Welcoming

Ian actually did a double take. From behind he didn’t recognize the woman sitting at the end of the bar, but Chigger was chatting up a storm with her and refilled her drink without hesitation.

Looking around the Bifrost Ian was a little troubled. Amber had arranged to meet him here after he had performed his tasks for Dyrke, the leader of the Steel Spiders, but he couldn’t see her anywhere. There was something about the woman’s hair though…

Chigger made eye contact with him and smiled, then waved for him to come over. Ian nodded and started over to the bar. There was something strangely familiar about the woman, he just couldn’t place it. When Ian got within three meters the woman spun around.

“I was beginning to wonder when you would show up,” Amber said smiling back at him.

Ian had been so distracted by his curiosity he had failed to notice the other tell-tale signs of who he was looking at. The sword slung across her back, the auto pistol strapped to her thigh, and not to mention the red hair pulled neatly back into ponytail.

“I, uh… I had to finish up… have you been waiting long?” Ian’s face flushed red.

Amber’s newly issued body glove was as form fitting as ever. Ian liked it much better than her old Escher rags.

For the next hour Ian and Amber just sat and talked. Even with the crowded common area, the Bifrost offered more privacy than the halls of the Spiders lair that lay beneath the bridge town. Even the room set aside for the Spiders within the drinking hall was no guarantee of seclusion. Here at least they could talk without the pretense of being alone, besides, Chigger assured them that their room would be available in just a couple of hours, so in the meantime the two of them just sat and enjoyed each others company.

Just as Chigger handed over the keys to the room to Ian, Dyrke spotted them.

“Amber, Ian, I have a couple of pairs of boots coming to see about joining the Spiders. I need the two of you to watch the room and make sure we are not disturbed.”

Dyrke didn’t even wait for a response from his subordinates; he just nodded to Chigger, asked for his usual, and stepped into Spider’s room. Amber looked at Ian, but what could they do? Their leader gave them a job to do and they were bound to do it.

Over the next two hours Ian and Amber stood outside the door while several men of various sizes and kit came and went. None of the visitors were allowed entrance unless they presented a small token that was stamped with an impression of a spider with an anvil symbol on its back. The whole time all Ian could think of was that what little time they had was slipping away.

Finally Dyrke emerged with two men in step behind him. One man carried a plain looking lasgun over one shoulder. His body glove was worn, and his hair disheveled, but the weapon was well kept. The other man had a much neater appearence. In a cross draw holster on the left side of his chest was a bolt pistol, and in his hands he supported a Plasma Rifle

“Spider’s,” Dyrke said as he addressed the two guards, “I want to introduce two new members to the fold. Xander,” Dyrke indicated with a nod to the first man,” comes from another team who recently… folded. Kordite here,” indicated with a motion of his thumb” comes down from Hive City. He’s going to be helping Boanerges in the shop. Ian, make sure he gets to where he needs to go. Amber, you take Xander and introduce him to Katan, he’ll take it from there.”

“Yes sir,” the two said in unison. Ian’s stomach sank. His carefully made plans to get alone with Amber would have to wait for another time.