Heart Of Glass -Rooster Bradshaw-

Chapter Five

The group sat in the classroom again Warlock standing at the front to deliver some news.
"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." He spoke. Phoenix and Storm shared a concerning look there was no way they could be ready by then they didn't even have the path and terrain figured out. Storm sighed and turned looking at Rooster.

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

"Neverthe less, you've been ordered to move on. Captain." Warlock nodded and walked back to the side letting Maverick walk to the front.
Storm sighed and crossed her arms, there was no way her father was going to let her fly this mission and she didn't want that to be true. Because he wanted to protect her but yet it was holding back Phoenix and Storm.

"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." Mav held up two fingers and Phoenix and Storm shared another look both of their eyebrows furrowed as everyone wondered how this was going to be possible.
"Two pairs of F-18s will fly in a welded wing formation. Team work, precise coordination of these aircraft is essential to both the missions success and your survival. As you know the plant rests between two mountains. On first approach you'll invert directly into a steep dive. This allows you to maintain the lowest possible altitude and the only possible attack angle. Your target is an impact angle point less than meters wide." Mav went on about this damn near impossible mission.
All of the pilots sharing worried glances with each other, who would be the ones who were able to fly this?

"Egress is a steep high-G climb out to avoid hitting this mountain." Mav clasped his hands together.

"A steep climb at that speed you're pulling at least eight G's," Storm spoke up looking at her father.

"Nine. Minimum." Mav corrected her.

"The stress limit of the F-18's airframe is 7.5." Rooster looked up at him.

"That's the accepted limit, to survive this mission you'll pull beyond that. Even if it means bending our airframe. You'll be pulling so hard you'll weigh close to 2,000 pounds. Your skull crushing your spine your lungs imploding like an elephant 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." Mav pointed as he began going on.
Storm sighed as she bit at her knuckle a thing she did when she was nervous.
They were going to fly a model track of it after and she was scared and excited. She needed to prove herself. The plain idea of even dog fighting with SAMs seemed impossible and terrifying.
Once Mav finished Phoenix opened up.

"Sir is this even achievable?" She raised her eyebrows.

"The answer to that question will come down to the pilot in the box." Mav looked over the class of pilots. All of them turning heads and glancing at others.

Finally they were up in the air practicing, "Talk to me Storm?" Phoenix called into the radio.

"We are 12 seconds late on target. We gotta move!" Storm replied looking at the radars and around.

"Copy! Try to stay with me!" Coyote responded.

"Huh? Wait who's that?" Storm looked at the radar as another air craft came into view.

"Blue team you've been spotted," Mav came over flying above them.

"Shit it's Maverick." Coyote sighed.