(Lyka explains how her armor used for her duty in the Sirian Defense Force can’t be altered but we do get to hear a bit more about it. Besides a the usual radios and a computer that displays everyone's status, they are outfitted with groin protection she refers to as steel panties.) 

---

Lyka: okay, questions?

Russ: how's...(a tape error occurred at that point)

Lyka: oh life's going great, I'm glad to be back on the base, glad to be back with my love.

Russ: well that's good. So.........I was going to ask you something.

Lyka: yes, hard to not be able to shout from the highest place that I found my love.

Russ: true. Don't you, do you still have the same problems that your former commander had? That in the field with your uniform?

Lyka: yes.

Russ: have you fixed that yet?

Lyka: there is no fixing for it because of the amount of equipment that's carried under there.

Russ: why not talk to Kiri or......

Lyka: because Kiri doesn't understand the problems.

Russ: how about Leah?

Lyka: Leah doesn't understand the problems, you have to be in combat to understand the problems.

Russ: so what if you put one of them in a simulated combat in a simulator and went through the combat in the uniform that they were wearing?

Lyka: do you think we would've come up with something?

Russ: I would think so but it doesn't sound like an impossible problem to do.

Lyka: you need as much movement as possible and there's a whole load of equipment that strapped around there. Besides, it's not every planet that has those kind of weapons. 

(lasers the suit is designed to deflect)

Russ: true. There's got to be an easier way. How do the guys do it?

Lyka: the guys?

Russ: yeah.

Lyka: they have the same armor. The only difference between us and the guys is in the women's non-commissioned officers outfit and the ranks they have the or we have the tight fitted groin protection. Basically like a pair of steel panties?

Russ: right.

Lyka: doesn't work in the officers outfits.

Russ: why not?

Lyka: because of the amount of equipment.

Russ: oh.

Lyka: for the steel panties to work right? They do away with the skirt, the metal skirt, the metal skirt is there because of the equipment because with the equipment you do away with the panties for the groin protection and everything.

Russ: don't you get a little bit exposed though?

Lyka: no, because the armor protects you. That shot was a million to one. Ricocheting off the ground and straight up? 

(the laser shot that killed her former commander during combat)

Russ: true. I just worry about you darling.

Lyka: hey, if I'm going to die then I die, I've done my duty, I've kept my oath but I'm planning to retire as a general.

Russ: general what?

Lyka: a general nuisance.

Russ: ahh, that's what I thought. Okay, well that will work then.

Lyka: besides, there's going to be five years where I won't be able to go into combat.

Russ: well your school work?

Lyka: well, that's not including my schoolwork.

Russ: oh, well why wouldn't you go into combat?

Lyka: mothers aren't allowed to go into combat and as soon as I finished my schooling, I want to be a mother.

Russ: ahh.

Lyka: so you're talking nine years down the road before I get back into combat.

Russ: well that's good.

Lyka: uh-huh.

Russ: well maybe by then they'll figure something out anyway.

Lyka: hopefully, hopefully. You've got to remember the amount of equipment that we carry. In that area we have our receivers, our transmitters, our little computers that tell us the status of everybody, there's a lot of stuff that is carried down in that area as well as up through the back.

Russ: well, who knows what nine years will bring.

Lyka: who knows. Maybe in nine years I'll be up for another commission and have to spend another four years at college.