"Women do not typically make for soldiers on Barrayar," Piotr says shortly, and it's neither a confirmation nor a denial, simply another statement to meet hers. But he has by no means written her off yet. He just needs to be sold on it.

Her physical capabilities are not even remotely in question. Piotr might be painfully Barrayaran, but he's no fool, and it doesn't take a genius to see that this woman could probably bench press any man in this army. But there's far more to soldiering than brute strength.

"And what sort of work do you do in your military?"