MBoP: Columbus Day, Chapters 4 & 5: Paradise and Intel—The Schlumpernur Inside You | Ep 8

Welcome back to The Mary Bandit Pirates and "Unofficially Official" Expeditionary Force podcast. In this episode, Andy, Joey, Mariane, Steve, and Jake, plus guest pirate Adam, discuss Chapters Four and Five of the first ExForce book, Columbus Day: "Paradise" and "Intel." This is the episode where Sergeant Joe Bishop's worldview gets shattered on the planet Paradise as he learns the true nature of the war and humanity's role in the galaxy. In this episode, we break down: - Lester Cornhut: The introduction of the memorable Ruhar (hamster) farmer and unofficial mayor of the Village of Teskor, along with a discussion of their lab-grown "steaks." - The Burgermeister's Intel: Baturnah Logellia, the Deputy Chief Administrator of Gehtanu, reveals the massive lie: the Ruhar attacked Earth to protect it from the Kristang. - The zPhone Revelation: The shocking discovery that the Kristang are actively eavesdropping on all human communication and technology. - Galactic Politics: Another exposition into the senior species, including the genetic duplication practiced by the Thuranin, more insight into the Maxolhx, and the explanation of the powerful Sentinels (elder weapons) that prevent galactic annihilation. - A-Team Reassignment: The Pirates discuss Major Emily Perkins showing up at the end of Intel to reassign Joe Bishop to hide him after receiving disruptive intelligence.  Side Quests & Pirate Banter: - RC Bray: Hear about the private voicemail recorded by the audiobook narrator as Skippy the Magnificent. - The "Schlumpernur": We explore the Ruhar word that translates to a "damp musty blanket" and how it's used to describe a mood and the weather. - The Next Chapter: We look ahead to Chapter 6, "Fort Arrow," where Joe Bishop finally gets into the first battle. Follow the Merry Band of Pirates: Reach out to the Pirates on social media with any ideas or suggestions! Listen to Episode 7: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMerryBandofPirates/videos Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/720226687805258 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mboppod/ 𝕏/Twitter: https://x.com/mboppod Email: [email protected] ...And if you haven't done so, yet, download and listen to The Expeditionary Force series on Audible: https://www.audible.com (Not yet a sponsor!) Until then, Always Trust the Awesomeness!