For the Emperor

Strength and size gave an advantage in melee combat. Once Cleverhead recovered from the initial ambush, he gradually began to overpower Japhard, even with only one hand.

But Japhard fought too desperately for Cleverhead to press his advantage. He was wary of that murderous Power Sword, too. After several exchanges, neither had gained the upper hand.

A precise Melta beam pierced the faltering yellow field and struck Cleverhead in the chest, punching through his Power Armour and tearing a huge hole out the other side. Before dying, the Astra Militarum gunner had pulled his Meltagun's trigger.

"Die, monster!" Japhard seized the opening and leaped up, bringing his Power Sword down at Cleverhead's head. Cleverhead tilted his neck aside, but the blade still cleaved through him with unstoppable force, nearly cutting him diagonally in two.

After landing, Japhard raised his Power Sword, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Suddenly, bang, bang, bang! Three cold Shoota rounds blasted his chest apart.

The Shoota's caliber was far too lethal for a human. Japhard fell to the deck like a discarded rag, still gripping his Power Sword tightly, his eyes fixed on the gravely wounded Cleverhead. His only regret was that he had failed to land one last strike.

"For... the Emperor..." Even as he lay dying, Japhard continued to pray to the Emperor.

"Beyond ten paces, a gun is faster. Within ten paces, it's both fast and accurate!" Cheng Mingrui appeared just in time, Shoota in hand, and saved Cleverhead.

In the end, he could not bear to watch Cleverhead die. Ever since he had crossed into this world, the Ork Warboss had upgraded his equipment, given him followers, and taught him Ork mechanical technology. After getting so much loot out of him, even Cheng Mingrui was not heartless enough to let him die.

So, after breaking through the Astra Militarum's defensive line, Cheng Mingrui had rushed over to help. Fortunately, he arrived at exactly the right moment, or Cleverhead really would have kicked the bucket.

By then, Cleverhead barely had any strength left. He lay on the ground, the wound left by the Power Sword stretching across his entire chest. Bright red blood flowed out and pooled on the deck.

"Is there a Painboy here? Anyone got a Painboy?" Seeing Cleverhead's terrible condition, Cheng Mingrui immediately shouted to the Boyz behind him.

Before long, a short Ork squeezed through the crowd. He looked shifty, almost like a goblin. His clothes seemed to have once been white, but blood had stained them bright red.

He looked less like a doctor than a butcher.

"Boss, ya wanted me?" Holding two dripping Choppas, the Painboy tilted his head up to look at Cheng Mingrui. From Cheng Mingrui's angle, he even looked a little innocently dopey.

"Save Cleverhead Boss. If ya can't, I'll crush yer head!" Cheng Mingrui was sounding more and more like a traditional Ork boss.

"Right, Boss! I can definitely save him!" the Painboy answered fearfully. Then he rounded up a few Gretchin, wheeled over a handcart, and got to work.

The cart carried a chainsaw, a boning knife, a huge iron hammer, and other implements that looked more like murder weapons than medical tools.

That was what Ork doctors were like, which was why they were called Painboys, along with names such as Burna Boys and Slasha Boys. Watching their treatment could scare an ordinary Humie to death, but the results were first-rate.

Using iron nails and a welding torch, the Painboy closed Cleverhead's belly, replacing the damaged organs inside with some strange components. Then he found a severed Ork arm and attached it to Cleverhead's stump, secured it with steel plates, and hammered in a row of nails. That more or less completed the treatment.

Only Orks could withstand such crude, brutal treatment. Their dual plant-and-animal genetic helix made them extraordinarily resilient. Even if their heads were cut off, they could survive as long as they were attached to another body in time.

After resting for ten minutes, Cleverhead swayed a little and stood up, a perfectly good Ork once again.

He raised the reattached arm and examined it. It seemed a little small... Cleverhead's expression darkened.

"Don't worry, Boss. It looks a bit small now, but there weren't no helping it. Yer too tall and too big, Boss. Once yer body gets used to it, the arm'll grow bigger and bigger till it's just like the old one," the Painboy explained, his survival instincts working overtime.

"Hmph." Cleverhead snorted but did nothing more.

He walked over to Japhard's corpse and said, "Ya were a strong Humie. A good opponent. I had a right good time fighting ya."

"Boss, what's that 'for the Emperor' thing the Humies keep shouting? Who's the Emperor?" one of the Ork Boyz asked in confusion.

"Most Humies are weak, but some of 'em are really strong, like this one who chopped me up. And then there's that Emperor they keep shouting about." Cleverhead launched into an explanation.

"The Emperor's a big golden Humie, a really tough, really strong one. He beat all the Humies into submission and became the boss of all of 'em. But later, his strongest underling wouldn't accept it, so that underling took his own Boyz and fought the big golden Humie."

"In the end, the underling lost and got killed. The big golden Humie was badly hurt too, so they put him on some strange machine to keep him alive."

"That's about it. Not much different from when we have a big scrap." Cleverhead scratched his cheek. "Humies are still too stupid. Too complicated. Their boss is a dried-up corpse, and they still won't pick a new one. We're much simpler and smarter."

Listening nearby, Cheng Mingrui could not help grumbling inwardly. Good thing there aren't any devout followers of the Imperium of Man's Ecclesiarchy here. Hearing your explanation would send their blood pressure right through their skulls.

"We Orks are different. We don't fight for anyone. We fight for fun, 'cause it feels good! That's why we're bigger than Humies, and stronger than Humies!"

Thinking about it, perhaps the simple-minded Orks were the only happy, joyful species in the entire 40k universe.

"Now, keep moving! I can't wait to claim me warship!" Cleverhead was positively delighted. He did not even straighten his equipment or plan to rest, as though he had not been at death's door moments earlier.

Cheng Mingrui had wanted to persuade him to stay behind and rest while he led the Boyz to capture the Bridge. But on second thought, with the Orks' simple way of thinking, Cleverhead might mistake that for him going back on his word and trying to steal the warship.

Like a little boy assuming an adult was trying to take his toy, that logic fit the Orks perfectly.

"Fight, fight, fight! Take the Bridge! Let's give a Waaagh! for Big Mek Cleverhead's new toy!" Cheng Mingrui felt he had some experience coaxing children. Whatever else could be said, Xiao Shi really was adorable.

Cleverhead's green face shone with excitement, and even the look he gave Cheng Mingrui became much friendlier. Slick's a right good Ork. I like Slick so much! Later, I'll personally build Slick a warship that's big and full of Waaagh!