Drastic

"You've changed up your fighting style, I see," I remarked now that there was some distance between us, "That was a pretty unexpected turn of events." 

It was completely contrary to everything that I had seen of Yr'Arl's fighting abilities so far, and it led me to believe that I had been seriously underestimating the cat-like alien for as long as I had known him. 

"When I took on the knowledge of Squadron Leader Belana's teleportation ability, I realised that the best way to make it my own would be to give it an offensive edge," Yr'Arl explained. 

But those were the only words I was going to get out of the alien because he was already on the move again. 

With a flash of light, he was in front of me, but the blow I had been expecting didn't come, he was gone again.