Chapter 4: Culexus
The Assassins that form the Culexus Temple are chosen because they have, or appear to have; no presence in the Warp, there is just a void. They are, to all intents and purposes, soulless -p. 30, Codex: Witch Hunters
The din of battle drew inexorably closer. In the space of a few hours the Imperial guard had been reduced to a mere pocket of resistance. Granted those who survived by now had either surrendered or were fighting like daemons. Logan ordered an armed escort to help extract Sera from the compound. Had he been alone Logan would have gladly charged into the increasingly one-sided battle but presently he could not bring himself to put Sera in harm's way. Logan was well aware that most humans were not capable of wading through hales of lasblasts.
Logan was about to doze off when he heard Sera let out a scream. The young woman was doubled over, clutching her head, her face contorted in anguish. Logan was on his feet in a heartbeat, he was halfway across the room to where Sera, now on her hands and knees, was shrieking in pain when he saw a shadowed figure standing in the hole that had once been the doorway to the bunker.
The figure was clad entirely with a tight fitting black suit, save for his head on which was perched an almost comically oversized helmet with a single large circular eye opening which was now closed. The figure radiated palpable waves of terror and malignance. A culexus assassin. The Culexus were psychic nulls, black empty soulless husks, devoid of any vestiges of humanity. The very presence of the so-called psychic abominations could invoke unspeakable terror in even a non-psyker. Needless to say a more attuned psychic would be that much more susceptible to the culexus's miasmic presence. Logan spread his arms protectively in front of Sera who now willed herself to regain control of her body. Logan could almost feel the assassin's helmeted face twist into a cruel smile at his pathetic display. Then the abomination spoke. A voice like a thousand needles in Logan's heart. "Stand aside," he said plainly.
Logan grabbed for the hilt of his chainsword. Without further response the glass eye of the assassin's helm, the Animus Speculum opened. The hilt of the chainsword felt like ice even through Logan's gauntleted hand. Logan managed to draw his sword and hold it in his quivering, unsteady grip. There was an electric hum as the motorized teeth began to whirr. Logan fixed his gaze on the dimly glimpsed humanoid face behind the Animus speculum. He could see a single eye, white and baleful with a light blue film over it. Logan steeled himself. A thousand lifetimes of combat had exposed Logan to horrors that would make an ordinary man's blood turn to ice, but this was too much to bear. The assassin waited, willing Logan to overcome his fear and make the first move.
Logan obliged, firing his jump pack he hurled himself at his enemy. Logan swung his chainsword, cleaving the air where the abomination had stepped out of the way. Logan rounded on his foe, readying himself for another attack. There was a burst of emerald light and in the hands of assassin appeared what appeared to be a long scythe. A scythe encrusted with gold, circular hieroglyphics. Necron hieroglyphics. So this is how it is then, thought Logan. There had been reports of a new kind of soldier in the Necron ranks, creatures that filled the air around them with an aura of dread. These creatures were said to be born from traitor culexus assassins. This Necron weapon only served as proof.
Logan swung again at his abominable foe. This time the Culexus did more to deflect Logan's attack. He expertly parried Logan's clumsy, desperate slash with the scythe. The Necron metal severed the chainsword in a hale of crimson sparks. Nonetheless Logan swung the shattered hilt at the assassin. This time the hit struck home. The weight of the marine's fist and the sword's hilt delivered a crushing blow that sent the culexus staggering. Reeling indignantly from the blow the assassin cast aside the war scythe and launched himself at Logan. The assassin dug his clawed hands into the marine's armour. At first Logan thought this a pathetic gesture, but then he felt a stabbing pain where the Culexus placed his hands. It was as though his life was being torn from his body. Fruitlessly, Logan fought to dislodge the frenzied assassin.
Sera watched the battle in helpless terror. The terrible presence of the culexus was multiplied tenfold for her. She could see the black void where the man's soul ought to be. At the same time she saw Logan, his faint, non-psychic soul a mere flickering candle in the warp. Like the light of a distant star. Sera watched the culexus's void extinguish that light. Then Sera felt a sudden surge of strength: a force strong enough to tear through the veil of the culexus. Sera drew every ounce of strength she had and directed it clumsily at the assassin. The effect of the raw psychic energy was tremendous, a hammer blow to the wiry form of the abomination. Seizing his chance Logan fumbled for a weapon to use against his vile foe. His hand found the grenade he had plucked from the guardsman in the alley. Acting quickly he primed the grenade and shoved it into the eye of the Animus speculum. In his mind Logan counted the three seconds before the grenade would detonate. In one motion he dislodged the Culexus assassin from his body and shoved him back. In a heartbeat decision he wheeled about and flung his armoured body in front of Sera, wrapping her in an enormous bear hug.
That same instant, the grenade along with several volatile components of the culexus's equipment, exploded. The shrapnel pinged harmlessly off Logan's armour. Slowly, gently, he released Sera from his embrace. The presence of the culexus had vanished in the deafening roar of the detonation. Somehow, the bloody ruin of the man's upper torso and the fizzing shards of the animus speculum were less then intimidating. For what seemed like an eternity, the two stared at the blooded heap that was once one of the most feared beings in the Imperium. The din of battle had vanished, and the Vox net was filled with the chatter of information from various squads, all reported great success. The compound had been taken with ease; unfortunately, they had been unable to draw troops away from the black ship, which by now had been completely commandeered by the Alpha Legion strike force. At length, Logan turned to Sera, "Come, we are leaving this system, the agents of the false emperor will come after us, after you. We must not be here when they arrive." He added, pointing at the culexus assassin's war scythe, "If that means what I believe it does, then we may all be in grave danger." With that, Logan and Sera stepped out of the bunker and into the open air.