Regan lifted her sword. It had been cut at a sloping angle halfway down the blade that left it with a wicked point. 

Kessler shook her head. 'Clever girl. You got me to cut your blade down to size.' 

She tapped the flat of her blade against her boot and looked at Regan speculatively. 'However, you sacrificed your left arm to do it. In your current condition that kind of sacrifice will be fatal.' 

Warm blood flowed freely from the deep gashes in Regan's arm and hand. Her face was impassive, but she swayed a little as the loss of blood made her light headed. Kessler saw her waver and lifted her sword.

Her expression transformed. She didn't gloat or smile, instead the emotion drained out of her like sand through a sieve, leaving her blank and cold. This was the demeanour of a silencer preparing to move in for a kill. 

There was a deep groan of metal as the ship shifted on the waves. Kessler changed her stance, moving her weight onto her back foot. Regan watched her carefully. 

Kessler sprang fast. Faster even than before. She came at Regan like a force of nature, and their swords struck sparks as they clashed. She hit Regan with two strikes, high and low, in quick succession. Regan caught them and feinted into the shadows. 

Kessler paused for an instant. 

Regan changed the direction of her attack, suddenly appearing from the shadows again. Her sword swiped through the air, aiming for Kessler's neck. Kessler's eyes widened as she brought her sword up to try and block the attack, but Regan was too fast. Her shortened sword was more agile than Kessler's full length blade. It sailed past before Kessler could reach it. 

There was no way Kessler could protect herself. In desperation, she suddenly threw herself backwards. The point of Regan's blade nicked the milk white skin of her throat as she hurtled back and hit the deck shoulder first. She rolled to her feet and lifted a hand to her neck. As she examined her bloody fingers, a brief look of irritation passed across her face. There was a thin line of red just under her jaw. A droplet of blood swelled at the corner of the cut and rolled down the line of her throat. 

'You still have the ability to surprise me. Perhaps that attack would have killed me if you were at full capacity, but your body is too damaged to be able to catch me with speed alone. I've seen enough to know that I have you on technique and power. Maybe you'll get lucky again, but I don't think so.' 

'That wasn't luck,' said Regan. 'You must have known you were going to have to fight me, but you haven't bothered to change your style. There's nothing unexpected and nothing new. You could have killed me in the first ten seconds, but instead you came at me with the same tactics I've seen a thousand times before. It doesn't matter how good your technique is if I know what's coming.' 

'We both know you have certain other advantages.' 

'My craft?' 

The words hung in the air between them. 

Regan shook her head. 'I knew you'd betrayed me the moment I realised they knew I had a craft. There was only one person on earth I'd shared that secret with.' 

'So much for all Tevellian's fancy mind games. He was so convinced that he had you and your craft in the palm of his hand.' 

'Is that why you betrayed me? To rip out my craft and take it for yourself?' 

'Does it make a difference?' 

'I want to understand.' 

Kessler shrugged. 'It was simple accounting. You were the price Unity wanted, and when I balanced out the numbers you were worth more dead than alive.' 

Regan wiped a droplet of rain from her cheek. 'I think I would have preferred it if your motives were simple jealousy. At least it would have been personal, but you turned me into a product to be sold. You reduced me to the level of a transaction. I think I hate you most for that.' 

'How disgustingly sentimental. Everything in life is a transaction. We buy and sell each other all the time. Don't try and kid yourself that you're different. You're not a unique little snowflake; you're just like everyone else.' 

'You sold me too cheaply, Kessler. You picked the wrong side of the bargain, and now you're going to die.'

'I doubt it.' 

Regan flew at Kessler with surprising speed. Kessler moved back defensively as their swords struck, but Regan didn't pause. Her attacks came in a relentless stream that clashed and deflected off Kessler's sword. 

It was the frantic ferocity of a cornered animal, but slowly Regan's attacks began to get faster. Kessler blocked Regan's strikes with shattering blows of her own that threw her backwards, but every time she tried to give herself space, Regan came back even faster. It was like she was taking Kessler's power and reflecting it back at her with every strike. Soon, Kessler was using all of her speed just to keep up. 

Her cold demeanour didn't waver. 

'This is your last ditch attack Regan. Your body is destroyed and your energy is gone. The only thing supporting you is your hatred for me.' 

Regan lashed out with a spinning slash that almost tore Kessler's sword from her hands.  

Kessler swore. 

It wasn't just Regan's speed that was increasing, but her power too. Soon the two silencers were matching each other power for power. Kessler was expecting Regan to collapse at any moment, but she just kept coming. It was like a switch had been flicked inside her that freed her from the pain and fatigue of her injuries. 

They locked swords and came together until their heads were almost touching. Kessler was breathing heavily now, and her shoulders tensed with the struggle of holding Regan back. 

'Where did you get this power?' 

Regan's eyes burned as she tried to force Kessler backwards. There was a metallic screech as the blades scraped across one another. 

'You don't fight like someone who wants to survive,' said Kessler. 

'If I could put a sword through your chest, I'd happily traipse through the gates of hell.' 

Regan shoved Kessler backwards with a forceful push that opened her guard. It was only for a moment, but Kessler's blade was thrust aside, leaving her completely undefended. Regan came at her with an animal snarl. Her sword flashed as she stabbed for Kessler's heart. 

Kessler smiled. 

Suddenly, her blade changed direction. 

The movement was like the flick of a swallow's wing. It whipped under Regan's guard and drew a deep gash across her stomach. Blood spattered across the rusty deck. 

Regan's mouth opened in pain and surprise as she reeled back and stumbled. Her hand lifted to her stomach and a rose of blood blossomed around it. She tried to regain her balance and almost fell as one of her legs collapsed under her. A dazed look of confusion passed across her face. 

'You managed to avoid being cut in half, but it doesn't matter,' said Kessler. 'The wound is deep. You barely have control of your legs anymore and you're haemorrhaging blood. The fight is over.' 

'You--,' Regan tried to speak. 

'You were wrong, Regan. I was prepared for you. I know all the gaps in your training because I put them there. I've been prepared for you all along.' 

Regan was fading fast. Her eyes started to become glassy as Kessler advanced on her. Rainwater dripped from her matted blue hair and dropped past her eyes like jewels suspended in space. 

'Goodbye Regan.' 

Regan stepped backwards into empty air. With blood pouring from her stomach, she fell backwards over the edge of the ship and into the darkness, where she was promptly claimed by the sea below.