Heroes as brave and extraordinary as Galad were far too numerous on the incomparably chaotic void battlefield of the Eye of Terror.
But no matter how exceptional a Space Marine was, unless he had reached the level of a primarch, he could only delay the coming of death when faced with the endless tide of Warp daemons.
With Galad's death, the battle group under his command had entered its final countdown to destruction.
The Dark Angels used every resource at their disposal: all manner of relic weapons, war-grade Iron Men, every void warship, and their own lives. They forcibly halted the momentum of the first wave of Warp daemons.
The daemon legion, like a tsunami, struck the reefs along the shore. Though the reefs were shattered by the impact, the tsunami's course was continually scattered, losing the force that could destroy everything.
In the end, all of it was gathered before Lion El'Jonson, becoming yet another fresh report of war before the primarch.
On the holographic star map, the dark green markers representing the thirteen Dark Angels battle groups along the first line of defense had all turned into glaring red afterimages.
They flickered a few times like guttering candles in the wind before vanishing completely into the scarlet tide representing the Chaos daemon host.
The intelligence officer's low, solemn report echoed through the vast command hall. "...Confirmed. All signals from the forward battle groups have been lost. Those battle-brothers have offered their final loyalty to the Emperor."
The Dark Angels in the hall unconsciously eased their breathing. Even the hum of the cogitators seemed to have grown quieter.
Thirteen battle groups, tens of thousands of Primaris Astartes, millions of loyal auxiliary troops, and countless war machines.
They had been the sharpest spearhead of the First Legion, yet in such