The Blood Angels ships Red Tear and Lamentation of War cut wide of the close formations of the main fleets and came about to unleash boarding torpedoes into the flanks of ships vying for the gulf between Luna and Terra. Each torpedo carried ten sons of Sanguinius. All had painted a portion of their armour with the black saltire of a death oath. Each knew that he would fall in this fight, and that his oath of moment would be his last. The twin ships fired as their torpedoes ran on to their targets. Plasma and macro-shells struck the attacking ships just as they were trying to find range on the closing ordnance. The torpedoes struck home and stabbed deep. Melta charges in their nose cones detonated. Walls and bulkheads became vapour. The Blood Angels squads charged out of the torpedoes. Orange light caught wings of gold and silver worked into their red armour.

They had chosen their targets well – ships carrying Sons of Horus from the 21st, 345th and 71st Companies. The Blood Angels met their traitor brothers. Blades lit with lightning. Bolters poured fire into armoured bodies. Broken ceramite, shell casings and blood fell to the deck.

And on the fight went, spread in a shifting crescent around Luna.

Abaddon felt the charge in the air around him as the War Oath’s teleporters built with power. He could taste metal and ash on his teeth. Layak stood at his shoulder, the two blade slaves seeming to shiver in the warp-charged air. His brothers were around him. They were all there: Thonas, Gedephron, Tybar, Ralkor, Sycar, Justaerin, Reavers, warriors clad in black and marked with red and gold. And behind them, he could feel the presence of all the rest, dead in all but memory: Sejanus, Syrakul, Torgaddon, Gul, Kars, Dask, Graidon – silent ghosts watching him as he took his sword from the hand of a serf.

‘We shall become death,’ said Layak. Incense smoke was fuming from his staff. ‘Our knives shall become the spears of angels, our hands the thunderbolts of the gods.’ Abaddon turned his gaze on the priest, who looked back at him with eye-lenses like burning coals. ‘I am glad, Abaddon, that I stand with you now at this sacred moment.’

Abaddon turned and gave the first order.

‘Full speed.’