It takes him a moment before the cessation of constant attacks really registers, and he's wary to lower his guard at all, even if only to see why she's stopped. But she has stopped, and the continual barrage she subjected him to has him working more on instinct than conscious action. He closes the gap again, and the speed of his attacks is slower than hers, but he's putting a decent amount of strength into the blows, a mix of boxing punches and Vulcan v'shan strikes.

"He could've found another way," he spits out, not even considering that she lacks the context of George Kirk's final moments. Everyone knows.