Equestrian Aero-Space Administration Facility "Luna", Apollo Mission Headquarters, Meritorious Island

Luna and Twilight frowned with worry as scientists in white uniforms paced the halls. Behind them was the door leading to Equestria's third and most powerful magicomputer. On that computer was a simulation of the upcoming mission running over five thousand times. They didn't have time for more than a few rocket tests, certainly not enough time to send a probe to the asteroids and back. This was the only test they could run that covered the whole trip.

There was a soft ding. Too gentle of an alarm for what it implied.

The tests had passed the simulator. There was a 5% chance of death or less, good odds for Equestria's first launch of a populated craft into space.

It'd have to do.

The scientists from before were already moving. Phone calls were being made, calculations being rechecked, equipment being moved.

It would take the rocket a week to reach the asteroids, every life support and guidance system had to run perfectly, or the mission would end in a possibly fatal catastrophe.

The calculated risk hadn't included sentient error, but that was impossible to predict. One mistake might kill or save everyone... If Ying and Yang could decide who they were sending.

Ying and Yang, National heroes, rocket scientists, military commanders, twins, possibly symbiotic. The two stallions spoke as one almost 90% of the time, dated mares and stallions together, and nobody asked what happened when they took dates home together. The ones take there refuse to talk, on grounds they don't want to risk not being able to go back. They were big, brave, smart, and best of all, almost always decisive as a unit... but not today.

"SPITFIRE, AGENT TT, FLASH SENTRY, AND TWILIGHT!" Ying roared, chasing his twin down the hall.

"DARING DO, TWILIGHT, AGENT TT, AND SOARIN!" Yang shouted back, throwing a book case onto his brother.

Celestia had ordered a team with a split gender ratio, two males, two females. Ying and Yang were normally great with this, but one misstep and both had been arguing over it ever since. Luna stepped up to the two stallions, and pulled them apart with her magic.

Twilight looked on unamused. The two twins were like pent up versions of the aloe sisters, except they were black and white, and male, and... well they were like aloe sisters except for a lot of things, but no comparison was perfect.

"fuck." Now Twilight felt the insatiable urge to categorize each and every distinction between the two sets of twins, a compulsion if you will. She almost relapsed, but a comforting hoof from Luna brought her back. She'd been skirting the edge there, but friends always kept friends from manic curiosity rampages.

"SPITFIRE HAS REAL EXPERIENCE LEADING A TEAM!"

"SHE'S A BIG FAT JOCKTARD! DARING DO HAS HAD MORE EXPERIENCE WITH FOREIGN SPECIES THAN ANY MEMBER OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS!

"YOU'RE JUST A BIG FAT DARING DO FANBOY!"

YEAH? WELL YOU ARE JUST SOME BIG FAT LEATHER FETISHIST WHO LUSTS AFTER MILITARY MARES!"

"TAKE THAT BACK! I LOVE SPITFIRE FOR MORE THAN HER LOOKS! YOU'RE JUST AFTER DARING DO'S FAT ASS BECAUSE SHE'S RICH!"

"DARING DO'S FLANKS OUTCLASS YOUR MUSCLE BRAINED CRUSH!" Ying and Yang rolled across the floor, hooves flying. Luna didn't even bother to try and break up their fight this time.

"Gentleponies, I've come to a decision." She didn't need to. Ying and Yang were at attention before Twilight could blink. "The Crew shall be Agent TT, Daring Do, Spitfire, and someone you two can agree on. No ifs ands or buts. I'm sorry Twilight, but you just don't have enough experience working with agents in the field and you're too important to risk."

Twilight felt her jaw hit the floor. Where had this come from?! She was a princess, a element of harmony, and a... duchess... maybe there was something to the whole too important to risk thing now. Before, it was her job, but with only 4 seats they elements of harmony couldn't be sent together, and were too vulnerable apart to be sent. This... this made sense.

Twilight had been in the backseat before. She had no idea if Spike was going to be successful, he almost wasn't. That didn't make this any less scary. Her life, the lives of everypony being in the hooves of four other ponies she hardly knew. She'd put her faith in friends not strangers.

Was this part of being a princess? Sitting back and hoping that the ponies you've trusted can do their job? Is this even half of what Celestia felt sending her to Ponyville that first time?

Hope... She had to hope that the alien was friendly. She had to hope that the ponies she and Luna were sending would make peaceful contact. Hope seemed a bit stretched thin right now.

"Daring do is still- oww!"

Author's Note

Hey, please get some apples