Interrogation

Only after receiving basic treatment in a Medical Pod did Pex learn that a massive explosion had rocked the docking area after he left. What Rambo had done had truly frightened him.

He did not fear death, but the Cult had only just begun to grow. He could not fail the task the hive mind had entrusted to him. He could not die yet.

"Have the Kasrkin squads take Servo-skulls and inspect every warship. Those special Orks that can turn invisible might still be aboard, waiting for an opportunity."

As Pex issued his orders, the doctor beside him was stitching the wound on his face. The pain did nothing to stop him from carrying out his duties.

Servo-skulls were substitutes developed after humanity banned AI following the Men of Iron Rebellion. These drone-like devices were made from human skulls and served as wetware support units.

In contemporary human culture, an untainted human skull represented purity and sacrifice, making it a highly positive symbol.

Servo-skulls made from the skulls of the Emperor's loyal servants were also extremely valuable and versatile. They could scan, detect invisible targets, assist with calculations, and serve as manufacturing or medical assistants. Some particularly capable Servo-skulls could even act as staff officers and offer military advice of their own.

To uncover any hidden threats, Pex deployed every available Servo-skull.

Rambo's attack prompted a fleet-wide sweep that lasted about a week. Although nothing was found in the end, Kasrkin patrols accompanied by Servo-skulls became standard aboard the warships.

The entire fleet also lingered in synchronous orbit above Euronia IV for a week, occasionally launching orbital bombardments at the Orks below, taking advantage of their lack of weapons capable of firing into space.

Pex knew the expedition had failed, but he could neither win the fight nor bring himself to leave, so he could only linger in orbit.

However much Pex agonized over it, Cheng Mingrui had no time to concern himself with the human fleet outside. He was facing a rather troublesome problem.

It all began with the interrogation of the prisoners the Kommandos had captured.

Underground, the boyz had used the Big Digga to excavate an enormous pit, turning it into an underground factory for assembling Gargants-the most traditional kind of Ork Junker.

Normally, having spent less than half a year developing on a planet, the Orks should not have been building spaceships yet, even with their absurd technology. But Cheng Mingrui had so many Mekboys at his disposal. With enough production capacity, he could do whatever he wanted.

The sight of three Gargants with their frames already half assembled put Cheng Mingrui in an excellent mood.

The Warp Engines were no great problem, and neither were the various large-caliber weapons. Maneuverability... they could just paint them red when the time came. Safe passage... now that was a problem. Traveling through the Warp was extremely dangerous, and Cheng Mingrui had no technical data for Gellar Fields in his head.

Forget it. If we run into Daemons, so be it. I'm an Ork now. I'll just krump 'em.

"Boss, all the Humie prisoners are here." Several Kommandos approached Cheng Mingrui, led by Clever Git.

The prisoners were not really of much use anymore. The humans were completely outmatched, so what good would a little intelligence do? Still, he had nothing else to do, so he might as well ask a few questions.

Five blindfolded human soldiers knelt in a row before Cheng Mingrui, held down by the Kommandos. Several were trembling, and one had even wet himself, soaking most of his trousers.

"Humies? Are you scared?" With Cheng Mingrui's current intelligence, learning the human language took barely a moment's thought. It simply sounded strange when spoken through Ork vocal organs.

They were all too terrified to speak. They had long since realized that the Orks had captured them. Even blindfolded, they could still feel and hear what was happening.

The prolonged silence made the Kommandos standing behind the humans feel humiliated. The prisoners they had captured actually dared not answer questions.

One particularly short-tempered Kommando said, "Boss officer, let me help you make these prisoners talk."

Without waiting for Cheng Mingrui to speak, the Kommando grabbed the human soldier who had wet himself, tore off his blindfold and helmet, and threw them aside.

Euronia IV had no oxygen, and its temperature was unsuitable for human survival.

The human soldier soon began struggling to breathe from lack of oxygen, letting out wretched cries. He writhed and rolled on the ground until he died in agony.

"Whatever the boss officer asks, you answer. Otherwise, I guarantee you'll die worse than he did." After warning the human prisoners, the Kommando returned to his place with his head held high and his chest out, the very picture of training and professionalism.

"How large are your forces and your fleet? Where is this star system? How many Humies live here..." Cheng Mingrui began casually asking for information.

This time, the human prisoners cooperated, except for one Sergeant who angrily berated the other soldiers. He barely managed a couple of insults before the Kommando behind him slit his throat. Blood flooded his windpipe, choking him to death.

There were no further incidents, and Cheng Mingrui obtained the intelligence he wanted. Learning that the Expeditionary Force had numbered three hundred thousand, and that he had only wiped out a third of them, left him deeply disappointed. If he had successfully lured the enemy deeper in, wouldn't he have had three times the fun?

The good news was that this system, called Euronia, was only a small one, remote and overlooked. The human forces here were not particularly strong either, making it a good place to grow.

"Have any of you received higher education, particularly in human history or recent events in the galaxy?" This time, Cheng Mingrui did not call the humans Humies. The Imperium of Man was a society with rigid class divisions, and those at the bottom generally received little knowledge.

This was partly for ease of rule, and partly because knowledge could lead to corruption. The Imperium's upper ranks knew all too well what lurked in the Warp. Even Space Marine Librarians could become corrupted and fall, let alone ordinary people.

Cheng Mingrui had only intended to ask casually. Before his transmigration, he had known a fair amount about 40K. Even a few scraps of information would at least let him guess what era he was in and better plan his future development.

The Emperor is already sitting on the Golden Throne, anyway. What major events come after that? Cheng Mingrui searched his memory.

"According to the Imperium of Man's method of recording dates, we are currently in the Forty-Second Millennium. The greatest event of the past two millennia was Chaos Warmaster Abaddon's launch of the Thirteenth Black Crusade."

One soldier spoke in an utterly emotionless voice. He seemed less to be recounting events than describing something he had witnessed himself.

"Cadia, which held the Eye of Terror in check, was shattered by the Blackstone Fortress Abaddon hurled at it. The Great Rift cut across the galaxy, dividing it into eastern and western halves."