Bennet's shoes squeaked on the linoleum floor as she walked through the infirmary. Every third or fourth step, she skipped a little as if she was about to break into a run. She had a flash drive clutched in her hand with a copy of Regan's fight that she held like a precious jewel. She smoothly evaded a wheelchair being pushed in the opposite direction by a medic. There was a boy in it clutching a broken arm. Bennet turned off the corridor and opened a large, cream coloured door that led to the main ward. 

The ward was a long, low room with spaces for beds, which could be partitioned off with curtains that ran along aluminium rails attached to the roof. There were cupboards mounted on the wall with spare blankets and equipment, and a hand written sign taped beneath the clock that read 'Visiting hours finish at 8:00pm. Thank you for leaving on time'. All of the beds were currently occupied by people nursing various injuries. Bennet noticed that their clothes were almost uniformly covered with the tan coloured dust from the training grounds. Harried looking medics were moving from bed to bed. Some of them wore blue badges that said 'under assessment'. This was the other test; the mirror image of the fights in the arena. 

Bennet walked down the ward until she found Cesca. She was calmly tying a splint to a girl's finger, which looked as if it had been dislocated. The girl was trying not to let the pain show on her face, but her breathing was fast and shallow. Bennet watched Cesca's fingers as she tied off the splint with quick, delicate motions. 

'Bennet,' said Cesca. 'You look as if you want something.' 

'How much do you know about this Regan girl?' 

'Why?' Cesca's grey eyes were placid, but Bennet felt the intensity behind them. 

'I want to see her challenged.' 

Cesca nodded as if Bennet's answer matched a mental answer sheet in her head. 'You want to see her humiliated.' 

Cesca moved to the next bed and checked to see if the patient's plaster cast was dry. Bennet followed her. 

'She's dangerous and unstable. You must have seen it too.' 

'People are all different.' 

Bennet blocked Cesca's path as she tried to walk away. 'Don't try to dismiss me, Cesca.' 

'Oh my, you seem quite agitated.' 

'I'm not the only one. Ashcroft sees it too.' 

'Does she know you're here, I wonder?' 

'She's strong. Like, off the charts strong. I can't think of anyone with a chance of beating her, except you.' 

Cesca placed a hand on Bennet's arm. Her touch was gentle. 'There are times when we have to let go of things simply because they are heavy.' 

'I don't need platitudes. I need someone who can match that girl's skills.' 

'I'm happy now. Fighting was never for me. Silverwater has many strong fighters.' 

Bennet shook her head and held up the flash drive. 'I need someone with the ability to neutralise Regan. If I show you this, you'll understand why it has to be you.'

***

Sarafina looked at the stage. Pohlman was deep in discussion with one of the porters. 

'Something's happening,' she said. 

She saw Pohlman point in their direction and pull at his beard. He looked unhappy. 

'It's Bennet,' said Ashcroft. 'I told you that beating Kai wasn't the same as beating her.' 

Regan watched them with arms folded. 'Schemes bore me. She can scurry around plotting if she wants, but eventually all of these things come down to a sharp blade in a stinking alley.' 

'Bennet is more careful than that,' said Ashcroft. 'She wouldn't make a move unless she was certain of her position. This means she thinks she has an advantage.' 

'It has to be related to what she was doing with that boy and the laptop,' said Sarafina. 

'Look at that,' Forester pointed. 

On the stage, the name of Regan's opponent was being moved. Sarafina tried to see which of the other fighters she was being set against, but instead the porters added a blank card to the board. 

Pohlman tapped his microphone for silence. 

'Candidates,' he said. 'There has been a change in the schedule for the second round.' 

Sarafina noticed that he didn't offer an explanation for the change. 

'Candidate Regan, please step into the arena. Your next fight is now,' 

'What?' said Forester. 'She just had a fight. They can't make her fight again so soon.' 

'They can and they did,' said Ashcroft. 

'That's not fair.' 

'The trials aren't designed to fair, they're designed to test each candidate's abilities.' 

'It doesn't matter,' said Regan. 'In the real world, you don't get to choose when and where you fight. It's a waste of time to indulge in concepts like fairness. Whoever my next opponent is, Bennet seems to have gone to a lot of effort to get them into the arena with me.' 

'It's Cesca,' Sarafina said, pointing with her chin. 'She's your next opponent.' 

'The chirpy medic?' 

On the other side of the training grounds, Bennet and Cesca were walking towards the arena. Sarafina saw Bennet look across at them. The look she gave Regan was filled with poison. At her side, Cesca seemed as tranquil and calm as always. She looked up at the colourful flags on the stands, and gave a delighted smile. She was still wearing her white dress, but with the addition of a pair of light steel gauntlets, which covered her hands and forearms. 

'Bennet's putting me up against a medic?' said Regan. 

Cesca looked up and gave Sarafina a small wave, then caught sight of Forester and blushed. 

Sarafina looked at Ashcroft. She seemed lost in thought. 

'Ashcroft, I heard Cesca was a squadron leader before she became a medic.' 

Ashcroft turned her head at the sound of her name. 'What?' 

'I said Cesca was a squadron leader before.' 

'Hmm? Yes. One of the best,' 

Ashcroft dropped away again into the pool of her own thoughts.  

'Let's see how rusty she is after years of paper cuts and bumped heads,' said Regan. 

'Oh, she never trained,' said Ashcroft. 'No one ever taught Cesca how to fight. I guess you'd call her a natural prodigy, like you.' 

Regan pulled her arm across her body to stretch out her shoulder. 'Anything else I should know?' 

'You'll find out soon enough.' 

Regan gave Ashcroft a hard look. 'I suppose I will.' 

Sarafina looked at Cesca as Regan walked away. It was hard to imagine her ever being in a fight. Cesca was the kind of girl who dusted around spiders and put food out for stray cats. 

'A natural prodigy,' she said. 

'Regan's going to be fine,' said Forester. 'She demolished Kai, and he was an animal.' 

'We need to see what was on that laptop. Why is Bennet so confident that Cesca can defeat Regan?' 

Sarafina watched Cesca delicately step into the arena. The wind made her skirt ripple, and pulled at her glossy, platinum blonde curls. She stood opposite Regan with a contented expression, as if the two of them were back in the examination room. 

'Why such a scary face?' she said when she saw Regan's eyes. 'Everybody seems to be taking this year's trials so seriously.' 

'I don't understand you. Why are you here?' 

'Oh, don't worry about all of Bennet's silly schemes. It made her so happy when I agreed to take part in the trials, bless her. I know she's angry at you now, but she'll get over it eventually. She's really quite a nice girl deep down. For the meantime, let's just try to have fun.' 

'Fun?' 

Cesca rolled her eyes. 'This is what I mean. Everyone's treating this as if it's some big thing. It's just a game. I'm not trying to hurt you.' 

Regan gripped the handle of her wooden sword. 'This is the second time I've met you now, and I can't decide if you're a genius or an imbecile.' 

'I hope I'm a genius.' 

Regan lifted her wooden sword. 'What would you do if I tried to walk away?' 

'I'd probably attack you.' 

'I don't believe you.' 

Cesca shrugged. 'It's part of the game.' 

'This isn't a game and it's not for fun. It's a fight, and I am trying to hurt you.' 

Cesca adjusted the position of one of her gauntlets and smiled. 'That's okay. I won't let it worry me.' 

She tapped the ground behind her with her toe, and held out a hand to Regan. 

'Would you mind if I start?' 

'Do what you want. I'm your enemy, not your date.' 

Cesca smiled. 'Thank you.' 

Sarafina drew in a sharp breath as Cesca launched herself forward. Her steps were fast and fluid. She'd never seen her move like this. Regan started to move, but Cesca closed the distance and blocked off her angle of escape. She seemed to glide across the ground as she slipped under Regan's guard and twisted. There was a flash of steel, and Regan was lifted off her feet as Cesca's fist caught her under the chin. 

Sarafina let out a cry as Regan's head snapped back. For a moment, she seemed to hang in the air, before she fell back and hit the ground like a broken toy.