Editing Announcements - 2009/12 - Gaining Ground (section)

== Teaser ==
{{Turbine 2008
 |  Link = http://ac.turbine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=529-gaining-ground&catid=75-2009&Itemid=68
 | Title = Gaining Ground
 |  Text = Nario scratched his sweaty head looking at the paperwork before him. Order partially filled. Ration shortage. Back-ordered. The numbers just didn't work--but did they ever at one of these backwater posts? To be honest, the Celestial Hand did a better job than most in supplying their smaller outposts and he could almost understand the upper brass's point of view on these things. He had been a quartermaster for far too long not to get such things. Sure the Empyreans needed a presence here at Freebooter Isle-- Ley Lines needed to be protected. The other factions needed to be prevented from gaining any footholds anywhere. And Nario knew this was high on the upper brass' agenda. But by the Light, how could they focus on any agenda if they were spending so much of their time just trying to get their basic needs from things they foraged from the island.
<br><br>As he drummed his fingers on the rough surface of the palm wood desk, he couldn't help but smile.
<br><br>Speaking of scrounged materials, he thought.
<br><br>Just then a burst of energy by the name of Zaria bolted through the door
<br><br>The young Medical Officer had been stationed on Freebooter Isle and had yet to lose her enthusiasm, which surprised him since she looked so frustrated today.
<br><br>“What's wrong lass?” he asked, ignoring her rank--such formalities in private were often disregarded. That's one advantage of a backwater post.
<br><br>“We've gotten another batch of causalities in from yesterday's foraging sweeps,” she said making her way in the back where medical supplies were kept. Usually Nario didn't let anyone touch his supplies, but when medics were in a rush he made the exceptions.
<br><br>“Those damn bugs again?” Nario asked.
<br><br>“Hard to think of those four foot horrors as ‘bugs'.” My brain just doesn't want to accept it.” Zaria grimaced as she wiped the sweat from her brow--the heat of the day was affecting her as well. But then, who wasn't susceptible to such temperatures? It made the medics jobs even harder. “But yes, several of our troops were taken out by the Killer Phyntos wasps.”
<br><br>Nario shook his grizzled gray head. “Hard enough to fight a four foot bug, but a flying bug with its own personal impaling blade is just nasty.”
<br><br>“Luckily, no one got impaled this time,” she said moving things around the shelves. “Just some deep cuts. The troops are getting better at fighting them.”
<br><br>“That's a relief,” Nario said. “It should be smooth sailing once you stitch them up,” he said nodding towards the surgical thread she had placed into her apron.  Life Mages were either on active duty elsewhere, or weren't sent to small outpost groups unless they expected to see heavy fighting.
<br><br>“I wish that was the case,” Zaria said her short black hair swaying as she shook her head. “But its infections that are the problem. With all this damn heat, a bacterial infection can set in and a patient can die from what was a minor wound. Not to mention the whole heat and dehydration thing.”
<br><br>“Be lucky we're on this island, lass,” Nario said. “That jungle out there lets us make up for what we don't get in the supply shipments.”
<br><br>She sighed in agreement. “Speaking of supply shipments, where are the antibiotics we ordered? I can't find them.”
<br><br>“They didn't come,” he said holding up the invoice. “Backordered.”
<br><br>“You've got to be kidding me?” she yelled. “How am I supposed to prevent gangrene without antibiotics?”
<br><br>“Relax lass,” Nario said. “Learn from the experience for an old dog who's been doing this way too long. If you're in this for the long haul then you need to see the hidden benefits from your problems.”
<br><br>Zaria smirked, her brown eyes filled with an expression somewhere between annoyed and amused. “Excuse me?”
<br><br>“Take that volcano out there,” he said pointing his quill towards the open window. “It's a threat, right?”
<br><br>“Hmmmm. Could blow us up at any minute? I'd classify that as a threat.”
<br><br>“But that volcano is what makes this island so abundant in plant life which gives us food and trust me if you've ever been stationed in a barrens, you'd understand how lucky we are.”
<br><br>“And how am I supposed to see these mutant bugs as a hidden benefit?”
<br><br>The gears in Nario's brain began to crank into full gear as he remember a note from a recent report.
<br><br>Seeing his concentration, Zaria asked, “What are you thinking?”
<br><br>“Didn't the latest reports say that these wasps give off honey?”
<br><br>“Yeah, there's a big-to-do because they're probably a new species. Wasps, at least as we know them, don't make honey.”
<br><br>“Isn't honey a natural anti-biotic? Keeps wounds from getting infected and helps fights of colds and such?”
<br>“How do you know that?”
<br><br>“I'm a supply officer, I make it a point to know a little of everything about everything,” he said with a smirk, “I also know a guy in just about every line of work out there.”
<br><br>“But we don't know if this honey is like the honey we're used to.”
<br><br>“But don't you think that it would be worth it to find out? A possible food supply and an antibiotic?”
<br><br>“Could be a real boon,” Zaria said nodding, pleased.
<br><br>“And you never know,” Nario said leaning back in his seat. “Others outposts might find it as well. Having a valuable supply could help raise the importance of this place. The more value this place has to the higher ups, the less backorders and short ships we'll get.”
<br><br>“Trying to kill two birds, or wasps, with one stone?” Zaria asked.
<br><br>“I'm a supply officer,” Nario said the large man standing up, “it's what we do. I'm off to see the C.O.--take what you need and leave me a list.”
<br><br>“Why the rush?” Zaria asked.
<br><br>“Because if we've come to the conclusion that this honey might be a resource of value than the other factions will come to the same conclusion shortly, if they haven't already.”
<br>And with that the quartermaster left the medic to her scavenging.

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