Nightingale 》Jake Seresin

Chapter 3

"Attention on deck!" A voice calls out, prompting everyone to stand at attention.

Admirals Warlock and Cyclone stand at the front of the room. "Morning, welcome to your special training detachment," Warlock starts, "Be seated. You're all Top Gun graduates, elite, the best of the best."

Hangman has a toothpick in his mouth, smirking proudly at that.

Warlock brings them all back to reality. "That was yesterday." Everyone's faces fall when they process what he just said.

"The enemy’s new fifth generation fighter has leveled the playing field. Details are few but you can be sure we no longer possess the technological advantage. Success now more than ever comes down to the man or woman in the box," Warlock continues, making sure they all understand the severity of the situation.

Hangman looks patronizingly over at Phoenix as he says this. And without missing a beat, she subtly scratches her face, giving him the middle finger.

"Half of you will make the cut, one of you will be named mission leader." Hangman simply smirks at Rooster when the mission leader is mentioned. "The other half will remain in reserve."

Warlock continues looking out at the twelve pilots, "Your instructor is a Top Gun graduate with real world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master. His exploits are legendary."

Footsteps are heard as Maverick begins walking toward them from the back of the hanger.

"He is considered to be one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced," Warlock continues his praise of Maverick.

Everyone looks back at the man walking through the chairs. Hangman, Coyote, and Payback all realize just who Maverick is. They sink in their chairs, finally realizing their instructor is the same man they threw out of the Hard Deck the night previous.

"What he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death," Warlock states in a serious tone. "I give you Captain Pete Mitchell, callsign Maverick."

Rooster glances at him before looking back down, jaw clenched in anger.

Maverick stands at the podium Warlock just left, looking out at his students for the next few weeks. His eyes linger on Rooster before he composes himself and addresses the room.

"Good morning," he begins. Hangman nodded with an embarrassed smile, as Maverick looked forward. Rooster looks away immediately, trying with everything in his power to not look Maverick in the eyes.

"The F-18 NATOPS,'' he says, holding up the manual. "Contains everything they want you to know about your aircraft," he indicated to the Admirals. Patting the book, he continues, "I'm assuming you know the book inside and out." He knows, just as he was once a long time ago, that these pilots are the best and they know it.

And the responses he gets back prove exactly that.

"Damn right," Payback calls out.
"Damn straight," Hangman, without hesitation.
"You got it," Another one states.

Maverick takes the book and throws it right into the trash. Everyone looks slightly shocked, checking around to make sure he just did that.

"So does your enemy," Maverick says seriously. All he is trying to do is make sure these pilots, no matter how good they are, know that someone with superior technology is out there.

"And we're off," Hondo whispers from the sidelines.

"But what the enemy doesn't know is your limits," Maverick informs them all. "I intend to find them, test them, push beyond," he continues. "So today, we'll start with what you only think you know. You show me what you're made of."