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Welcome to TRACKER, the primary source for bounty hunter news from around the Empire. I’m your host, Garret Coliga, here with another episode filled with tech and tips that will keep you locked on your target.

Today’s show is sponsored by Behring, makers of everything from the P8-AR assault rifle to their line of MSD missile racks. I’ve got a few of these racks myself and couldn’t be happier with them. Their adaptability lets you outfit your loadout with a variety of missile types, a key when your missile needs are changing from bounty to bounty. Don’t get locked into the same, predictable loadout. You have to be prepared for whatever the universe has waiting for you.

You can never be too prepared in my book. That’s one of the first things I tell any newbie. There’s nothing worse than closing in on a collar only to find yourself in a situation you didn’t plan for. That’s how people get hurt or even killed in this line of work. I know a lot of you young guns out there have seen those shows on the spectrum that make it look like bounty hunting is all about kicking down doors and in-atmo chases through city skylines. Well, let me tell you something, those moments in your career should be the exception, not the rule. The more adrenaline you got pumping through your veins, the more likely you are to make a mistake. Keep it “calm and cool” is another little tidbit while I’m at it.

I’ve got a ton of those little sayings, but now’s not the time to drop ’em all on you. Got a segment coming up in a little bit about the Bounty Hunter Guild’s mentorship program, so I’ll save some of my good ones until then; now it’s time to check the HotSheet.

Let’s start in Nexus. Now, we all know this system is far from the safest part of the UEE, but there appears to be an organized effort to make it even more chaotic. Over the past few months a number of bounty hunters have gone missing in the system. Recently, a miner recovered a black box in the Elcibre Belt that was tied back to one of ’em.

Based on what they pulled from the black box, the Bounty Hunter Guild believes someone’s feeding people fake contracts to lure them into ambushes within the asteroid belt. Anyone with information on someone named Karkovsky, or who has received job offers from them, can contact the Guild directly or through their anonymous tip comm channel. It’s also highly recommended that no one attempt to go after Karkovsky alone, as it is believed that they might be working with a local outlaw pack to carry out these heinous acts.

This is the perfect opportunity to remind all members to please confirm every bounty with the Guild before pursuing it. This step is to protect you against situations just like this. “Know before you go.” It could save your life.

Next, authorities are on the lookout for Celeste Zabkar, who orchestrated the robbery of a ship carrying humanitarian supplies destined for the civil war ravaged planet of Charon III. One well-placed EMP was all that was needed to disable the ship long enough for Zabkar and her crew to board it and subdue the crew. Once the supplies were offloaded into a waiting Merchantman, Zabkar destroyed the Connie’s comm system so they wouldn’t be able to call for help. Luckily, the attack happened near one of Charon’s main shipping lanes and the Connie was eventually found before it was too late.

Currently, there’s little intel on Zabkar. She racked up a few minor offenses while growing up in Fora, but nothing close to this level of criminal activity. More recently, she was associated with an activist group looking to raise awareness about the food shortage in her home system. It’s not clear what turned her from activist to outlaw, but she’s proven herself quite capable, so I wouldn’t underestimate her. In my experience, people who are true believers in a cause are much harder to bag than those that are just out for themselves.

Another example of the kind of wisdom that years on the job can impart. To help those who lack real world experience, the Bounty Hunter Guild is making a push to increase their mentorship program. If you’re new to the ranks, I can’t recommend this more highly. Same goes to all those lifers out there too. All you have to do is contact your local Guild office and tell them you’re interested in meeting or being a mentor. Normally, they try to pair new hunters with a mentor in the same system. That way the two can sit down face-to-face and chat about what to expect from the job, what to avoid and, most importantly, how to make a career out of it.

Here from the Guild to fill us in on further details is the director of the mentorship program, Eliza Anderson. Thanks for being here.

Eliza Anderson: Thanks for the enthusiastic intro. Think you about covered it all.

Hope I didn’t steal your thunder. I’m just a big supporter of this program. Now, I wanted to bring you on because I’m surprised just how many people don’t know about this great initiative. Tell us how you got involved.

Eliza Anderson: I was running a Guild office on Locke, and got in the habit of asking young bounty hunters if there was anything more we could be doing for them. Even though the Guild has an extensive handbook, no one really has the time to sit down and read through it all. Many simply felt overwhelmed by certain aspects of the process.

I found that answering their questions one-on-one really seemed to help them. So I started a local mentorship program that paired youngsters alongside salty old dogs like us and the results were striking. Those who took part in the program saw their success rate improve considerably compared to those who didn’t. Not only that, but they were more engaged with the Guild and even started looking out for others who were coming up after them. It wasn’t long before the Guild asked me to expand the program to what it is today.

Now, you wrangled me into being a mentor about a year ago and I’ve found it to be extremely rewarding. It’s been energizing to talk to some of these kids and see their enthusiasm. Reminds me of why I got into this line of work in the first place: to help people.

Eliza Anderson: I’ve had the same experience myself. All those small tasks that I found annoying before heading out on a bounty were fascinating to the people I was mentoring. For them, it painted a picture. You mentioned earlier the mythology that those spec vids depict, so it’s good to give them a practical explanation of what the job entails. I also found that having to explain and justify these points of procedure reminded me exactly why they’re so important and how they were the key to doing the job the safe and right way.

Totally agree. Now, we’ve got to take a quick break to give some of our sponsors their due, but I’ll be back with Eliza Anderson and we’ll continue our discussion about the Guild’s mentorship program.

Don’t go anywhere, if you know what’s good for you. There’s more TRACKER coming right up.