Originally a ragtag bunch of UNEF soldiers, over time The Merry Band of Pirates become a force to be reckoned with.
At the beginning of the events of Spec Ops, the Pirates had 46 Kristang Powered Armor Suits (42 of which were serviceable) and 36 Thuranin Combat Robots (Combots).
They adopt a mission insignia of a paramecium with an eye patch, they have an official motto of "Trust the Awesomeness".[1] However, Skippy the Magnificent believes that the motto should be "Striving for Competence".
The Merry Band of Pirates have a habit of running up against the "Law of Unintended Consequences". Any time a seemingly impossible situation arises, it's just another Tuesday for the Pirates.
When, then Colonel, Joe Bishop met Skippy and after rescuing Marine Staff Sergeant Margaret Adams, Indian Captain Fal Desai and Chinese Lieutenant Colonel Chang Kong from Ruhar captivity, they make their way to a UNEF base on Paradise and recruit 20 more UNEF military personnel to commandeer a Kristang frigate (The Flower) and then a Thuranin Star Carrier (they name the Flying Dutchman). Joe and Skippy name the group the Merry Band of Pirates.[2]
Changes in Leadership[]
Originally Commanded by Joe Bishop from the time the Merry Band of Pirates were formed during the events of Columbus Day until the end of the Spec Ops mission.
At the beginning of the events of Paradise, Hans Chotek is assigned by the UN as leader of the entire mission. However, with Joe acting as Captain of the Flying Dutchman in Military situations due to Skippy laying out an ultimatum.
Joe re-assumes Command of the Merry Band of Pirates and the Dutchman for the Renegades mission.
Hans Chotek and a "Committee" of three other Bureaucrats (The Three Stooges) are placed in charge of the Armageddon mission by the UN.
During the events of Armageddon, Joe re-assumes Command of the Merry Band of Pirates and the Dutchman after leaving Hans Chotek and the Three Stooges on the beta site, Avalon.
Preventing the Kristang from buying a ride to Earth from the Ruhar by faking an attack on the Ruhar Negotiating Team using abandoned Kristang frigates.
Helping inflict the devastating defeat of a Thuranin fleet by providing Jeraptha Fleet Intelligence high-level intel on an impending Thuranin attack.
Diverting a Maxolhx battle group from Earth by jumping them outside the Milky Way.
Destroying over fifty Maxolhx ships over a short period of time while convincing the Maxolhx that it was a Bosphuraq-captured highly modified Maxolhx battleship (referred to as the ghost ship) doing all the damage.
Rescuing hundreds of abducted humans (including children) from the Kristang, who were planing to use them as bio-weapons.
Preventing the native Maxolhx AI on Valkyrie from killing all the humans on board and convincing it to join them (the native AI was ultimately destroyed by a Maxolhx "kill swicth").
Defeating a native Maxolhx AI created worm from killing Nagatha Christie and destroying the Dutchman.
