Two weeks after the reboot of the Stargate and it's base of operations
"Princess Celestia will see you now Princess Luna," announced a guard by the royal hall doors.
Luna stood up and thanked the guard and entered the hall. Personally Luna had never spent much time in the Royal hall, so every time she visited the decorations and stained glass windows were added and changed. The only window she recognized was the one with the elements of harmony. She remember the dark times she spent on the moon. Every day was spent planning on how to overthrow Celestia's rule, but when the day was over all she did was look at the stars and tried to imagine what could lie beyond them.
However through the Stargate, Luna was able to learn more about the galaxy and the other beings within it. Being in the position of Head General on the base she herself never used the gate all she ever learned was from the mission reports brought back by other teams. Every time Luna read one of the reports she felt like a child reading a fantasy story, a book about far away places, strange creatures, and hidden treasures that were hidden among the stars. Still would all those feelings return when the project is running again? Luna turned away and continued to the throne room.
Luna reached the doors, took a deep breath, and pushed it the doors in with her hoof. The doors glided effortlessly towards the wall. Princess Celestia was standing on a balcony which overlooked some of the Equestrian towns.
Celestia heard Luna's entrance and turned. "Ah you're here, please come and tell me what you wanted to discuss."
Luna approached the balcony and looked around. "Actually sister I was hoping to talk privately and with some confidence."
The Princess nodded her head and closed the balcony doors behind them. She again turned her attention to Luna. "What is so troubling that you wanted to speak in solitary?"
Luna narrowed her eyes. "Its about the Stargate."
Celestia's tone became much more serious. "What? Is their a problem with the gate or has another issue presented itself."
"Actually its something that I didn't mention in my assessment of the gate's condition. You see when we restored power to the command center the gate activated, but what I didn't report was that the iris was open."
"What do you mean!? I ordered the iris to be shut when the base was decommissioned," Princess Celestia started to sound nervous thinking what could happened in the last 15 years.
"No intruders were reported in the base in the last 15 years, and power records so that no electricity was present at the gate in the years of its decommissioning,"
Celestia sighed with relief while Luna continued. "But what worries me is that as soon as I restored internal power to the control center and the gate, we received an incoming portal. I think someone was waiting for the Equestrian gate to reactivate and come here."
"Luna, do you supposed it was the changelings?"
Luna lowered her head. "I really have no idea. But if the changelings are preparing another attack they will be a lot smarter this time around."
"Well I suppose our need for the Stargate will be stronger than ever if the changelings manage to make it to Equestria," noted Celestia.
"Sister, we will not be able to find any aide using the Stargate quickly enough to protect ourselves from the changelings if they arrive here either by space or by overtaking our Stargate. If anything we need to know what is going on before making an public announcements."
"Luna are you suggesting something? Like something along the lines of traveling to their world first and investigating if they still pose a major threat to Equestria?"
"Well the trouble with that is that our recon team has not been formed and nopony from the original Project signed up for the team." Luna looked up to the sky. " I can't blame them, the reconnaissance group often ran into the most trouble."
"Luna, I believe you have the right to look through the Wonder-Bolt files, after all you are the Head General, why not make a new team?" Inquired Celestia.
"It's hard to pick new members that meet the requirements of the Stargate program."
The Princess turned around and open the doors to the balcony and stepped back inside. "Luna I trust that you will make the right decision. I don't want two weeks of careful restoration to go to waste so please have a new team ready as soon as possible."
The two bowed to each other and Luna left the palace and headed off for the Wonder-Bolts Academy.
Later at the Wonder-Bolts Academy.
Luna arrived at the base and was immediately greeted by two officers. "Princess Luna Ma'm we have an insubordination issue we want you to handle."
"Excuse me but I have just arrived from a meeting with Princess Celestia, Please allow me some time alone in my office."
The officers looked at each other, then one spoke out. "We're sorry Ma'm but we've already placed her in your office. We'll remove her right away.
Princess Luna stuck out her hoof. "No sirs that will not be necessary," she sighed and headed down towards her office.
Luna's office was unfortunately placed near the main training grounds of the new recruits. Often when she was signing papers or meeting with other officers, recruits would find themselves hitting the side of her office on the account of the Dizzatron. As a result her office was used as parts for jokes around the Wonder-Bolt academy. However she was more curious as to whom was waiting in her office. Luna had never had to deal with an insubordination charge, she did however used to scare new recruits that a big enough mess would land them in her office, but when they started hitting her office wall instead of the ground she decided to stop.
She reached her office door and stopped. "Okay Luna," she thought to herself. "This isn't a big deal just go in and carry yourself with professionalism. After all it has been awhile since you've had to handle something yourself. She straighten her posture and open the door. The Wonder-Bolt sitting in her office quickly stood up and saluted so fast that it surprised Luna. She did however get a glance at her rank, the badge read 2nd Lieutenant. "At ease Lieutenant, please sit back down." The Wonder-Bolt obeyed and sat back in the chair. Luna walked over to her desk. There was a file on top of all her paperwork. The file was labeled in red lettering. It read "Lightning Dust". Luna looked at the young flyer who appeared to be very annoyed. "Is this your file?" Luna asked. The Wonder-Bolt nodded her head.
Luna sat down and open the file and began reading some of the information out loud. "2nd Lieutenant Lighting Dust, born in the pegasus city of Cloudsdale. Attended Ponyville-high with a major in flight. And not too long ago you've become a leader of your own flight team. And you've shown the Wonder-Bolt academy high promise and potential, but you seem to have displayed problem with distinguishing the line of overachieving and being hardheaded." Luna closed the file and tossed it to the side and looked at Lighting Dust. "So.....?
Lighting blinked. "What Ma'm?"
"What's your side of the story? You do have one right?"
The Lieutenant locked her eyes with a window off to the side. "What does it matter? You have my file right there." She pointed to the folder with her hoof.
Luna looked out the window and noticed Spitfire prepping the new recruits for the Dizzatron and got a headache, but she turned back to Lightning Dust. "Yes I have your file, but I don't exactly care whats in here. I want to hear what you have to say about this. Besides if you stay at the academy this incident will haunt and follow you. So please just tell me what happened and maybe this can be handled with minimal damage to your record," suggested Luna. "After all you are one of the top flyers in your class and I don't think that you want to hurt that reputation."
Lighting cleared her throat and recalled the afternoon events. "Ma'm everything happened right after my squad and myself left the mess hall. We were late meeting our commanding officer so we all had to do wing-ups. Everypony was almost finished when I heard yelling off to my side. An instructor was screaming at a recruit who was clearly struggling with the exercises. I flew over and...." Lighting paused. "I interrupted him. He ordered me to leave, but I accused him of pushing the recruit too hard. And from there things escalated and I ended up here." Lighting turned back and faced the General. "And that's my side of the story."
"Well Lighting-Dust...." Luna picked the file back off her desk and read it again, Lightning noticed the General's eyes scanning the report. Luna sighed. "Unfortunately your story matches the one in this folder." She crossed her hooves and placed them on top of the desk. "Well Lieutenant you have two options. Lighting Dust leaned forward in her chair. "Option one: Your rank will be pulled and you will be set back to Wing-Pony first class, and you will continue your service at the academy, but you will lose command of your squad and some other pony will take leadership of it." Luna noticed Lighting started to grind her teeth. She tried to ignore it and continued. "Option two: Pack your bags and head home.
Lighting grew sad and thought for a minute. She then stood up and saluted. "It was a pleasure serving with the Wonder-Bolts Ma'm. I'll have my bags packed within the hour.
Luna was surprised by Lighting Dust's decision. "Lighting are you sure you want to leave? We'd hate to lose an excellent flyer such as yourself." Luna tried smiling but she knew nothing right now could sway Lighting's decision.
The former Lieutenant saluted again. "Goodbye Ma'm." Lightning Dust turned and exited the General's office.
Luna stared at the file lying on her desk. A thought echoed in her mind. "Luna, I believe you have the right to look through the Wonder-Bolt files after all you are the Head General, why not make a new team?" She looked at the paper then stared at the door. She ran up to the door and threw it open. Lightning Dust was talking with some other cadets. They looked back at the door when they heard it open. When they recognize the general they straightened up and saluted. Luna approached the group. She motioned Lighting Dust to follow. The two began to walk back to her office.
"What do you need General?" asked Lightning Dust.
Luna turned to Lighting and smiled. "Please lets talk in my office." The two were back in the room sitting down although this time Lightning looked pretty confused.
"Ma'm what did you want to talk about?"
General Luna leaned forward and smiled again. "I would like to discuss your third option. If you are willing to listen."