Each profession has its own codes. Shortcuts, abbreviations and other special designations. This is even more true when you don't want certain people to find out what these codes mean. Or when we want to soften certain politically incorrect formulations. For bounty hunters, it even fits into these two categories. There are several expressions to know when you want to embark on this profession. But before tackling them, it would be better to quote the creed of the ancient Guild. Not everyone follows it, but it's a good place to start:
- Only acquisitions are priced, not people.
- Capture by vocation, kill if necessary.
- A hunter cannot kill another.
- A hunter does not intervene in the hunting of a colleague.
- In a hunt, you capture or kill, never both.
- A hunter never refuses his help from another hunter.
From the first principle of the creed, it is a question of acquisitions. The targets are not people, they are not living things (or droids, for those who are concerned about their rights). They lost that status as soon as a bounty was put on their head. They are no more than a commodity that the hunter will seek and must convey. The destination point is a receiver. Who is not necessarily the same person as the client or issuer. Scheduling agents are middlemen that laymen call premium brokers (not to be confused with information brokers, who trade in rumors and research essential to finding certain premiums). They are both information relays and merchants for material. The hunter himself is a professional. As for the rival who tries to prevent the capture of an acquisition or even to steal it, he is only a dirty saboteur.
The status of a bounty hunter is measured by the bounties he can receive. That is to say that there is a certain classification of the categories of bonuses, by amount. Beginners should be content with the lowest ones, unless there is a big patron who can provide them with the necessary resources to equip themselves. And buy the permit that will allow you to work in the area. Hunting without a license can be considered a crime in some places. By gaining experience, we add up the permits and we also enlarge the area where we can practice. Until one has earned enough reputation to be invited to work in the higher category. Here is the list of premium categories:
- Blacklist: A legend for most of the profession, if you have never heard of it it is because you are not sufficiently initiated. Hunters capable of working on these bounties are all considered legends, and form a small community. Their clients are of the rank of chief of state or director of a multi-system corporation. These are private contracts, as much on the side of the issuer as on the amount. And sent on a special channel, directly to the professionals concerned. Discretion is part of the price. There is no need to know more until one has reached the right rank.
- The most sought after (over 200 credits): These bonuses are not necessarily less difficult than those of the Black List, but they are official. So a more open market and no need for discretion. The acquisitions present here are dangerous enough to have alienated the governments of the Empire or the Republic. There may be political dissidents in the mix, but most are manic killers wanted dead or alive.
- Galactic notices (between 50 and 000 credits): The preys hunted here are not important enough to be among the most sought after, but their bounties have still been issued at the level of the galaxy. There are many repeat offenders, but also criminals whose list of offenses is found in the prohibitions of the two major governments.
- Regional Advisories (between 20 and 000 credits): The Republic does not apply these bounties in the Core, but the rest of the galaxy is divided into a number of regions. These bonuses cover various crimes where the acquisition will automatically provide for rapid travel to escape the police force, such as counterfeiting, illegal modification of vessels or smuggling.
- Sector, system or planet opinion (between 3 and 000 credits): In areas that require only one permit, it is a question of assisting the local police forces against local criminals.
- Corporatist opinions: The bonuses offered by private companies obey different rules from those known as public security. It is therefore impossible to classify them with those issued by members of the government. Legally, it should only be about defending interests, not attacking rivals. Otherwise both hunters and clients might see law enforcement come and implicate them both.
- Opinion of the lowlands: As for companies, the leaders of the Underworld also have their category. It is about finding former members of the organization who have betrayed their leader, from the butler or cook to the security officer or the right-hand man. Most of these bounties are issued by hutts, and almost all of what the Cartel issues fits into that.
A good bounty hunter always has some necessary equipment. He is not limited to his simple blaster to capture and bring back his acquisitions. A ship may be required to travel between planets, but is not essential for lower bounties. On the other hand, without a speeder to quickly reach the place where the acquisition from the spaceport hides, we waste a lot of time. Imprisonment devices are also needed, the most common being a carbonite projector. It also requires spotting, surveillance and hacking equipment in order to track down the location of the target. Some even provide traps to weaken it. And other personal enhancers. More armor, and sometimes even several weapons ... It is not for nothing that some professionals have ended up looking like real technological arsenals.
References
Literature:
- guide "The Code of the Bounty Hunter"
