Ha ha... [ It's a pretty fake laugh, the smile on Cain's face almost more a wince, but in retrospect, Cain was kind of asking for a question like that, wasn't he? Still, the bandages are better than showing off the scars beneath them and inviting even worse questions. ] Unfortunately, the hurt and torture he's talking about hasn't been so metaphorical...

[ Not exactly the best news to offer to someone newly come to the planet — and this must be one of the new arrivals if he has to ask what's happened to Cain instead of being able to guess himself — when he's already got the destruction of his own world to deal with. But hiding it would be worse, would just leave it as a danger for someone unaware to go blundering into. The world they've found sanctuary on isn't without its own dangers, and all the refugees need to know that, for their own good.

He lowers his voice, cants his head in a little so none of the natives in the crowd will overhear. The last thing they need is for the Orbiters to take offense to them being less than circumspect. ]

The natives have their own conflicts. There's a few factions who want to see the current rulers overthrown, and they decided kidnapping refugees was a good a way as any to cause a little civil unrest.