Darkness enveloped the dreamless rest of the guardsman medic, brought on by painful and unnatural means. His large, battle scarred chest heaved with each wheezed breath- the battering of batons and electrified clubs had done little good for the aging sergeant's body. The freezing air bit at his skin like a swarm of invisible insects, chewing at his exposed flesh with impunity. Though the cold was certainly unappreciated, it was the silence that struck hardest of them all. He could deal with the tendrils of darkness choking out the light. Warmth was a commodity a soldier born on a frozen ice ball could live without, though it was incredibly discomforting. But [i]silence[/i]? There was nothing more unnerving for a man of war than to hear nothing at all. Not the whirring of an old spaceship. Not the crunching of forest leaves. Not even the wisping of the wind met his ears.

None of what had occurred before he was unceremoniously beaten and knocked unconscious made much sense to the Cadian warrior. Some mook in his own regiment's uniform showed up to take him away. Somethin' about being recruited for 'special operations.' It caught him off guard. There wasn't nothin' about him that made him think he was worthy for such a post, nor did he know how he'd gotten their attention at all. He was a foot soldier with some medical training, and little more; there were trillions of men just like him throughout the Imperium. Yet for some reason, that bastard came for [i]him.[/i] What followed- his arrival in a nondescript space transport, and placement in a fairly cushy room- was mundane. He'd been told not to worry. Thinking back on it, it was a mistake to let his guard down. He still struggled to figure out [i]why[/i] it happened. Why had he awoken to the sound of klaxons playing across the cruiser, and men shouting in distress? Why had men in dark garb and masks come for him, specifically, and beaten him to within an inch of his life? Even with the medical officer's physical might, he hadn't held for longer than a second or two. All he'd gotten out was a good two punches before his lights were knocked out.

And now he was here. Wherever here was.

Ice cold water splashed across Sergeant Frank Steiner's body, illicting a gasp from the man. He tried to jump up, but his body was tied down to the chair beneath him. "Shit!" He shouted, his gravely, baritone voice swiftly followed by an undignified series of sputtered coughs. Water was leaking into his mouth and nose, through whatever black cloth was pressed tightly around his face. So it wasn't just dark wherever they were keeping him. Franklin pulled at the binds about his arms. He kicked out with his legs, struggling harshly against them even as the cords bit further into his skin. The soldier of Cadia's breaths were ragged and harrowed, struggling not to drown in the unearthly cold that surrounded him. The water was likely meant to wake Steiner up, though he'd been conscious for several minutes already. A brief interlude of silence was followed by a non-descript voice asking him a series of questions. [i]“Who are you, where were you going, and what are you doing aboard this ship?”[/i]


Steiner let out a harsh, rasped laugh. He stopped struggling against the binds, turning his head about the 'room' despite the fact that he couldn't see jack shit. So he was still aboard the ship. That was good to know. Whatever was going on, it was clear Steiner's life was hanging by a thread. These people had attacked him for an unknown reason, and were now interrogating him. It could'a been pirates. Maybe they boarded the ship, beat everyone down and took over- though Frank thought he'd be dead in that sorta scenario. "I uh, I could answer those questions for ya. I could." Steiner nodded, his metallic fingers scrapping against the chair he'd been strapped to. "But how 'bout you kiss my ass instead?" The medical officer chuckled again. "I dunno what kinda show you're runnin' here, bub, but you're off your rocker if you think I'm telling you a damn thing. What, you think you can strip me naked and toss some water on me and I'll break? 'Oh no, oh please don't do that! I'll get [i]cold![/i]' Get real, you pirates are all the same. Stupid bastards."