The breach trembled violently. Its edges lost definition. The space beyond became vague. The forms of the daemons smeared into one another, and then into the contusions of the warp. Whorls of unreality swept over them. The wall of the bridge became visible behind the breach, and then, with the hiss of a wounded serpent, the rift vanished.

Sanguinius paused, reining in his anger. He turned around to survey the bridge. Many of the diseased crewmembers had stopped moving. Most of the officers were still at their posts. From the other side of the sealed doors, he heard bolter fire and the ululations of daemons.

‘The Encarnadine has repelled its incursion,’ Neverrus called, her voice unwavering. ‘New breaches on the Nine Crusaders and the Victus.’

‘The Victus,’ Azkaellon said. ‘Amit will welcome the chance to exact some vengeance for Signus Prime.’

Sanguinius picked up the undercurrent of concern in his voice. Of all the Blood Angels, the Flesh Tearer and his Fifth Company were the most vulnerable to lapsing into the savagery of the Thirst.

‘We will all wreak that vengeance,’ Sanguinius replied. I have faith in you, Amit, he thought. I must. ‘We shall seal every breach with the blood of abominations.’

He strode towards the door, the Sanguinary Guard flanking him.

The Red Tear shook again. The deck heaved as if the battleship were cresting an immense wave, and then dropped, gravity tilting at a sharp angle. The Blood Angels kept their feet. The mortals had to cling to their workstations to stay upright.

‘New contact,’ said Jeran Mautus. The auspex officer sounded worried.

‘Identity?’ Sanguinius asked.

‘I don’t know, my lord.’ Mautus frowned at his screen. None of the adjustments he was making to the scans were satisfying him. ‘It’s a shadow. I can’t get anything more precise than that.’

‘Is it attacking?’

‘Approaching, but as for a vector…’ Mautus trailed off.

Sanguinius grimaced. The immaterium was not space. Even to speak of relative distance between ships was to attempt to impose an illusion on the indescribable. But the human mind needed its frames of reference.

‘It’s big,’ Mautus went on.

‘You are being vague, lieutenant,’ Raldoron warned. ‘At least tell us if this is a ship.’

Sanguinius placed a calming hand on the First Captain’s pauldron.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Mautus. ‘I can’t. It’s very big. It… I don’t know. It’s too big.’

‘Train our weapons on it,’ the Angel said. ‘Fleet master, the command to fire is yours.’

‘As you will, my lord,’ said Carminus.

Sanguinius nodded, and headed for the doors. They opened before him, and he rushed out to cleanse his ship of invaders.