After seeing the Men of Iron's mechanical fleet appear, Abaddon abandoned his plan to ambush the Dark Angels fleet and led his fleet deeper into the Ghoul Stars ahead of them.
As for the Arks of Omen, Abaddon could only order them to slip into the Warp and deal with the growing numbers of Necrons themselves.
Under the supervision of the Black Legion aboard their ships, the Chaos Warbands began trying to open a Warp Route.
But the Warp energies no longer responded.
At the same time, an intense sense of weakness washed over everyone.
The Necrons of Thokt had been infected by the flayer virus and were not entirely sane, but they were still Necrons, with plenty of unusual technology at their disposal.
More than a dozen Necron ships adorned with enormous bones appeared on the battlefield. A gigantic Obelisk appeared alongside them.
The immense null field projected by the Obelisk suppressed the power of the Warp throughout the region.
To harvest flesh, the Necrons of Thokt used their weapons carefully, doing everything they could to turn every Ark of Omen into a hell of flesh and blood.
By the time Crowned General Zahndrekh arrived with the Sautekh Dynasty fleet, large numbers of Necrons were slaughtering their way across the hulls of these Arks of Omen.
Zahndrekh had no intention of intervening directly against these fallen ones.
Instead, he watched from the sidelines, waiting until his deranged kin had achieved their goals before issuing a warning.
He demanded that all the fallen Necrons of Thokt immediately return to their own Dynasty's territory, sternly warning them not to enter the Milky Way without orders.
Driven into a frenzy by flesh and blood, the Necrons of Thokt ignored Zahndrekh's warning and began moving toward the Milky Way.
Yet Zahndrekh had no