Even here language found ways to strike at her. She'd let too much of it into herself, fool that she was. If she was not contaminated with the implications tied up in the word 'victory' she would have fought differently. If she was not contaminated with the implications tied up in the word 'Akaithon' she would have not have misidentified her opponent. A valuable lesson. There were many words to forget before she could be perfect.

Dispense with history, culture, backstory, habit, sentiment. See the world as it was. Her opponent was the Kathresis and it had tried to strike at her heart. She must armour it.

She considers first her damaged leg. Its removal would help optimize her firing vectors. Away with it - a clean slice, leaving her balancing on one foot in the centre of the ring. She considers next her defense. With physical evasion reduced she will be reliant on thrusters which would have her move in predictable patterns. She accepts this - aesthetic commitment to perfection added risk she could no longer tolerate. Killing Ak- killing the pilot was unacceptable. Her opponent knew this and used it, reducing her vectors for possible attack to a single point. 

The Aeteline opened its cockpit hatch and deployed its anti-personnel sniper rifle. The pilot wielded it, long rifle held up to her eye, mind-impulse cable running from the pilot's neck into the body of the machine. The Aeteline stilled the pilot's breathing, quieted her mind. Less distractions from the important work of calculating vector, angle, momentum and target silhouette. Optical arrays shifted and configured, tracking the darting motions of the Kathresis. Computer cylinders shifted and whirred, the immense energy of the reactor pouring into calculations so advanced they bordered precognition. 

The Aeteline's target was even more perilous than the enemy pilot. It was the enemy pilot's mind-impulse cable. If the Kathresis wished to fight her, let it do so directly. She would do it the same honour.

[Defy Disaster: [b]13[/b]]