After the incredibly awkward run-in Jo and Javy had that morning, the two actively avoided the other's eye. Although Javy was really only doing it so she didn't feel uncomfortable with his stare. 

Both fortunately and unfortunately, it was time for Phase 1 of the mission to be addressed. 

The timer situated on the screen at the front of the room was set to 3 minutes. Maverick stood just off to the side of the screen, allowing everyone to see the timer. 

"Time is your greatest enemy," he begins pointing at the screen. "Phase One of the mission will be a low-level attack with 2 flank teams. You will be flying along the narrow canyon walls to the target. The radar guided surface-to-air missiles defend the area; these SAMS are lethal." 

At this, everyone looks around at each other, wondering the same thing. What exactly is this mission? Jo was trying her best not to show any outward nerves, but she had begun to sway on her feet a bit. 

"But they were designed to protect the skies above, not the canyon below," Maverick continues, pointing to the animated graphic of the course. 

Without hesitation, Rooster calls out, "That's because the enemy knows that no one is insane enough to try and fly below them." A point which many of the other pilots agree with if the looks on their faces are anything to go off of. Jo simply raised an eyebrow, knowing Maverick's plan for this mission. 

"That's exactly what I'm going to train you to do,'' Maverick immediately replies. Now, everyone is highly intrigued. No one was expecting him to say that. 

"On the day, your altitude will be 100 feet maximum," he continues. Phoenix and Bob look at each other skeptically and a little worried. "You exceed this altitude, the radars spit you, you're dead. Your air speed will be 660 knots minimum."  Fanboy and Payback look at each other, concern written on both their faces. 

Now Javy looks directly at Johanna. She gives him a slight nod, telling him this was serious. There was a reason she told him now wasn't a good time, and she meant it. 

Maverick continues, looking at the screen. "Time to target, two and a half minutes, that's because fifth generation fighters are waiting at an airbase nearby. And a head-to-head with these planes in your F-18s, you're dead. That's why you need to get in, hit your target, and be gone before these planes have a chance of catching you." 

He pauses, looking at each of the aviators to make sure they understand the severity of what he has just said. His goal is to bring everyone home alive, and he can't make that happen if they don't understand. 

"This makes time your greatest adversary," Maverick leaves off, everyone getting ready to fly the course. 

"You'll fly a route in your nav system that simulates the canyon. The faster you navigate this canyon, the harder it will be to stay under the radar of these SAMS. The tighter the turns, the more intensely the force of gravity your body multiplies. Compressing your lungs, forcing the blood from your brain, impairing your judgment and reaction time." 

If there was one thing Johanna didn't miss from flying, it was that. The feeling of G's took a toll on the body, one she never wanted to experience again. At first, it was almost exhilarating. The adrenaline pumping as she pushed herself faster than most people could ever dream of. But then she noticed how she hurt afterward. How headaches began to form much easier and how her need for speed was almost constant. 

Johanna went fast in her life during her time flying. And it had almost cost her her life. 

The tension in the room is palpable. No one was expecting this when they were called back to Top Gun. Regardless of the fact that they are the best of the best, this mission seemed impossible. 

Without giving them too much time to think and dwell, Maverick finally gives them that day's assignment. "So for today's exercise, we're gonna take it easy on you. Max ceiling 300 feet, time to target 3 minutes." 

Everyone looks at each other, trying to comprehend what they are about to do. 

"Good luck."

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

Coyote, Phoenix, and Bob are up first. 

"Time to target is a minute and thirty. We are two seconds behind. Increase speed to 490 knots," Bob informs. 

Johanna had connected her set-up to the monitors in the room so everyone could see. The simulation was up on the screen, a 3D model of the canyons and jets allowing everyone to see, in real time, what worked and what didn't. 

"We gotta move Coyote," Phoenix relays through the radio. 

"Copy, increasing speed," Coyote informs, but he hesitates and doesn't move fast enough. (Almost reluctantly, Johanna makes a note of this, knowing he will need to work on it.)

Phoenix has to pull up in order to avoid crashing, causing her to go past the hard deck and be hit by SAMS.

Having failed this run, the trio head back to the hanger where the rest of the detachment was waiting. Once they arrived and sat down, Maverick got right to the point. 

"Why are they dead?" He asks the aviators seriously, looking at the three who had just run the course. 

"We broke the 300 foot ceiling, and a SAM took us out," Phoenix replies. 

"No, why are they dead," he asks Coyote specifically this time. 

"I slowed down, and I didn’t give her a warning. It’s my fault," Coyote admits. 

"Is there a reason you didn’t communicate with your team?" Maverick pushes. He needs them to understand just how serious this is. 

"I was focused…" Coyote begins, but he's quickly cut off. 

"One that their families will accept at their funerals?" Maverick questions seriously. 

"No sir," Coyote replies, realizing the magnitude of the question. 

Jo bit her lip, remaining quiet. She wasn't flying. She wasn't brought in to assist in the running of this mission. She was here to teach them how to be covert and aware while offering assistance in team selection. 

"Why didn’t you anticipate the turn? You were briefed on the terrain," he now questions Phoenix. 

Phoenix tries to come up with an answer. 

"Don't tell me, tell it to his family," Maverick gestures to Bob. 

Needing to break up the heavy feeling that had settled in the room, Johanna cleared her throat. “Hangman, Payback and Fanboy, you're up next.” 

Well, that run didn't go well either. Hangman lived up to his name and left his wingman to make good time, meaning Payback had to catch up. 

"What happened?" Maverick questions Hangman, Payback, and Fanboy after their failed run. Jo was honestly ready to strangle Hangman. He was clearly not understanding the purpose of these runs. 

"Well, I flew as fast as I could, kinda like my ass depended on it," Hangman replies with his usual smirk. 

"And you put your team in danger, and your wingman’s dead," Rooster deadpanned. Jo nodded her head at what he said. 

"They couldn't keep up," Hangman replies without hesitation, a smirk on his face. 

She couldn't take it anymore. “Alright then, Lieutenant. You can be the one to inform Payback's fiancé that he won't be waiting for her at the end of the aisle. And to Fanboy's two year old daughter she no longer has her father.” 

That shut the man up in an instant. In fact, it shut everybody up. Maverick had made the point about family in general. But Johanna was making it personal, naming specific members who would no longer have their person. 

The rest of the day ran similarly, each group running the course and failing for one reason or another. 

By the end, both Maverick and Johanna were frustrated. They needed to be ready in such a short amount of time, and so far, they were nowhere close. 

The two looked at each other, having similar thoughts. 

This was gonna be a lot of work. 

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Word count: 1,350

We are in training mode people!! And Johanna is having none of the attitude. She's lost good friends during her tenure in the Navy AND NCIS. She doesn't want to lose this detachment as well. 

We will be diving into some more serious topics and thoughts in this story. It's probably the most serious I've ever written and that's ok. Jo has seen a lot of things that make her wary of caring for people. 

But please enjoy what we've got now and anticipate what's to come. See you next time. Buy guys!!!