Righteous - Bradley Bradshaw

~Miracle numbers 1-3

After running into Top Gun late, Bradley and Oakley take seats beside each other as Admiral Bates says "Good morning." 

Natasha turns around and looks at the two of them smirking. 

"Nothing happened." Oakley mouths to her. 

"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 one week in order to avoid contaminating the target valley with radiation." Bradley sits a little straighter, looking at Oakley. 

"Sir, no one here has successfully flown a low-level course." Coyote speaks up.

"Nevertheless, you've been ordered to move on. Captain." Shivering in her seat, Oakley tries to push away the nerves that suddenly appeared. No one can fly it and yet they are ordered to continue. Someone is not coming home from this. 

"We have one week left to focus on phase two. It's the most difficult stage of the mission. It's a pop-up strike with a steep dive, requiring nothing less than two consecutive miracles. Two pairs of F-18s will fly in a welded wing formation. Teamwork." Oakley scoffs as Jake looks around the room before landing his eyeline on her. 

"Precise coordination of these aircraft is essential to both the mission's success and your survival. As you know, the plant rests between two mountains. On final approach, you'll invert directly into a steep dive." Bradley's knee starts bouncing and he fiddles with his fingers. Not breaking eye contact with the screen behind Maverick, Oakley puts her hand on his knee to calm him down. 

"This allows you to maintain the lowest possible altitude and the only possible attack angle. Your target is an impact point less than three meters wide. 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 a exposed ventilation hatch. This will create an opening for the second pair. That's miracle number one." 

"Right only one. Like that's easy." Bob mutters under his breathe. Oakley feels for the guy, everyone looks a little rattled with what they have to do. 

"The second team will deliver the kill shot and destroy the target. That's miracle number two." Why is two so easy? 

"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 G's." Jake points out and for once he looks concerned. 

"Nine, minimum." Oakley's jaw drops as that number just rolls off Mav's tongue. 

"The stress limit of the F-18s airframe is 7.5." Bradley speaks up, moving his hand to hold Oakley's. 

"That's the accepted limit. To survive this mission, you'll pull beyond that, even if it means bending your airframe." Oakley knows that Admiral Simpson is pissed with that comment. 

"You'll be pulling so hard, you'll weigh close to 2,000 pounds, your skill crushing your spine, your lungs imploding like an elephants sitting on your chest, fighting with everything you have just to keep from blacking out. And this is where you'll be at your most vulnerable. This is Coffin Corner."