Sanguinius pursued. He leapt over the wreckage of the cogitators, and landed before Kano. He took the Librarian by the chest plate and hauled him up. Kano’s training warred with his loyalty. He could not strike his primarch. He tried to pull away, but Sanguinius lifted him above the deck and drew the Blade Encarmine.

Azkaellon grabbed the Angel’s arm. Sanguinius lashed back, hurling Azkaellon away. His eyes never left Kano. ‘My lord,’ the Librarian pleaded, trying to break through the haze of fury. The black orbs stared through him, unblinking.

Another hand arrested the blade. It was the herald’s. Kano did not know when Sanguinius’ proxy had arrived. He had not been on the bridge a few moments ago. The Angel yanked his arm free, dropped Kano and turned, snarling, on the herald.

He froze.

Primarch and herald faced each other, motionless. Psychic energy burned around the edges of the Angel’s wings. The herald said nothing. Sanguinius held the blade high, but it did not descend.

Kano saw the primarch’s face reflected in the mask of the herald, snarling fury mirrored in unchanging serenity. The Angel froze at the sight, and then the black dissolved from Sanguinius’ eyes. His breathing slowed, no longer gasps of rage. He lowered the sword. He blinked, looked around, and after a moment of incomprehension, his face contorted with understanding and grief. He went to Kano’s side. ‘Are you injured?’ he asked.

‘I am well, my lord,’ Kano said. ‘Do you know what happened?’

Sanguinius paused before answering. ‘Not entirely, no. Enough to be on my guard.’

‘Was it the Thirst?’ Kano asked. The symptoms had been different, though the overall effect, of insane violence, was similar.

‘No. This was different.’

Sanguinius returned to the command dais. He looked out at the bridge, at all the witnesses of his madness, both Blood Angels and mortal. The unaugmented officers were pale. They had seen worse on Signus Prime, but the reminder of the madness on that world was disturbing to mortals and Blood Angels alike.

On the auspex pict screens, the position of the phantom continued to fluctuate. It seemed to be pulling away now.

‘By injuring one, I have done you all an injury,’ Sanguinius said. The savagery Kano had faced was gone. All the nobility of the Angel had returned, austere in its acknowledgement of pain. ‘But the attack by the enemy failed. It was repulsed.’ He nodded to the herald. ‘The foe that has destroyed our ships has suffered its first defeat.’ He paused. ‘I am not invulnerable. None of us are. We have faced this truth, and with that knowledge we are more determined, and stronger. Despair and hubris are the paths to defeat. And we will not be defeated.’