Official Guidelines for the Guild
So you've taken your first steps to becoming a Bounty Hunter. Fame, glory, credits, they all await you. But before you reach the heights of the some of the most prolific Hunters throughout our Galaxy, you need to know a few details - or guidelines - that will help you last long enough in this business to actually make a name for yourself.
Like anything, every Bounty Hunter has to start sometime, so here's how the job works:
Someone commits a crime. A local government, a corporation, or an individual issues a notification to the Bounty Hunters' Guild, offering a reward for the capture or execution of the criminal. The entity that issues the notification is known as the originator (or client). The criminal who is the subject of the notification is called the acquisition (or target). The reward, of course, is the bounty.
The originator usually issues a bounty notification because the local or regional law-enforcement services are unable or unwilling to take steps to resolve a situation. After the notification arrives at a Bounty Hunters' Guild office, two methods occur: either a Guild contractor determines which Hunter will track down and apprehend the acquisition, or a Hunter claims the bounty because he/she can fulfill it at the time. One rule remains, though, that the hunter cannot refuse an assignment from the Guild contractor or after it's been claimed.
The Hunter must capture and deliver the acquisition - or, at the very least, the remains or other evidence of the acquisition's death - to a designated person, corporation, or location, known as the receiver. The bounty is typically paid in credits, either hard cash or a direct transfer to the Bounty Hunters' Guild, the Guild takes its small commission, and the rest is forward to the Hunter who completed the contract.
Sounds easy, doesn't it?
Sure, it's easy. Like playing Count My Teeth with a Rancor.
If the job were easy, anyone could do it. But you're not just anyone. You're a member of the Guild.
Misconceptions About Bounty Hunters
With that basic understanding of the job sorted, it's time to look into the many misconceptions and rumors that surround Bounty Hunters, so we can begin to give you a better view on what we do. Let's start with the big one:
- Do Bounty Hunters kill for money? Yes, but not indiscriminately, and not merely for personal gain. Members of the Bounty Hunters' Guild accept rewards for killing criminals, but only when a lawfully issued bounty notification requires the acquisition dead. Same with contracts for alive, dead bounties net a commission to the Guild as well.
- Are Bounty Hunters murderers? No. Murderers kill unlawfully.
- Are bounty hunters assassins? No. Assassins typically target specific individuals for political, religious or personal reasons, and do not necessarily profit from the killing. Most so-called professional assassins have no compunction about accepting money to kill innocent people, which we don't do (see next point). All of our contracts must have a legal basis before being accepted.
- Do bounty hunters kill innocent people? Never intentionally, and not without consequence. Members of the Bounty Hunters' Guild make every effort to ensure the safety of innocent life-forms and prevent collateral damage. When accidents occur, the Guild's legal and insurance departments work with other authorities to compensate innocents and their relatives for any specified loss, damage, illness, and death. The Guild is in the business of stopping criminals, not harming innocents. The Guild is not responsible, however, for injuries, deaths, or damage caused by acquisitions during a hunt.
- Are bounty hunters mercenaries? Absolutely not. Mercenaries are freelance soldiers hired to serve in foreign armies. Bounty hunters have little regard for anyone whose allegiance is for sale. When we accept a contract, the agreement is binding until it is complete. No negotiations, no counter-offers, no breaking a contract.
- Are all Bounty Hunters members of the Bounty Hunters' Guild? No. Unfortunately for them, some hunters prefer to work independently. They don't last long. And usually end up getting into trouble with the law, because they ignore our guidelines.
- Do Bounty Hunters compete with each other? Not if they're members of the Bounty Hunters' Guild or an affiliate guild. Because Guild Contractors assign Guild Hunters to pursue specific bounties, or update contract statuses when one is claimed, it's rare for Guild Hunters to cross paths; but when they do, they respect each other as allies. As for non-Guild Hunters, if they interfere with an authorized Guild hunt, the Guild will make sure they never see a contract update again.
- Do bounty hunters do freelance work? Guild Hunters are allowed to pursue any sanctioned bounties, outside of the Guild itself, with the provision that their work for the Guild comes first and that the Guild receives a percentage of their non-Guild earnings. But remember that "freelance" is not an excuse for bad behavior. You are not a hired gun. You are a bounty hunter, a licensed law-enforcement officer, and don't let anyone tell you different. You are not a wage slave, and you cannot be bought.
- What if my freelance work lands me in trouble? Sadly, if you're caught up in a legal mess while operating outside of the Guild's purview, we can only do so much. We'll try and help you out of a jam, but that would incur a cost, especially if we need to smooth things over for damages or injuries. The best way to think about it is this: When you're not on a contract for the Guild, you're like an off-duty CorSec officer - you still need to make good decisions, and obey laws. Otherwise those mistakes come back to bite you, and the Guild's hands are mostly tied.
Hope all that's sunk in. Remember to check back here if you start getting hazy, or if you've been overloaded with information. There's no reason to be left wanting when it comes to understanding the Guild's stance on contracts and behavior; because the last thing you want is to be excommunicated...
- What's excommunicated? This means you've been kicked out, removed from Guild resources and protection, and for the safety of our information and networks, you've got a price on your head. You're now an open acquisition, available for any affiliated Bounty Hunter to claim... and the emphasis isn't on alive, if you get our drift.