jet and start flying myself.

"Now you'll also be trained and evaluated by a few civilian specialists," Jester drones on. "The civilians are here because they are our very best source of information on enemy aircraft. One of the most qualified is our TAGREP, call sign 'Charlie'."

Suddenly, I sit up in my seat. There is no way he is talking about my Charlie. There must be another TAGREP who's call sign also just happens to be Charlie who just happens to be working at the same base. My theory is quickly proven wrong when I see her short, curly blonde hair pass me by, causing my mouth to drop open slightly.

"She has a Ph.D in astrophysics," Jester continues, "and she's also a civilian contractor so you don't salute her, but you better listen to her because the Pentagon listens to her about your proficiency." Quite a roundabout way to tell the boys to respect her, but we got there in the end. "So, here's Charlie."

As Charlie begins to speak, Maverick looks over his shoulder from the front row towards me. "Did you know?" he mouths, and I quickly shake my head, my eyes still wide.

"We will be dealing with F-5s and A-4s as our mixed simulators," Charlie begins. "As most of you know, the F-5 doesn't have the thrust-to-weight ratio that the MiG-28 has, and it doesn't bleed energy bellow 300 knots like the MiG-28. However, the MiG-28 does have a problem with its inverted flight tanks. It won't do a negative-G pushover."

Even though I should probably be listening more intently, I'm still stuck on the fact that my friend, who's been driving me to Top Gun the past two days, didn't happen to mention that she'd be an instructor of mine. Lucky for me, Specs seems to be holding on to her every word. As she tries to continue talking, she is interrupted by Maverick and Goose whispering to each other.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant, is there something wrong?"

"Yes, ma'am, the data on the MiG is inaccurate," Maverick replies. Now, he's got the attention of every pilot in the hanger.

Charlie lets out a small laugh. "How's that, Lieutenant?"

"Well, I just happened to see—"

"We," Goose emphasizes.

"Sorry Goose, we just happened to see a MiG-28 do a 4-G negative dive." I pinch the bridge of my nose. This is the same story he had told me the night we had first met.

"Where did you see this?"

"That's classified." I let out a scoff at his response.

"It's what?"

"It's classified," the pilot says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

"Lieutenant, I have top-secret clearance. The Pentagon sees to it that I know more than you."

"Well, ma'am, it doesn't seem so in this case, now does it?"

"Maverick," I whisper, causing him to turn to me. "Shut it." At this rate, he'll say something that will get him kicked out by lunch.

"Well Lieutenant," Charlie challenges, crossing her arms over her chest, "where exactly were you?"

"Well we," he looks over to Goose before turning to the front again, "started up on his six as we moved through the clouds and then I moved in above him." I roll my eyes. I can't believe he's actually going through with telling this story here.