The announcement came at the end of Captain Reeves's tactical navigation class.
"Paired leadership evaluation," Reeves said, her scarred face impassive as she surveyed the room. "Starting next week. You'll be assigned a partner. Together, you'll command a simulated crew through a series of crisis scenarios. Your scores will be combined—you succeed together or you fail together."
A murmur ran through the class. Paired evaluations were rare, and everyone knew why: they were brutal. Command was hard enough alone. Sharing it meant coordinating with someone whose instincts might be completely different from your own.
"Partners are assigned, not chosen," Reeves continued. "The pairings are final. Do not come to me with objections—I don't care about your personal preferences. In the fleet, you
