It was Mission Day. 

Jo had joined the team on the carrier, set up in the command room for last-minute emergency help if needed. She knew this mission better than anyone outside of the actual flying team at this point, her knowledge was invaluable. 

There was some relief for her, as Javy had not been selected for the official Dagger Squad, and Hangman was on deck for backup. As much as she knew Javy could do this just as well as the others, the GLOC incident had really put a dent in his potential selection. 

They couldn't risk it happening again during the real thing. 

Soon enough, everyone was prepped and ready to go. They started their round up call. 

"Dagger 1, up and ready for take off," Maverick radios in. 

"Dagger spare, standing by," Hangman calls in. 

"Dagger 4, up and ready," Payback answers. 

"Dagger 3 up and ready," Phoenix says next. 

"Dagger 2, up and ready," Rooster chimes in last. 

"Support missiles airborne, strike damage ready," a systems control officer says. "Standing by for launch decision."  

Warlock looks at Cyclone, Johanna standing between the men. He simply says, "Send them." 

And the mission is a go. 

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

“Dagger 2 away, Dagger 3 away, Dagger 4 away,” an officer counts off in the control room. 

Maverick's voice echoes through the comms. “Comanche, Dagger 1, for standby check in.” 

“Comanche 117, picture clean, recommend dagger continue,” is called back to him. 

He nods his head. “Copy, Dagger is descending below radar.” 

In the control room, the computer screen switches modes. “Daggers now below radar. Switching to E2 picture.” 

Deep breaths. “Here we go," Maverick says. “Enemy territory up ahead. Arrival time 60 seconds. Comanche dagger 1 picture?” 

“Comanche, picture is clean, decision is yours,” they reply to him. 

A single nod. “Copy, Dagger attack.” 

With that sentence, the tomahawk missiles are launched, heading straight for the enemy airstrip. 

Johanna takes a deep breath, arms crossed as the announcement comes through. “Tomahawks are airborne.” 

Warlock must feel the same way. “No turning back now.” 

“Daggers, assume attack formation,” Maverick commands as the missiles fly past. “Daggers ascend, proceed to target. 2 minutes and 30 seconds in 3,2,1, mark.” 

“2 mark,” Rooster.

“3 mark,” Phoenix.  

“4 mark,” Payback. 

Jo mumbles out “5 mark” as she stares at the timer on the screen in front of her. 

“Going in,” Maverick breathes out, mostly to himself. He looks around, catching sight of the SAMS around them, calling out to his team. “First SAMS in sight overhead.” 

“Looks like we’re clear on radar, Mav,” Phoenix calls to the mission leader. 

He replies right back. “Let's not take it for granted.” 

“We’re 2 minutes to target,” Bob informs them all, as he and Phoenix are the lead two-seater. 

“Copy, We are 2 seconds behind. Rooster, we've got to move,” Payback answers while also reminding his wingman of the urgency. 

Johanna wasn't completely on board with Mav’s pick of Rooster as his wingman, primarily for this exact reason. But she knew that if Maverick had faith, she should as well. So she started to pray, to any and all above, that this would end safely. 

A call rings out in the control room. “30 seconds to tomahawk impact on enemy air strip.” 

But a wrench is finally thrown into a near perfect plan. “Dagger, comanche, we're picking up two bandit pairs coming from the west.” 

Cyclone looks slightly alarmed. “Where the hell did they come from?” 

Warlock and Johanna shrug, suggesting, “long range patrol?”

“Comanche, what's their heading?” Phoenix asks. They can't do anything until they know how far out they are. 

Kamanchi answers, much to the relief of many. “They’re heading away from us. They don't know we’re here,” Rooster confirms. 

But Maverick isn't convinced. “The second those tomahawks hit the airbase, those bandits are gonna move to protect the target. We've got to get there before they do. Increase speed.” 

“We've got you, Mav, don't wait for me,” phoenix tells him, watching as he increases speed before doing the same. 

“Sir, Daggers 2 and 4 are behind schedule,” an officer reports. “Time to target 1 minute 20.” 

Jo manages to grab a stress ball. Where she got it, she's not sure, but right now, she doesn't care. There was nothing she could do until Rooster got his ass in gear, literally. 

“Tomahawk impact in 3,2… Impact, enemy runway is destroyed.” 

Cyclone looks like he also needs a stress ball. “They know we're coming now.” 

“Rooster, where are you?” Maverick calls out to his wingman and godson. 

Payback can't do much unless Rooster does something, anything. “Come on, Rooster, we gotta make up time now. Let's turn and burn.” 

Maverick, in the lead, encounters the long bridge, calling out to Phoenix in warning. 

The call comes at that moment. “Sir, bandits are 2 minutes from target, Daggers are 1 minute from target.” 

Warlock has taken notice of Jo's stress ball and takes her hand. She doesn't have to be so strong here. She can show nerves. They all are, he doesn't care. 

Fanboy is monitoring the lead group from the back of his two-seater. “Guys were falling behind. We really got to move!” 

“If we don't increase speed now, those bandits are gonna be waiting for us when we reach the target!” Payback yells to Rooster. 

By some miracle, Rooster gets the burst he needs to get back into the game. He increases his speed, turning on the jets, pun intended. 

“Jesus rooster, not that fast!” Payback calls, not expecting a new speed that quick. 

Maverick smiles to himself. “That's it, kid, that's it. Alright, let's go.” 

“Man, Rooster, take it easy!” Fanboy calls to him as they fly incredibly close to the canyon walls. 

Jo and Warlock take a deep breath when an officer tells them, “Sir dagger 2 is reengaging.” 

‘Alright now, hit your target and come home,” Cyclone orders. He doesn't want to lose anyone today. 

“30 seconds to target. Bob, where's my laser?” Maverick yells to his attack team. 

“Laser is a go,” Bob gives the all clear once it is calibrated. 

Maverick makes it to the first position. “Phoenix, stand by for pop-up strike.” 

“Dagger 3 in position,” she responds.

Maverick counts down. “Pop up in 3,2,1.” They maneuvers their way into launch position when Maverick calls to Bob. “You got me that target, Bob?”

“Stand by Mav,” Bob calls out. “Stand by, locked on!” 

“Target acquired,” Mav says. “Bombs away.” 

Bob makes the call. “We've got impact! Direct hit! Direct hit!” 

Jo almost collapses in relief. “That's miracle number 1,” Warlock reminds her, as well as himself. 

“Dagger 2,” Maverick calls out, needing to know where the rest of the team was. 

“Almost there, Mav, almost there,” Rooster replies. “Fanboy, where's my laser?” 

But the laser is malfunctioning. “Rooster, there's something wrong with this laser,” Fanboys calls out. “Shit, deadeye deadeye deadeye!” 

Jo almost breaks Warlock’s hand as Fanboy’s voice comes through the speakers. 

“Guys were out of time, come on Fanboy,” Rooster calls out again. 

Fanboy is doing everything he can to fix this. “Nearly there, nearly there!” 

“Come on, Fanboy, get on lock,” Payback calls out to his WSO. 

But Rooster makes an executive call. “We're out of time, I'm dropping blind. Bombs away, bombs away!” He fires his shots. 

And by some miracle (or miracle number 2), they went in. 

“Bullseye, bullseye, bullseye!” is shouted through the control room. 

“Miracle number 2,” Warlock says, giving Johanna a hug. 

But Cyclone is quick to bring them back to reality. “Now we're in Coffin Corner.” 

“We're not out of this yet,” Maverick warns as he and Phoenix officially enter SAMS territory. 

"Here it comes!" Mav yells. SAMS start firing. "Smoke in the air, smoke in the air! Break right Phoenix, break right!" 

It's pure chaos out there. Johanna can barely hear what everyone is saying, and the GPS can only tell them so much. 

"Emergency maneuvers! Here comes another one," Bob yells out. 

"Dagger defending," Maverick deploys flares. 

"Rooster, status?!" Maverick calls out.  

"Oh my god," as Rooster pulls out of Coffin  Corner. "Smoke in the air, smoke in the air!" 

"Break right, Payback, break right!" Fanboy yells out. 

"Oh my god, here they come," Fanboy warns. 

"On your six, Rooster," Payback warns. 

"Deploying counter missiles," Rooster says, hitting his buttons. "Negative contact!" 

"Dagger 1 defending," Maverick calls.  

"Talk to me, Bob!" Phoenix calls. "Break right, Phoenix, break right!"  he calls back. "9 o’clock, 9 o’clock!" 

"Rooster, 2 more on your six," Payback calls out. 

"Dagger 2 defending!" 

"Payback! Same on your nose," Maverick calls.  

"Dagger 4 defending!"  

"Oh my god!"

"Talk to me, Bob!"

"Holy shit!"

"Dagger 2 defending!"

"Tally, tally!"

"Break, right!"

"I can't see it!"

"Dagger 2 defending," Rooster calls out. "Shit, I'm out of flares!" 

"Rooster evade, evade!" Maverick tells him. "I can't shake ‘em. They're on me! They're on me!" 

"Mav!" Rooster yells out as Maverick takes a hit meant for him. "No, no!" he calls out when Maverick goes down. 

"Dagger 1, it hit, I repeat, Dagger 1 is hit!" Phoenix yells. "Maverick is down!" 

Johanna stumbles, just a bit. There had been so close to all making it back. There was no way Maverick was gone, just like that. 

"Dagger 1 status!" Rooster calls. "Status! Anyone see him? Does anyone see him? Dagger 1! Come in!" 

"I didn't see a parachute!" Payback calls out. 

"We have to circle back," Rooster insists. 

"Comanche, bandits inbound single group hot, recommend dagger fly south." 

"Get them back to the carrier now," Cyclone makes the call, looking worried for his pilots and Maverick. “But,” Johanna tries, only to be silenced by a sharp glare. 

"All daggers fly back to ECP. You have bandits headed for you," an officer radios. 

"What about Maverick?" Rooster insists. 

"Tell him there's nothing he can do for Maverick, not in a goddamn F-18!" Cyclone commands. 

"Dagger spare, requesting to launch and provide air cover," Hangman radios in, wanting to help. He had come a long way from the beginning of this detachment. And if Jo hadn't been so scared and nervous, she would be immensely proud. 

"Negative, spare," someone calls out. 

"Launch search and rescue," Warlock tries. He doesn't want to believe Maverick is gone either. The man had been a great friend over the years. 

"Negative," Cyclone answers back. "Not with bandits in the air." 

"But sir, Maverick is still out there," Hondo tries. 

"We are not losing anyone else today," Cyclone defends his decision. "Get them home now!" 

And as much as Johanna hates to admit it, she can see exactly where Cyclone is coming from. She's had to make similar decisions, albeit on a much smaller scale, during missions for NCIS. It never gets easier, but sometimes you need to do what's best for the whole, not just the individual. 

"Dagger, you are not to engage, repeat, do not engage." 

"Rooster, those bandits are closing. We can't go back," Phoenix tells him. 

"Rooster, he's gone. Mavericks gone," Bob says. 

And then Rooster decides to follow in his godfather’s footsteps, quite literally, and disobey orders. His plane gets shot down, and now two pilots are lost. "Dagger 2 is hit. Dagger 2 is hit." 

Cyclone looks down in despair while Warlock looks worried. "Dagger 2, come in, Dagger 2, do you copy?" an officer radios. 

There is no answer. 

"Dagger 2, come in." Still nothing. 

Jo looks down. There is no way they just lost two people. They were almost home free. 

Almost.

✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈

Word count: 1,933

I honest to God think this is the most of the mission I've ever written. Aka, the ENTIRE mission sequence. This is like 20 minutes of the movie. 

I am cramping and my head hurts from writing this chapter, so I hope yall like it. 

There wasn't much Jo could really do, as she doesn't have the power to make these decisions. She was mostly there for advice, but there wasn't much she could give in the short time frame of the mission. 

But next chapter we get a fun little cameo and a good wrap up before the epilogue, so stay tuned and be ready. 

See you next time. Bye guys!!