could have happened before that that excuses Ma'Khaia trying to stab her. That's my point. This is not an issue of a competing narrative, or coming up with a better explanation. She was about to seriously harm/kill her. That can't happen and has to be stopped in the moment. There's no explanation that makes that permissible.

What you're arguing amounts to saying that the girl in pink deserved to get got because she pissed off/was a bully/screamed at/told Ma'Lhaia xyz. None of any of that gives her the right to attempt to open her up with a knife, even if true (which we absolutely do not know yet.)