The Exchange Test

"Lieutenant Commander Shedd, anything to add?" the young officer asked.

"Lieutenant Commander Whyte, how about we mix things up and exchange cadets for the test? I've heard NMA students are pretty tough, and I'm curious to see if that's true." Erin's eyes gleamed with interest as she spoke.

Typically, each officer would test their own students separately, so this was definitely out of the ordinary.

Cohen frowned slightly but quickly shrugged it off. It was a reasonable request, and refusing it might create more tension than necessary.

"Alright."

Grains looked a bit bummed. He had hoped to get a closer look at his idol.

Kogar, Cohen's assistant, started off by testing the EPMA students. They were put through their paces in a range of skills—mecha operation, close combat, and even things like wound treatment.