her survive. General Romano who became aware of this is plotting his coup. Ash sees the banner of Sasheen and sets out to kill her. Ché and Curl escape the city by swimming through the lake. Ché gives Curl his waterlogged gun and turns back to hunt the twins who are hunting him and kills both. Curl who is waiting near the pickup point sees and picks up Ché who is injured. They both get on the airship but Ash, who changes his mind about killing Sasheen, returns but misses getting on the airship and is stranded in Tume, surrounded by the Mann army. He escapes by diving into the lake, but the Mann soldiers are on the banks and looking for any who try to escape that way. Sasheen, who is dying from the poison, gives her final order to Archgeneral Sparus that Romano must not be allowed to be her successor and if necessary to kill him. She soon succumbs to the poison. Sparus and Romano meet after her death and Sparus informs Romano of Sasheen's last orders and that he intends to follow them. Romano tries to kill him with poison but fails and flees. Ash survives his escape attempt and reaches safety in the woods. Ché lets slip to Curl that he's Mannian and Curl turns him over to the Khos Specials. Bhan and Bull who were captured in the first battle and were tortured for information manage to escape with some other prisoners. Ash finds Reese and tells her of her son Nico's death. She assaults him in her grief and tells him to leave. Ash eventually makes his way to Bar-Khos and meeting with as old contact learns of the destruction of Sato. Ash wanders around till he reaches Bilge Town, he finds a bar and decides to drink himself out of his misery. He gets drunk and falls asleep outside while its raining from where a man named Meer picks him up and takes him to his home. Meer talks of the teaching of the great fool and tells Ash he will talk about the Isles of Sky if Ash tells him about the land of Honshu. Later Meer tells Ash that he wishes to accompany Ash to Seto to make an offer to the remaining Rōshun and in return he will help Ash with his loss. In the Temple of Whispers, Kira