Bounty Hunters Guild

Bounty Hunters Guild
Alignment	Corporation

ALLIES:

House Authorities, House Corporations, IMG, GMG, The Core

ENEMIES:

Criminals, Targets

The Bounty Hunters Guild originally began in Texas but has spread to almost every system in Sirius, providing a broad array of security-oriented services for a reasonable fee. They are frequently hired by house corporations and governments alike to aid in the protection of trade routes or to take on wanted criminals in search-and-destroy missions. Bounty Hunters are particularly reviled by criminals because some of them were once pirates themselves. As a result, many Hunters know of the various Jump Hole routes and employ that knowledge in their assignments.

Ships used

Ship	Class
Repair Ship	Repair Ship
Piranha	Light Fighter
Clydesdale	Freighter
Large Transport	Transport
Armored Transport	Transport
Bretonia Transport	Transport
Large Train	Train
Barracuda	Heavy Fighter
Train	Transport
Bretonia Heavy Transport	Heavy Transport
Hammerhead	Very Heavy Fighter
Bounty Hunter Gunship	Gunboat
Bounty Hunter Gunboat	Gunboat
Core Destroyer	Cruiser
Core Battlecruiser	Battlecruiser
Moray	Bomber

Bases owned

Base Owner System Region Sheffield Station Bounty Hunters Guild Manchester Bretonia Nobeoka Platform Bounty Hunters Guild Sigma-59 Sigma Border Worlds Deshima Station Bounty Hunters Guild Shikoku Kusari Manitoba Station Bounty Hunters Guild Hudson Independent

Bribes

Base Owner System Region Elbe Border Fortress Rheinland Federal Police Omega-7 Omega Border Worlds Battleship Norfolk Bretonia Armed Forces Cambridge Bretonia Battlecruiser Yellowstone Liberty Navy California Liberty Alster Shipyard Imperial Shipping Hamburg Rheinland Planet Stuttgart Rheinland Federal Police Stuttgart Rheinland Freistadt Base Independent Miners Guild Omega-7 Omega Border Worlds Newark Station Interspace Commerce New York Liberty Douglas Station Bretonia Mining & Manufacturing Omega-3 Omega Border Worlds Battleship Alma Liberty Navy Pennsylvania Liberty Rugen Station Daumann Heavy Construction Omega-3 Omega Border Worlds Madeira Base Independent Miners Guild Omega-48 Omega Edge Worlds LPI Sugarland Liberty Police, Inc. Texas Liberty Planet New Berlin Rheinland Federal Police New Berlin Rheinland Bristol Bay Station Bristol Constructions & Manufacturing Bering Independent Freeport 8 Zoners Sigma-15 Sigma Border Worlds Battleship Ark Royal Bretonia Armed Forces Leeds Bretonia Barrier Gate Station B Freelancers Coronado Independent Aomori Station Gas Miners Guild Honshu Kusari Battleship Essex Bretonia Armed Forces New London Bretonia Philadelphia Station Deep Space Engineering Pennsylvania Liberty Portsmouth Drydock Bretonia Mining & Manufacturing Cambridge Bretonia Planet Amiens Gallic Navy Picardy Gallia Battleship Arkansas Liberty Navy Texas Liberty Valley Forge Flight School Interspace Commerce Pennsylvania Liberty Elbich Mining Facility Kruger Minerals Omega-7 Omega Border Worlds Planet New Paris Gallic Navy Ile-de-France Gallia Kansai Research Institute Kusari Naval Forces Honshu Kusari Battleship Westfalen Rheinland Military Stuttgart Rheinland Fort Bush Liberty Police, Inc. New York Liberty Planet Manhattan Liberty Police, Inc. New York Liberty Nobeoka Platform Bounty Hunters Guild Sigma-59 Sigma Border Worlds Battleship Altenburg Rheinland Military Cologne Alsace Passage Deshima Station Bounty Hunters Guild Shikoku Kusari Barrier Gate Station A Freelancers Coronado Independent Planet Houston Liberty Police, Inc. Texas Liberty Planet Baden Baden Orbital Spa & Cruise Stuttgart Rheinland Planet Sprague Bretonia Police Omega-3 Omega Border Worlds Sedona Station Zoners Baffin Tau Border Worlds Planet Kurile, Samura Platform Samura Industries Sigma-17 Sigma Border Worlds Brandenburg Station Rheinland Federal Police New Berlin Rheinland Lübeck Border Station Rheinland Federal Police Hamburg Rheinland Corfu Base Zoners Omicron Theta Edge Worlds West Point Military Academy Liberty Navy New York Liberty Perth Station Bretonia Armed Forces Edinburgh Bretonia Newport Station Freelancers Sigma-13 Sigma Border Worlds Essen Station Kruger Minerals New Berlin Rheinland Altona Station Imperial Shipping Hamburg Rheinland Detroit Munitions Ageira Technologies New York Liberty Bonn Station Interspace Commerce New Berlin Rheinland Planet New London Bretonia Police New London Bretonia Portsmouth Shipyard Bretonia Mining & Manufacturing Cambridge Bretonia Freeport 1 Zoners Omega-3 Omega Border Worlds Planet Pittsburgh Deep Space Engineering New York Liberty Planet Marseille Unione Corse Provence Gallia Baltimore Shipyard Deep Space Engineering New York Liberty Planet Hamburg Rheinland Federal Police Hamburg Rheinland Freeport 10 Zoners Tau-37 Tau Edge Worlds Planet Quillan EFL Oil & Machinery Languedoc Gallia San Diego Border Station Liberty Police, Inc. California Liberty Scarborough Shipyard Border World Exports Newcastle Bretonia Borneo Crayter Republic Tau-44 Tau Border Worlds Heaton Mining Station Planetform, Inc. Newcastle Bretonia Dounby Station Independent Miners Guild Orkney Tau Border Worlds Freeport 6 Zoners Tau-29 Tau Border Worlds Cold Bay Depot Planetform, Inc. Hudson Independent Wildau Station EFL Oil & Machinery New Berlin Rheinland Freiburg Station Imperial Shipping Stuttgart Rheinland Battlecruiser Tuscaloosa Liberty Security Force Inverness Independent Ulm Border Station Rheinland Federal Police Stuttgart Rheinland Gas Miner Ogashawa Gas Miners Guild Sigma-19 Sigma Border Worlds Battleship Missouri Liberty Navy New York Liberty Liner Samsara Wild Sigma-19 Sigma Border Worlds Pueblo Bonito Zoners Baffin Tau Border Worlds Freeport 5 Zoners Omega-41 Omega Edge Worlds Halifax Freeport Freelancers Leeds Bretonia Thames Outpost Bretonia Armed Forces New London Bretonia Planet Curacao Orbital Spa & Cruise Cortez Independent Planet Erie Liberty Police, Inc. Pennsylvania Liberty Norfolk Shipyard Liberty Navy New York Liberty Scalpay Outpost Ageira Technologies Tau-23 Tau Border Worlds Planet Honshu Kusari State Police Honshu Kusari Planet Los Angeles Liberty Police, Inc. California Liberty Canterbury Station Planetform, Inc. New London Bretonia Oder Shipyard Daumann Heavy Construction New Berlin Rheinland South Shields Refinery Independent Miners Guild Newcastle Bretonia Barrier Gate Station C Freelancers Coronado Independent Supply Station Neckar Synth Foods, Inc. Stuttgart Rheinland The Ring Daumann Heavy Construction New Berlin Rheinland Cordova Shipping Platform Universal Shipping Magellan Independent Nago Station Kishiro Technologies Tau-29 Tau Border Worlds Freeport 14 Zoners Inverness Independent BPA Newgate Bretonia Police Manchester Bretonia Java Station Independent Miners Guild Tau-23 Tau Border Worlds Willard Research Station Liberty Navy California Liberty Planet California Minor Planetform, Inc. California Liberty Ames Research Station Zoners Kepler Independent Syracuse Station Cryer Pharmaceuticals Colorado Liberty Aubigny EFL Oil & Machinery Ile-de-France Gallia Noshima Freeport Freelancers Shikoku Kusari Harrisburg Station Universal Shipping Pennsylvania Liberty Cambridge Research Station Cryer Pharmaceuticals Cambridge Bretonia Planet Cambridge Bretonia Police Cambridge Bretonia Kingston Border Station Bretonia Police Manchester Bretonia Luxury Liner Hawaii Orbital Spa & Cruise Sigma-19 Sigma Border Worlds Sheffield Station Bounty Hunters Guild Manchester Bretonia LPI Huntsville Liberty Police, Inc. Texas Liberty Bethlehem Station Zoners Pennsylvania Liberty Kensington Shipping Platform Gateway Shipping New London Bretonia Birmingham Station Planetform, Inc. Manchester Bretonia Singapore Shipyard Independent Miners Guild Tau-44 Tau Border Worlds Waterloo Station Interspace Commerce New London Bretonia Manitoba Station Bounty Hunters Guild Hudson Independent Planet Denver Liberty Police, Inc. Colorado Liberty Planet Gran Canaria Zoners Omega-48 Omega Edge Worlds

Diplomacy

View Reputation Artificial Intelligence -0.65% Sirius Coalition -0.65% Unioners -0.65% Cryer Pharmaceuticals +0.3% Ageira Technologies +0.3% Bundschuh -0.65% Lane Hackers -0.65% Wild -0.65% Interspace Commerce +0.3% Gas Miners Guild +0.3% Blood Dragons -0.65% Liberty Rogues -0.65% Xenos -0.65% Daumann Heavy Construction +0.3% Independent Miners Guild +0.3% Gallic Brigands -0.65% LWB -0.65% Unione Corse -0.3% Deep Space Engineering +0.3% Kusari State Police +0.3% Corsairs -0.65% Mollys -0.65% Hogosha -0.3% Synth Foods, Inc. +0.3% Liberty Police, Inc. +0.3% Farmers Alliance -0.65% Nomads -0.65% Junkers -0.3% Gateway Shipping +0.3% Kruger Minerals +0.3% Gaians -0.65% Vagrants -0.65% The Maquis -0.3% Orbital Spa & Cruise +0.3% Rheinland Federal Police +0.3% Independent Pirates -0.65% The Order -0.65% Bretonia Police +0.3% Imperial Shipping +0.3% The Core +0.91% Golden Chrysanthemums -0.65% Outcasts -0.65% ALG Waste Disposal +0.3% Universal Shipping +0.3% Unknown -0.65% Red Hessians -0.65% Border World Exports +0.3% Planetform, Inc. +0.3%

Rumors

Planet New London I've been chasing Mollys in Dublin for a while. Thought I'd move up and try me some Corsairs. They're pretty easy to find in the Somerset Field. Just watch out for those gas pockets left over from the old mining days. If you're smart about it you can use them to your advantage. Force one of those lighter Corsair ships into a gaspocket when you've got their shields down, and the explosion will take it out pretty easily. I almost caught a Corsair in the Cornwall Field yesterday. They've been gettin' real aggressive lately - walkin' all over that Police Authority, they are. The government called us in as backup until they get up to speed on those Border World pirates. I guess we'll be here for quite some time, heh. I heard those Corsairs found a Hole to Cambridge in the Somerset that nobody even knew existed. That's when all the trouble started in London. Before that, the Corsairs weren't that bad in Cambridge. Nothing much that interested them there. It's easier for them to hit shipping to and from Rheinland in the Border Worlds. I used to be a BMM miner in the Somerset when I was a young bloke. Then they shut us down for good a few decades years back. Set some bad blood between the BMM boffins and us workers, that. Some of us went to the Mollys and IMG; I joined up with the Hunters. The Bounty Hunters in Bretonia are a different lot than those in Liberty. Some of us are former Bowex pilots; a few are former BMM types. Only a few are from the police. Me, I came from the IMG. Once we heard Gallia was moving south into the Taus, I decided to embark on a new line of work. I knew the Jump Hole network okay, and I could deal with an Outcast or Corsair. It was a natural fit. It's a little more risky then mining, but the pay's a lot better than chewing rocks. The Corsairs run their Artifacts from the Somerset up to Devon, then across to the Junker base of Trafalgar. Then they start to pillage to drag something back to their homes. I try to nab them before they can offload their artifacts - grabbing those after busting one of them open gets you a nice bonus from the Bretonian authorities. Waterloo Station Interspace doesn't care much about what happens off of Trade Lanes or Jump Gates. That's why Junkers and Hogosha never really register on their radar. They doesn't see the obvious role the Junkers play in supplying and harboring criminals. Interspace pays the best of all. You'd better be good, but they'll reward you well if you can get the job done. It's funny, I've been working with Interspace for years now, they reward faithful service. The Bretonian government can't pay out for any contracts right now, so it's good to have a job. Had a fight with some Gaians last week near the Newcastle Jump Gate. You would think those bastards would have joined us in the fight against those cursed invaders, not continue to hit Bretonia while they're down. But no, those pansies seem to have thrown their lot in with Gallia, just as they did with Kusari. It's a bloody miracle they still have any support left on Cambridge. The Corsairs are pretty occupied with the Red Hessians in Omega-5 right now. That's a good thing for Bretonia. If the Corsairs didn't have to devote all those ships and manpower to protect their right flank against the Rheinlanders, there would be some serious pillaging going on in this system. IC thinks we're scum, but they need us. They never set foot outside their sanitized offices. Wouldn't last a second out where they send us. But I guess that's why they pay us so damn well. I don't need to like the folk who sign my paycheck. I just do the job they ask me to do. I've been on the Outcast trail for a couple of months on deep recon for IC. We've mapped it all the way from Edinburgh to New London. Next month Operation Hailstorm commences -- loads of Bounty Hunters, Bretonian military, and police going to clear out the Outcasts from Bretonia for good. Me, I'm a bit skeptical. Canterbury Station The Gaians don't know what to make of those real criminals, the Corsairs and Outcasts. I think all those Cambridge University grads are scared to death of the Border World bad guys. Still, they seem to be getting along, oddly, with the Corsairs... No Jump Holes in the Devon field -- makes it a little bit quiet. The Somerset is another story. It's swarming with Corsairs, that is. They run the Artifacts across to Trafalgar from the Cambridge Hole, and then they start hittin' the ships that wander into their range. Guess they don't like buying things that they can steal instead. Savages... I'm glad we don't need to go to Edinburgh anymore. It's pretty messy up there. The Gaians have more cover and seem to be more organized than everyone else here. I don't get why they think that stupid planet is so important. Now Gallia will probably turn it into a colony world of theirs. Hope those Gaian nutters are pleased with themselves. We're heading out to the Somerset to hunt some Corsairs. It's real bad down there. Ya don't want to go in alone or your kin will be gettin' a little notice from the Guild offering their condolences. Corsairs always roam that field in packs, so we gotta do the same. Planetform seems to have loads of money to pay us for hunting down those Gaians. They must get it from the government. It's no problem with me. I'll just keep poppin' them as long as they can afford me. They've got me here chasing Gaians up in the Devon field. It's not very complicated work. Those Gaians are a little green - pun intended - when it comes to tactics and combat. They got lots of spunk, though. BPA Newgate If you find Mollys in this system, they are either sitting here doing time or they came through the Leeds Jump Hole. That Hole is tucked away nicely in the Birmingham Ice Field. I used to collect lots of bounties on the Mollys who'd attack this prison, trying to free their mates. Not anymore. I hang out at this base to hear about incoming convoys of newly captured prisoners. That's where they try to make the breaks these days. And that's when I go for them. Best time is to hit them while they're already dealing with the convoy escorts. Prevents you from getting swarmed. I sat down at a bar in Freeport 4 once and met the only man to escape from this prison -- Willy Logan. It took him ten years to make his vac-suit, and then he escaped through the waste disposal system and was flushed into space with the garbage. His buddies had hidden a small shuttle on a dud mine. Took him less then an hour to reach safety. Takes some stones to head out in a selfbuilt vac-suit though. I haven't really put many inmates in this prison; that's more of a police job. The chaps that I've collected my bounties on are dead. It's just easier like that and that's how most companies prefer 'em. Judging from the state of this place, I've done my marks a favor by killing 'em outright. My first trip to the Newgate I spent some time wearing a number. I decided then to go straight. After I finished serving my time I knew I'd never come back -- not as a prisoner at least. The Bounty Hunters Guild takes in a lot of ex-cons. Guys like us have the skills to survive and the attitude to get the job done, no matter what. I may be a Bretonian Bounty Hunter, but I've been making a lot of good money from a Liberty company. Ageira is paying me big bucks to dust any Lane Hackers that I catch in this system. Bowex and BMM pick up the tab for any Mollys that cross my path. Sheffield Station Outcasts come into this system via the Magellan Jump Hole, so if you are looking to bag an Outcast, then I suggest you look in the Sheffield North. Be careful - Outcasts are pretty touchy with a hold full of Cardamine and have no problem blowing a hole in your ship. The legal team has been hard at work lately, probably means they managed to score some big-time contracts with Bretonia. While I'm glad work's opening up, part of me is still surprised this rainy moshpit can actually get worse. I usually don't bother with the prison convoys. The Police Authority usually escorts those themselves, so there's nothing in it for me. They'll claim any pirate kills as their own, which means I don't get paid. It's easier to nab a few Gaians near Birmingham, or a few Hackers coming from Magellan. If you bag both groups on the same trip, you get payment from both Liberty and Bretonia. Side Arms and H-Fuel are shipped throughout this system from this base. Even though these shipments are staying in the system, the haul is still dangerous. Side arms are a favorite of many criminals, especially the Mollies. We sometimes use shipments like that as bait. This base's location between the two major ice fields in this system leaves us with plenty of options. All kinds of scumbag criminals come into this system. You name it, we got it: Mollys, Gaians, Outcasts, and even Lane Hackers. Most of the action takes place north of the Trade Lanes, except the occasional Molly raid on the Newgate. My father was a Bounty Hunter and so was his father before him. Dad started taking me hunting with him when I turned fourteen. I've been doing this ever since, and I've bagged over four hundred criminals in that time. Welcome to Sheffield. This base is a major distribution point in this part of Bretonian space. Aside from a small police outpost, this is the last stop before hitting the Independent Worlds if you head towards Liberty. Your past does not matter when you become a Bounty Hunter. Once you join the Guild, all is forgotten. For many it is the only chance they have to turn their lives around. I'm not saying life is all roses from that point on - far from it - but it's better than going back to the Newgate. Bowex transports basic supplies from here to the other bases in this system. A lot of the Commodities that come through here are either on their way to Liberty or New London. For us it's good to sit on a major trade route. We get supplied well, and the criminals are drawn to these traders like flies to honey. All we got to do is clip a few wings. The best way to catch a Molly is to use bait. If you can take out one of their engines, the other Mollys are going to stay behind and try to rescue the distressed pilot. That's when you find out if you are good enough to do this job. There are two Jump Holes in this system. The Hole to Leeds is in the Birmingham Ice Field; the Hole to Magellan is in the southern part of the Sheffield North Ice Field. There is a law in the Bounty Hunters Guild that must never be broken. The proper authorities can't ever be told the location of the Jump Holes. Any Bounty Hunter who breaks this rule is expelled from the Guild, and is usually the victim of an accident. Lane Hackers do a lot of raiding in this system. They know when the Gold shipments are going to come through, and yellow metal is one of their favorite finds. Quite a few constables came by just now after their shift had ended, looks like things here are getting bad enough that people are considering drastic career shifts to stay in the black. I'm sure corporate is having a laugh, I pity the greenhorns though, they don't seem cut out for this sort of thing. Battleship Norfolk I used to be an IMG miner in Cardiff. This is much better work -- yeah, a little more dangerous, but a lot more rewarding. They recruited me for my knowledge of the Grasmere and Keswick Clouds. I grew up flying around Cambridge, so I know 'em like the back of my hand. The Guild is gaining membership in Rheinland. It was tough for a while, but the pay is better than the Federal Police can offer, and you have more freedom to boot. Of course, the Red Hessians are growing, too, so it's not an easy job. The Mollys and Gaians would be chicken feed for that lot. Word from Freeport 1 is that the Corsairs are losing their turf war with the Hessians in Omega-5. That'll save Bretonia's rear. Once the Hessians cut off Omega-5, the Corsairs won't have an easy access route into Cambridge anymore. Of course, then it will be the Hessians that start raiding ships here. Which might be much worse, since the Hessians would actually team up with the Mollies rather then fight them. Our group went on a long-range patrol along the Corsair Artifact smuggling route to the New London Jump Hole. I got one of 'em in my sights, but his buddies laid some wicked covering fire that forced me to break off. Those Corsairs are a wily lot. If you can tag one, the Crown pays good money for their scalps though. There are some top Hunters of the Guild out in the Omega Sector. I was talking to one of 'em last week on Freeport 1 -- said he'd made it all the way to Freeport 5 in Omega-41. That's on the edge of nothing, that is. He talked about a neutron star's deadly radiation that'll fry ya in a couple of minutes if you aren't properly protected. We go further into the clouds than the Armed Forces do. I've gone right by the Omega-5 Jump Hole more than once. That takes some guts, let me tell ya. The Corsairs get really nasty if you get too close to their access points. If you're lucky, they'll have found some Hessians to shoot though. They hate Hessians even more than us. I've never been in Omega-5. Not too many Hunters survive to tell their tales of that area. Planet Sprague You want easy money? Drop a line to a 'Guild recruiter and go hunt down some Mollys. With the way BMM managed the big pull out on Leeds, they got one hell of a manpower boom. Not that most any of the slag rats they picked up know how to fly properly - they're just as bad as them CDI jokes on the other side of the law. You can make a fair living by hunting the perps with warrants out on them down in the slums. The more levels down into the baserock you go, the rougher things get. After a while, it gets deep enough that the BPA stop patrolling, and we take over. If the vic comes in with a few snapped bones, who's to care? We solved the situation and returned law and order. Guild don't endorse it, but there's off the record work to be had here. Some shop owners want their property looking after, or a rival roughed up. There are even folks who're willing to sponsor people like me to rough up or take out Rheinland illegals that are here to snoop around. Not sure if I'm far enough back on my debts to want those jobs yet. Portsmouth Drydock Planetform hired me to kill Gaians a few months ago, so that's what I did. The contract didn't get renewed, since they don't have much use for Stokes anymore. I'm waiting for my next solid assignment and am just picking up loose jobs in New London and Newcastle until then. Most of the time it's Mollys I'm sent after.. Tau-31 used to be a productive area for us, but with the Gallic invasion, Harris is all but shutting down, and the Gaians don't seem to be around as much anymore either. I guess throwing their lot in with Gallia hasn't done much for the support for their cause, heh. Maybe I'll head to Dublin and see about popping a few Mollys if business keeps being as slow as it is now. The Outcasts used to slip down through Edinburgh somehow, but there's less and less coming from that direction. I think the Gallic Navy might have something to do with that. Our trackers think they're slipping through Newcastle now, although where they're getting in exactly we don't know... yet. Besides, there aren't many bounties out on Outcasts anymore. I guess Bretonia is cutting them some slack since they're hitting Gallia in the rear. The Mollys haven't been cutting the Armed Forces any slack, not here, nor in Dublin. Used to be they were a major annoyance for them, but now, with the military being spread thin, they're much more of a threat. Doesn't concern us though, we're targeting them where BMM and Bowex pay us to. Beyond that, they're not our problem. This new position for this ship isn't so bad. The debris field and Newcastle are just a stonesthrow away. Mollys, Gaians, Outcasts. You name it, it's in range. Unless you're looking for Corsairs, but I got enough of those guys down in Omega-3. Time for a change of scenery. The military personnel on this ship are always looking down their noses at us Bounty Hunters, but the truth is that if they could do their job well enough, BMM wouldn't be forced to hire us to do what the military can't. Not like they haven't got enough to do with a hostile navy bearing down on them. Those soldiers stick to preparing for Gallia these days, so hunting down the criminals ends up being our job. But we ain't cheap. Battleship Essex The dragnet that the military creates to stop pirated or illegally mined Gold from leaving the system is not as effective as they would have you believe, or else how would the Mollys continue to fund themselves? They are getting their Gold out of the system through various Jump Holes, but in smaller ships. Whenever the Mollys make an attack, the corporations that pay my expenses expect me to bring back some heads. I have to go searching for the Mollys in their own territory -- the asteroid fields. This is where the Mollys are most dangerous. Remember, they are miners, so they know the asteroids better than anyone else. The Bounty Hunters Guild maintains a presence on this ship because we have been hired to assist the military in curbing pirate activity in this system. We go places that the military might not, and the tactics we employ might not necessarily be allowed by military code. That makes it easier for us to get the job done. Perth Station Those Gaians still approach this base from time to time. We're keeping an eye on them, and I think they're trying to keep an eye on us. I suppose they want to prevent us from restarting the operations that were housed on this station. I remember this place before the war started, it is still a dump. It was never particularly the most lawful of systems, but the invasion and everything after has turned the lawlessness up to 10. Battleship Ark Royal Most of the bounty hunters here either work further up into the Taus, or they hang out on Newgate. Ark Royal is the closest thing to an R&R point for this kind of work, though Durham has been offering some contracts lately. Not sure it's worth slumming it with a bunch of corpo-rats, though. Yeah, most of us've done time, but so have most of the folks working LD-14; we're changed men, or perhaps at least a little more discerning with how we make our pay, eh? The military's choking to death just trying to keep the lanes and stations from being ripped apart, so a lot of the policing and escorting's down to corpo security - and of course, that means extra fat checks for me and the boys. We go out, take out a few Gaians or Mollys, write up an official report, and get pay from the corps and the Crown's bounty pool. The scrap field that Glasgow left behind gives all sorts of good approach angles onto LD-14 without being picked up by the Ark Royal's sensors. It's a real pain to have to scramble every time something slipped through the net, so they've started to pay us just to fly patrols on the far side. I thought boring patrols were their job, but I'm happy to take their money. Want my advice? Don't head into the Taus unless you're looking to find a fight. We lost three good trackers up there just a few weeks ago; they got tangled up in some Outcast brawl, and there's a lot more of them up there than there are down here. One's scary enough, but a whole squadron? No thanks. Leeds used to be the sweet-spot for bounty hunting, at least before the Gauls kicked down the door. Just enough pirate activity to whet your appetite, but not so much that you risk getting swarmed off the beaten path. Now? One wrong move and you'll be torn to pieces before you even know what happened. Scarborough Shipyard Finally things livened up again around here. When the Mollys were flirting with peace, all you could peg here was the occasional Outcast or Gaian, not worth a whole lot. But now that those ruffians have decided to fly their true colors again, I'm back in business. Popped four of 'em yesterday, so I can afford the Bretonian Stout for a while! I should seriously consider getting out of Bretonia. I have my doubts about Bretonia's ability to stand firm against Gallia, not after the state Kusari left their navy in. They put on a stoic face, but Kusari was beating them badly. The last place I want to find myself is in the middle of a collapsing front line. South Shields Refinery I wonder if the Guild will revisit their policy on not getting involved with inter-house wars where Gallia is concerned. Gallia has proven to be a threat to everyone around it, and away from their big ships, they behave not unlike the criminals that flood through the Jump Holes. I don't fancy the Guild will want to get entangled in the big fights, but flushing the Gauls out of the asteroids here? I'd be game for that. I like these miner stations. These guys don't ask too many questions. Don't answer em either. Everyone knows the IMG has got dealings with the Mollys, but they're smart about it, so they rarely get caught. Apart from Mollys, there are also a good number of Outcasts in the area, coming from that asteroid field west of this base. They fight Gallic strike craft coming from Tau-31 in there. Bretonia doesn't seem to be in any hurry to remove the Outcasts, but they sometimes cause trouble for the IMG here. We take some of them out to make the miners turn a blind eye to us nabbing the Mollys. The Gaians took a beating when the Gallic Navy rolled right over them. I'm sure they're just licking their wounds. A straight up rebellion such as the Mollys can be crushed by wiping out their forces, but the Gaians are ideological terrorists. It's only a matter of time before more of them pop up somewhere. Heaton Mining Station There's an unusual amount of freighters moving through those rocks south of here. You'll have to go much further then the mining operations Planetform has at the asteroid field edge. I get the feeling there must be several jumpholes in there - and a smuggling route for both the Corsairs and the Mollys. The Armed Forces and Police Authority don't seem to care enough to do something about it. Me, I don't go hunting for smugglers unless someone pays me to. Nice little setup these Planetform guys got here. The asteroid field is teeming with Corsairs and Mollys. Fun thing is, all you've got to do is watch one of their clashes from a distance - then once they're done, mop up and claim all the kills. Easy money. Planetform's eager to let us have access to this station. It's in a good spot for us. In turn, all they ask is that we help them mop up the Gaians when those ecofreaks show up. I hardly even break a sweat when dealing with those guys. They're barely worth the fuel and ammo, but hey, a good hunting nest is worth something too. Freeport 1 Bowex is paying me very well to protect its shipping convoys that pass through this system. This is probably the most dangerous shipping route in all of Sirius, so their pilots are top notch. Even so, a lot of them get charbroiled in Omega-3 and Omega-7. We team up with the Bret cops as well, now that their navy has pulled out. The constables are good shouts, but the milita ships... It's sick. Ordering them out to Omega 3 should be charged as murder. If you are trying to kill Corsairs, then keep to the western side of Omega 3 and hunt in the fields there. Make sure to patrol the Coombe in the south too, though you may run into more Hessians than you like down below. If you find them fighting eachother, you'll usually end up being shot by both. One thing you can expect from every criminal in Sirius. They all hate the Hunters, because they know they're never safe from us. Some Corsair jerk pulled a knife on me a few nights ago in the bar during a brawl. Since he pulled steel, I decided to pull some ceramic. My "crowd killer" lived up to its name, bless that Rheinish engineering. Too bad I got the two behind him. Lucky I was able to get away without being identified. The Jump Hole those Corsairs and Hessians are using is in the Coombe Field on the southern end of the system. It leads right into Omega-5. That's right, into the war zone. The Hessians and Corsairs butcher themselves in there. I don't go there unless I'm trying to pass through, and I've got the throttle buried the whole way. There's another one leading to Omega-9 somewhere in the Roth field, but I don't know much about that system. I've been hired by BMM and Bowex to fight off attacks on Douglas and Nottingham. They pay me well enough, I suppose, but I'm thinking of leaving. They hired four of us and they're already asking the Guild for three replacements. The Corsairs in this space are battle-hardened, worse than their usual lot - there's more than normal for this time of year, too. They're probably trying to hit the colony while they can. If the war ends and the Armed Forces come back, they're in for a much harder time. I can tell you where the dangerous elements are in this system to help you avoid 'em. They are everywhere, so go home. Ha, just kidding. There are Hessians to the east in the fields and Corsairs to the west. Both are to the south. Just watch your butt, cuz these pirates will shoot it off. Douglas Station If you're ex-con, you're out of options. No-one wants you, unless you're talking fodder for the death-factories. Other way out is to sign the dotted line with the Guild. Why die early in a smelter when you're a damn good shot and know all the hiding places? Makes you laugh that it's possible for a Liberty Rogue to end up in Omega 3, killing Corsairs and working for Bretonia. A lot of people ask why someone would go from perp to Hunter. There's a lot of reasons. Maybe you want to do something more honest - maybe you've had enough of killing for the wrong side. Perhaps you were betrayed. If you ever see a fella called Phillip Ollmann moseying around New York, give him some plasma for me, aye? All the garbage comes pouring out of the Jump Hole in the Coombe Field. If you patrol that area, you will encounter both Corsairs and Hessians. It's a rough and tumble area; they kill each other a lot down below. The ones that survive make their way to the Lanes and attack shipping convoys. The other Bounty Hunter at this base has been killing a lot of Corsairs. I've decided to eliminate the competition. He made a bet with some bumbling miner named Pete, and now a rumor is going 'round that he's gonna kill him for not paying up. I know the Hunter; he's a good-hearted fellow, he won't do it. But when Lying Pete turns up with a bullet hole in his skull, I'm guessing they'll be lynching that other Bounty Hunter. BMM and Daumann have a pretty serious rivalry in this system. I'm looking forward to some real hostility getting started between the two of 'em. Some of my buddies I served with on the Newgate are coming here to work for BMM harassing Daumann. They aren't in the Guild, so they can do that. The Hessians and Corsairs are fighting a bloody war down south of here in Omega-5. They are battling for control of the Border Worlds between Rheinland and Bretonia. The Hessians are expanding -- and that brings them into the Corsairs' Artifact shipping routes to Bretonia. I'd rather work from here than Nottingham. Less rules, less people, cheaper drinks. Plus we're closer to Omega 5 - sometimes it's worth seeing if you can get the drop on the Corsairs as they come through the hole. Give them time to prepare and you're in for one hell of a fight. I bagged two Corsairs in one flight a few days back. I got paid handsomely by the BMM chaps here to do it. Plus, I had a bet going with some skittish miner who said I couldn't do it. He still hasn't paid me yet. He's too stupid for me to kill over it, so I've decided to torture him. Freistadt Base There are two Jump Holes in this system. One leads to Omega-11, which is pretty much dominated by the Hessians. That Hole is located in the Furstenfelde. Look southwest of the Daumann base in there and you should stumble across it. I can kill Corsairs or Hessians and get paid by whoever I want. They attack everyone who has a base here or passes through, except the IMG. Corsairs generally keep to the western side, but when they come up against Hessians you are going to see a fight If you are looking to go into Omega-5, use the Jump Hole on the far west side of the system. It's just south of a large gas pocket below the Trade Lanes. Be very careful; Omega-5 is a meat grinder no matter how good you are. Luxury Liner Hawaii This system is the entry point for Outcasts into this part of space. Mostly they are trying to run their drugs from the Donryu Cloud to the Hiryu Cloud. The Donryu hides the Jump Hole to Omicron Beta and Eta, and the Hiryu hides the Jump Holes to Honshu, Okinawa and Sigma-13. If you are trying to get closer to the Corsairs and their space, then I suggest you find the Jump Hole they use to enter this system from Sigma-17. The Hole is on the southern side of the Kikka Dust Cloud. That is the Hole they drag all their Artifacts through to sell to the Hogosha. This is a good system to work in. I've got easy access to Corsairs and Outcasts. I just have to bag a few of either to afford a ticket to stay aboard this ship as an honored guest. Orbital keeps me around in case the pirates get a little too aggressive. Most of their bounties are on Outcasts - doesn't keep me from keeping an eye out for important Corsair targets. Those savages enjoy the luxuaries on this ship as much as the next person, so the successful ones of them - the ones with the biggest price on their head - often end up here. Java Station Plenty of work out here for a Bounty Hunter. Many of the notorious Outcast raiders that head into Kusari and even Liberty come back here once the heat in the House systems becomes too much for them. All I have to do is keep an eye out and pick them off once they're here. Only the most elite Hunters venture deeper into the Taus then this system. Beyond Tau-37 lay the Outcast home systems. It's near suicidal to head that way, but if you need to find specific marks who've managed to get back to their home system, it's the only way. These miners don't often post big bounties, but their stations are one of the few bases this far out in the borderworlds that we can safely use. In return we take the few bounties they post to earn a bit of scratch on the side while waiting for the real marks. Everybody wins. Well, except my targets. Nago Station The Tau region as a whole has a bit of an Outcast problem. The further north you go, the bigger that problem becomes. Tau-29 is mild compared to Tau-23 or Tau-37. The Outcasts keep their strongest boys closer to home. Suits me to be here, earning a load of credits is only worthwhile if you can enjoy them afterwards. Ahh. That age old adage, "War is good for business". It certainly is for any mercenaries. When armies get stuck fighting eachother, civilians on the fringes are usually left to fend for themselves. They either fold and pack up shop, or hire their own muscle to keep themselves safe. And we're definately that kind of muscle. Most Kusari don't appreciate us Bounty Hunters much. These miners here are no different. Doesn't matter to me, the barkeep knows better than to deny me a Sake when I order one. Beyond that I prefer to keep to myself. The work we do doesn't require a lot of "people" skills. Freeport 6 The Outcasts attack the Trade Lanes that cross this system. I run my patrols up from the Tau-31 Jump Hole to the Northern Oxygen Field, and then I head southeast into the Nago field and back down to Freeport 6. Along that route I usually encounter a good share of the mask breathers. One of their Cardi routes runs from the '23 to the '31 hole. This is the place to be if you are hunting Outcasts. There is a Jump Hole to the north side of this system's oxygen field that leads to Tau-23. In Tau-23 you had better be sneaky, or have a posse with you, because the Outcasts are very strong there -- whole squadrons of them. If you're really skilled or plain psychotic, you can head even further north into Tau-37. But to go there you need to either be suicidal or desperate. After I'm done refueling my ship here, I'm going to go all the way up into Outcast space. I've been sneaking farther and farther into their territory every trip I make up here looking for a good ambush point. I think I found the spot I was looking for on my last run. If this plan works, I will be able to retire to California in less than a year. A lot of the Cardamine that leaves Outcast space comes through here. There are smuggling routes that go through Baffin to Liberty, and through Tau-31 to Bretonia. Cryer Pharmaceuticals has hired me to try and capture a live Outcast with all his gear, including his mask and his Cardamine shipment. I don't usually bring guys back alive, so I'm charging them double. They'll also have to take posession pretty quick. Live Outcasts tend to expire after a few days. I've been tracking an Outcast named Santiago Llorens in this system for several days. I followed him back from Bretonia. Once I bag the scum I won't have to take another job for months. This guy has killed over a hundred men and stolen goods worth millions of credits. The Interspace bounty on him is so high that I doubt I'm the only one following him. But I got an advantage - I knew the man once. I know how he thinks. I know when he'll head for Cali. I'll be waiting. This base is where I refit and resupply. It is a long and dangerous trip here. I've been hunting an Outcast by the name of Santiago Llorens. He torched my partner and good friend back in Cortez. There's another Bounty Hunter here trying to catch him too, but I'm going to get to Santiago first. I don't care about the credits. I just want to see that cur go up in flames. Nobeoka Platform I remember looking at the old original design of the Kaichou Bomber. It seems like it was such a simple design yet it was undeniably effective. Today's Kaichou is the result of many refinements that have improved and modernized the old design but it still maintains a simple design at heart of functionality over artistry. I guess that's the "nationality" we portray: functionality. In this we have departed from traditional Kusari designs which always require a blend of those. The Namura originally set out on its journey in almost the exact specifications of the old Rheinland warship of those times. After learning the details of its destruction, the remaining two warships weren't redeployed until after they received hull upgrades and sensory optimizations. In hindsight, it was foolish of us to deploy it the way we did. The ship fared no better against the Outcasts then it did against our military fighters in the battle of Yanagi. Have you seen the new Karasu design? Try and keep your eye on this one, it's the front-line-fighter for GMG paramilitary forces and it hasn't disappointed its pilots. It is highly agile, has a very small front profile and still packs a very strong punch. Long have we been tinkering with ship designs. Take a look at the Kamome, for example: Not one to waste a design that was deemed outdated, instead we modified to fill another purpose. Now the Kamome is used as both an auxiliary Gas Miner, and a midsized transport ship for short to medium distance trade routes. Ah yes, our beloved Kaichou Bomber. When we first introduced the B-line during the Eighty Year War, we were hard pressed and had to turn to an economic and quick to build design. Our first bomber was not born out of national identity and culture but rather it was was born out of the necessity and desperation of war. Look at them now, nearly two hundred years later. A far cry from the original utilitarian design, but at the core, the same ship and the same pilots. When the Guild Masters made the decision to redeploy both the Daishouri and the Ayakashi, it was here that both ships were optimized using information the Shantar Maru scanned from the Namura wreckage in Omicron Phi. This older design that Rheinland used prior to their defeat at the battle of Yanagi had several critical flaws which had to be improved upon before we could risk using them again. The Ayakashi easily has four more times the hull strength than its original design. The Daishouri, having been the easiest to modify, is even tougher. Both are also well equipped with modern GMG sensors and weaponry systems. We do not doubt that either can overwhelm any single ship in the Sirius Sector and with escorts they are surely true terrors to behold. Nevertheless, the GMG will continue to rely mainly on strike craft. Our fighter tactics and technologies are second to none. Freeport 10 The IMG base is somewhere in the Malvinas Cloud. That's the area I'm supposed to hang out in when I'm not here refitting and refueling. I don't envy those miners. If the Outcasts figure out where the base is, there are going to be lots of dead miners floating around. The Bermejo Cloud hides the Jump Hole that leads to the Outcast core worlds. There are a few Bounty Hunters that will go into Omicron Alpha, but I'm not one of them. What good is money if you aren't alive to spend it? In there it's a different game. I used to hunt in Omicron Alpha. Stay on the northern and southern edges of the system to avoid trouble. Move to the fringes of more populated areas and hit the stragglers. If more than a few of them spot you, get out of there fast. If you want to know the best place to hide in Omicron Alpha, it's in the wreckage of the Hispania. That's the ship the Outcasts came to Sirius in. They've pulled most of the salvage out of there, but you can still find stuff. You didn't know this old Bounty Hunter was educated, did you? Every once in a while I can find a little Cardamine among the debris of the Outcast ships I destroy. That's why I hunt them and not Corsairs. They pay about the same, but killing the mask breathers has perks. Kelly Nielson was one of the top female Bounty Hunters in the Guild, always trying to prove herself to the guys. Because of this, she tended to take more extreme risks than most. After one of her flights in the Viking deep into the Outcast home system, she told of a mysterious debris field. Later, she returned and brought back a piece of metal that she claimed belonged to the long lost Hispania. Eventually her luck ran out. The ship is most likely floating somewhere in Omicron Alpha. Jessica Stephenson was a former Bretonia Police Authority prison guard who yearned for a more exciting life outside of the walls of Newgate. A quick study, she joined the Bounty Hunters Guild and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually taking on the most challenging assignments the Guild had to offer in the Edge Worlds. She was based out of Freeport 10, which is a risky post for a Hunter given the dominating presence of the Outcasts in the area. It is said that they laid a trap for her in the Bermejo Cloud. Samura hired me to kill Outcasts. I'm glad I'm not a company man; they're pretty dirty. They paid me extra to use an IMG identifier on my ship. That way it will look like IMG is attacking them. Freeport 5 I'm following a couple of Corsairs back from Dublin, where they stole a shipment of Gold. The bounty on these two guys will put me on easy street for months. Once I'm done refueling and resupplying I'm headed into Omicron Gamma. Obviously you have the skills required to survive if you have come to the edges of Sirius. As a Guild instructor I train newbie Bounty Hunters the skills that you and I already have. The first thing I teach them is that becoming a good pilot is a gradual process. "Lucky" Logan Conner was one tough nut, as anyone will tell you. He would take on an entire patrol of Corsairs, picking them off one by one. Based out of Freeport 5 to be close to his favorite prey, he liked living life on the ragged edge. His luck finally ran out in 780, when he ventured too far from the safety of the Gredos Cloud in the Corsairs home territory of Omicron Gamma. A mass of Corsairs pursued him back into the nebula. It was rumored that they didn't actually dispose of Conner on the spot, but merely disabled his ship and let him die a slow death by asphyxiation. The trick to killing Corsairs is taking them head on. They aren't used to someone getting in their face and fighting them squarely; it throws them off balance. Then you have the advantage. I know. I've killed two Corsairs already. This is my first time in this part of Sirius. I couldn't believe it when I saw my old instructor here. He told me that knowing the Jump Holes to this system didn't mean I was ready for them yet. I'm not going home like he said I should I'm good enough for these Corsairs. I specialize in killing Corsairs. If you want one dead I can do it for you, but its going to cost you. It's a family business, really. My father was killing these heartless cretins before me. It's not easy; these guys are incredible pilots with excellent ships. The trick to killing Corsairs is catching them off guard. Go into their home system, find a spot to hide, and ambush one or two as they cross in front of you. Once you've made your kills get out of there, because more are probably coming. Corfu Base My brother joined the Bounty Hunters Guild a few years ago. He's not tough enough to take on Corsairs yet; he should still be popping Rogues. The idiot sent me a message telling me he was ready for the big leagues in southern Sirius. I'm trying to find him before he gets killed. "Lucky" Logan Conner was one tough nut, as anyone will tell you. He would take on an entire patrol of Corsairs, picking them off one by one. Based out of Freeport 5 to be close to his favorite prey, he liked living life on the ragged edge. His luck finally ran out in 780, when he ventured too far from the safety of the Gredos Cloud in the Corsairs home territory of Omicron Gamma. A mass of Corsairs pursued him back into the nebula. It was rumored that they didn't actually dispose of Conner on the spot, but merely disabled his ship and let him die a slow death by asphyxiation. Jesse Casas was truly an original. Captured as a young Corsair on his first mission to the inner house systems, he spent years imprisoned in Vierlande. He eventually renounced his Corsair vows and joined the Bounty Hunters Guild. Flying the Rebel, Casas used his intimate knowledge of the pirate ways to full tactical advantage. He finally met his demise somewhere in the Napo Cloud in 791. Head for the cloud south of here and you will find Artifacts, but that's not why I go there. The cloud to the south hides the Jump Hole to Omicron Gamma. If you do go in there, get ready to fight or you'd better be good at hiding. No matter what you do, don't stay in there too long, because it's just a matter of time before your number gets punched. To the west are the Sabana Fragments. You can get to Omega-41 from there -- a good idea if you are trying to avoid the Corsairs. They are still all over, since this is their space, but you won't be going through the Corsair home system. In 550 AS the Bretonian government chartered the exploratory/research ship Fearless to explore the fringes of the mysterious edge nebula. After several years spent crossing the outer Omega systems, they discovered Omicron Theta and its sole planet, Pygar. Upon completing a brief survey of the planet and retrieving several strange Artifacts that were sent back by courier ship to Cambridge, they continued on into the mysterious clouds that traversed the eastern end of the system. The Fearless was never seen again. I have come to this place looking for a Corsair named Jardin. He is an infamous killer and pirate. Many say he cannot be stopped, but if anyone can drop him, I can. He is just a man, and a man can die, no matter how tough he is. I've been contracted by Cryer to come down here and kill a few Corsairs for them. Their base, Atka, got hit a few weeks ago. Usually it's the Outcasts who hit Atka, but this time it was the Corsairs. Corsairs, Outcasts -- it doesn't make any difference to me. I was a Red Hessian for many years. I became pretty good at killing Corsairs, so I decided to get paid for it. Besides, I had grown weary of piracy. I became a Hessian for political reasons, before they sold out. Planet Curacao The Charles Kane and its escorts were ambushed in the Roatan Ice Crystal Cloud several weeks ago, probably by Rogues or Lane Hackers. They commandeered the ship and flew it further into the cloud. Several Bounty Hunters happened upon the hijacked ship, and a fierce firefight ensued. Only one limped back to tell the tale. She said the ship was still out there in the cloud, abandoned and drifting with the field. If you know the shipping paths of the Outcasts, you can snag some Cardamine cargos. They don't give up without a fight, though. Best thing is to find the Jump Hole to California in the Paloma Cloud, then hang out a little to the southwest of it. They'll be along soon enough. We do a lot of patrols in this system. There's a Rogue base somewhere out in the Corcovado Field. Good luck getting close to it. It's swarming with Rogues, Hackers, and Outcasts. I'm not supposed to tell anyone this, but I've had a few. There are some Jump Holes I know of in this system. One is in the southeastern quadrant in the Paloma Cloud, and it leads to California. The other is in the Corcovado Field. That one goes to Magellan. I just came back from a tough battle in the Roatan Cloud. I was ambushing some Lane Hackers when some Outcasts showed up out of nowhere. Barely got out. My wingman didn't. I think I'll need a couple of those Curacao shooters from the bar tonight. I'm thinking of starting a side business. Take out some of those soft rich folks from the inner House worlds that have never seen true Indie-world danger. Cruise the clouds, look for some trouble, then hightail it out of there before it gets too hot. What do ya think? This is one nice place to be based, although those snooty, rich Manhattan types don't seem to like us much. Lots of work around here. Rogues, Lane Hackers, Outcasts. We've got our hands full in Cortez. Ames Research Station The Lane Hackers in this system are former Ageira personnel who got panned after the Kepler Storm scandal cost IC and Ageira an untold fortune. Now they are making Ageira and IC pay an even dearer price for making them take the fall. A Universal large transport named the McKinley was caught in the Dark Matter Storm of 784, which destroyed the old Trade Lane through the eastern part of the system. It was carrying a load of Superconductors. In the east of this system between the Kuryo and Matsuo Clouds, you can find a Jump Hole leading to Galileo -- and Hacker territory. If you're looking for Xenos, you'll find them in the Denko Cloud on the western side of this system. If you keep going southwest past the cloud, you might run into a Jump Hole leading into Colorado. This system and Galileo are as far north as I like to go unless I'm cruising up along the Edge Worlds. I don't like going into Kusari space, and the Kusari don't like me there either. Their word for non-Kusari is Gaijin, which means outsider or stranger. The Xenos in this system are on their way out. We kill and capture more than they can replace; most of them reside in their southern bases on the other side of New York. Besides, they're easy to pick off, and they have to come to this base to get supplies. Xenos do a lot of their pirating in Colorado. You'll find Lane Hackers there, too. Going north into Shikoku and beyond, you will run into the Kusari criminals such as the Golden Chrysanthemums, Blood Dragons, and Hogosha. Between you and me, Ageira's been really interested in Kepler after the storm settled. Apparently it's safe, well at least safe enough, to keep the network here online. They've hired us to cull the rabble running around every so often, probably to keep their own teams investigating in the system safe. The Kobe Maru was making its weekly Artifact run across the Shikoku system when it was ambushed by the Blood Dragons. The ship is presumed destroyed, and its whereabouts are unknown, although it's been rumored to be drifting somewhere in the Shiun Cloud. The Samura armored transport Nikko Maru was carrying Luxury Goods from Manhattan to New Tokyo when it was caught in the Dark Matter Storm of 784. It lies somewhere in the Matsuo Cloud along the abandoned Trade Lane. Barrier Gate Station A Tinsley is the guy who owns this place. That man is a bounty hunters dream contract. There are so many people willing to pay to see that man dead I could retire if I nailed him. The problem is that I can't do it alone, the man employs an army of mercenaries for station security. This station may operate under the Freeport conventions, but I wouldn't exactly call it friendly to members of the Guild. The mere presence of a bounty hunter makes most of the station population a little tense. At least the republicans are taking some attention away from us. See that guy over in corner, he is station security, they have been watching me like a hawk since I got here. The only reason they are tolerating me is because I have assured them I am only stopping over for the night, I am headed to Freeport 3 to meet a contact who has neglected to pay. Barrier Gate Station B Tinsley is the guy who owns this place. That man is a bounty hunters dream contract. There are so many people willing to pay to see that man dead I could retire if I nailed him. The problem is that I can't do it alone, the man employs an army of mercenaries for station security. This station may operate under the Freeport conventions, but I wouldn't exactly call it friendly to members of the Guild. The mere presence of a bounty hunter makes most of the station population a little tense. At least the republicans are taking some attention away from us. See that guy over in corner, he is station security, they have been watching me like a hawk since I got here. The only reason they are tolerating me is because I have assured them I am only stopping over for the night, I am headed to Freeport 3 to meet a contact who has neglected to pay. Barrier Gate Station C Tinsley is the guy who owns this place. That man is a bounty hunters dream contract. There are so many people willing to pay to see that man dead I could retire if I nailed him. The problem is that I can't do it alone, the man employs an army of mercenaries for station security. This station may operate under the Freeport conventions, but I wouldn't exactly call it friendly to members of the Guild. The mere presence of a bounty hunter makes most of the station population a little tense. At least the republicans are taking some attention away from us. See that guy over in corner, he is station security, they have been watching me like a hawk since I got here. The only reason they are tolerating me is because I have assured them I am only stopping over for the night, I am headed to Freeport 3 to meet a contact who has neglected to pay. Deshima Station The Guild has a general contract, paid by the Kusari government, that rewards us for any escaped convicts from Fuchu. I love getting double bumped; I get paid by a corporation for hitting a criminal and paid by Kusari because the mark was an escapee. This is the only system in Kusari space that allows the Bounty Hunters to have a base. They don't like foreigners in Kusari, and Shikoku has served as a buffer between Liberty and this House ever since the Jump Gates connecting the two were built. To be a decent Bounty Hunter you have to know the Jump Hole networks that span all of Sirius. There are two Jump Holes in this system. The one leading to Kyushu is in the Saiun on the northern end of the system. In the south you will find a Hole to Galileo tucked into the Keiun. Strange that Samura never pays to have Farmers Alliance activity popped in this area. They seem most concerned with Lane Hackers and Rogues that enter the system and loiter near the Keiun. They use the Jump Hole from Galileo. I have been hired to kill any and all Farmers Alliance ships that I encounter. IC is paying me on behalf of Synth Foods. The police here haven't really been paying the Alliance any mind, which has been further stressing IC's relationship with Kusari. Finally IC decided to contract some professional killing. Those farmers didn't know what hit them when I came swooping in. Samura pays the Bounty Hunters very well to destroy Blood Dragons in this system. They are tough scum bags to kill, but worth the cash they earn me. I decided to come to Kusari because there is less competition here among other Bounty Hunters. Synth Foods offered me some money to hunt down and destroy the Farmers Alliance in the system. Then some Samura approached me and said they would pay me not to kill Alliance fighters. I will always take money for nothing over money for something. I'm in this system operating on behalf of Universal. I handle the problems that they encounter when shipping into Kusari. Let me give you some advice about hunting here: There are two sides fighting a dirty war here. You have Samura paying to kill the Dragons and GC, and Kishiro paying to kill the Farmers and the odd Hogosha. Both sides will pay to kill criminals from Liberty. If you are looking to kill Golden Chrysanthemums, head north to the Kyushu Hole in Saiun. The Golden C. also use the clouds to move through the system. I get paid good money to vaporize those ladies. Watch out, if they sense that they are about to be destroyed, they have no problem ramming you. Planet Pittsburgh South of here is Zone 21. You aren't going to find many criminals there; you have to keep heading south past 21 until you reach the Badlands. And let me tell you when they call it the Badlands, they mean it. There are guys in there who will smoke you before you have the chance to cry for your mama. Liberty is a good place to be if you are a Bounty Hunter; all the best contracts come right out of this system. The big corporations do their business here, and where there's business, there is crime, and that's where we come in. A lot of them damned technocrats turn their noses up when a Bounty Hunter walks by, but they sure do get friendly when they need someone nabbed who's been stealing their goodies. I cracked a team of Rogues that was raiding the Food shipments coming in here from Ft. Bush. So I guess that they won't need to steal as much Food with three less mouths to feed. Xenos don't really come this far into New York; mostly they try for Detroit weapon shipments on the west side of the system. Plus the amount of Junkers and Rogues between here and New Jersey makes for a rough trip if you're a Xeno. Most likely he'd be dead by now. Plenty of Bounty Hunters have spent time on an LPI ship making Consumer Goods, but that is where I learned to think like the criminals that I hunt down. You see, before I went to the Huntsville I wasn't really a criminal. When I got out I had three choices: mine Boron, join the Rogues, or become a Bounty Hunter. Battleship Missouri Being a Bounty Hunter is a tough job; nobody likes you and a lot of guys would enjoy killing you. But, that's why I like it. Bounty Hunters don't really operate like they used to. There was a time when we were paid to bring criminals in -- now we are paid to make criminals disappear. I'm one of the few guys who'll go into the heart of the Badlands, but I've gotten to know the space pretty well. I've got my hiding places and ambush points, and I can read the Rogue activity pretty well. I also stay clear of the Outcasts. That's why I'm still alive. A Bounty Hunter named Harry Riggs went out after some Outcasts in the Badlands but never came back. He had some decent weapons on his ship. When I got out off "the Wall" I didn't have many choices ahead of me, at least no appealing choices. I knew I didn't want to go back to making clothes on the Huntsville. I also knew I didn't like most of the scum I did time with. The Outcasts are using the Rogues. The Outcasts smuggle their Cardamine into the Rogue base in the Badlands, and then the Rogues and Junkers get it planetside. Most of the Rogues I've brought in were strung out on the Cardamine, so I'm guessing the Outcasts are the ones with their hands on the throttle. Most of the Hunters in our guild are Hunters because this is what they want to do -- at least the good ones are like that. I like working on my own terms and not answering to anybody. That's my style -- no bosses. Norfolk Shipyard The pirates and raiders here in Liberty are punks compared to what you'll find on the fringes of Sirius. Sure, there are Outcasts here, but they are an Edge World syndicate that travels into the heart of Liberty to sell their Cardamine. Ever been out away from colony space? It's dangerous out there in the Edge Worlds, and you can get popped in the blink of an eye. But that's where you have to go to get the meanest and the toughest criminals. A Bounty Hunter named Harry Riggs went out after some Outcasts in the Badlands but never came back. He had some decent weapons on his ship. The scum you see here in Liberty is all that you find in an area with the greatest police and military presence in Sirius. Once you leave Liberty, you start meeting the real bad ones: Mollys in Bretonia, Red Hessians in Rheinland, and Blood Dragons in Kusari. Some people say that Outcasts and Corsairs used to be the same people. I guess it's possible, though if you've ever seen an Outcast you might think differently. They are just different from the rest of the people of Sirius and the Corsairs. I can't imagine them being friendly with anyone but other Outcasts. Most Bounty Hunters you run across have either been hunting for a few years and know the ropes, or they're green -- in which case they'll probably be dead within a month or two. Think you're a good pilot? Well, tell me what you think of yourself after you tangle with a Corsair. That's if you survive, which honestly, I doubt you would. Newark Station A Bounty Hunter named Harry Riggs went out after some Outcasts in the Badlands but never came back. He had some decent weapons on his ship. IC wants me to hunt down and kill every single Lane Hacker I can get in my sights. They don't want them captured, nor do they want information from them like Ageira does. They just want them dead. IC has been losing money with the construction project fiasco in Tau-23 that will facilitate mining in the area. They have turned to the Bounty Hunters Guild to take care of the problem. I am here awaiting specific mission orders for my operations in that area. IC hires Bounty Hunters to take care of the dirty work that goes with insuring shipments and operations throughout Sirius. If somebody starts to cost IC more money than it costs to hire Bounty Hunters, then we deal with them. The way to get a Lane Hacker is to give him Cardamine. They like to spend time in California, so that is where I will go. I'll snag a little Cardamine on the way and use it to buy my way in with them. Once I have their trust… well, you get the idea. There is a strong Outcast presence in the northern Edge systems. Unfortunately, that's where mining operations are starting to look for new resources, and that's where we come in. The Lane Hackers are a smart bunch. Heck, I kind of respect them. But IC wants 'em wiped, so I'm going to perforate some rich-boy California types for IC. I love my job; nothing like blowing holes in rich people. West Point Military Academy Fighting an Outcast is like fighting a Corsair: they're both armed to the teeth, mean as hell, and can pilot a ship as well as anyone you're gonna find. That's why it's best to take them on with two-to-one or better odds. And if the guy you're flying with gets popped, that means more money for you. The navy doesn't get it; you can't just patrol for the criminals. Sure, that helps, but if you want to solve the problem you have to seek them out -- hunt them at their lair. And once you're there, you kill them all, every single one. That's how you solve the problem. If I were one of these stuck-up navy captains, I'd just roll the Missouri right into the middle of the Badlands and start cleaning house. They say it's impossible logistically, but that's a politician's word. Just go in there and kill them -- it's that simple. The Junkers are a crafty bunch of scumbags; they know the dirt on everybody -- and they're willing to talk if the price is right. It's not my money that pays 'em off. That's part of my bill for offing my mark. Give me a little bribe, some gas money, and a reward for completion of assignment, and I'll smoke anyone you want. There's no way I'd ever wear a uniform or salute some stuck-up jerk every time he walked by just because he has a few more pieces of metal on his chest. Bounty Hunters have to work harder because we don't have a fleet behind us. But if you need someone dealt with, we do the job. I've killed Red Hessians in Rheinland; Rogues, Lane Hackers, and Outcasts in Liberty; Mollys in Bretonia; Hogosha and Blood Dragons in Kusari; I've even bagged a few Corsairs. But I've never brought any of 'em in. Bounty Hunters aren't paid to capture criminals; we're paid to kill them. Detroit Munitions Ageira has hired me to hunt down and kill any Rogues I can find. They need Hunters to kill Outcasts too, but I don't have the ship I need to take down those guys. But with every Rogue I bag, I come a few thousand credits closer to getting it. The Outcasts don't really come into this end of the system; they stay more to the south in and around the Badlands. So that's where I go for the big-money contracts Ageira hands out to those guys. Xenos fly out of the Jersey Debris Fields and stage attack runs on Ageira ships headed to Manhattan or Trenton. If I can ever capture a Lane Hacker alive, Ageira and IC would both pay me enough money to retire. No Lane Hacker has ever been captured -- though occasionally one will get blown to pieces with his ship. I lie in wait for Rogues as they leave the cover of the Detroit Debris Field on their way to the Trade Lanes between this base and Manhattan. Their base is in the Badlands, so they have to come through that point if they want to use the debris fields in the system for cover. The Xenos who used to attack this base are either dead or smart enough now to know that the defense satellites encircling this plant will vaporize their ships faster than they can get their cruise charged up for an escape. Fort Bush The Rogues that fly this area are a pretty disorganized lot. Most of them feel the prison stations in Texas are like second homes. I prefer to offer them permanent housing in a chunk of space debris that was their imploded ship. The Xenos cause some trouble for the foreign shipping that comes in and flies out of this base. They've put contracts out on some of them in this area. The best part is that some Liberty firms have been paying me to let Xenos go. This base's close proximity to the Pittsburgh Debris Fields, coupled with the amount of traffic that comes through here, makes this an irresistible target for Rogues and the like. This is one of the better bases to overhear a conversation or get an idea of what is being shipped where in Liberty space. Ft. Bush is truly the crossroads of the Sirius Sector, even more so than Manhattan. This place makes me a lot of money, and I don't have to go far to earn it. If I go out along the Trade Lanes or into the Pittsburgh Debris Fields, I'm bound to come across some Rogues. LPI has to worry about bringing pirates, smugglers, and thieves in to be tried and sent to one of their toy factories. All I have to do is kill 'em. That's why Bounty Hunters help get the job done when LPI fails. Baltimore Shipyard The Junkers in this area will try to steal machinery and components left unguarded. They aren't too dangerous unless you tangle with several of them in some lonely space with no witnesses around. They will kill you without a thought. I killed four Rogues trying to escape into the Pittsburgh Fields last week. They almost made it, but I blew out the engines on one of their ships, and the other three came back to tried and save him. They must have been high on Cardamine the way they were flying. Xenos don't really come this far east into the system from the Jersey Debris Fields, but they will harass the Kusari Rheinland and Bretonian firms coming to this base via Trade Lanes. This station's proximity to Ft. Bush and the Trade Lanes that feed her make this area dangerous for the shipping companies that bring in supplies used to build the ships and machinery churned out by this station. That's one of the reasons why the Bounty Hunters maintain a presence here. The Rogues in the area seem to know which ships are bringing the Gold into Fort Bush. They must be getting the information from the Lane Hackers. Whenever Gateway ships Jump into the system, some of us are contracted to escort them into this base. Kishiro put up some contracts for us Bounty Hunters to exterminate the Rogues who were attacking their shipments on the Trade Lanes. Here is something to think about: We are to engage and destroy all Xenos that we encounter, unless they're attacking Samura shipments, in which case we are to break off. Planet Los Angeles We know there's a Rogue asteroid base in the Whitney Field. Problem is getting close enough to nail someone without disturbing the hornets' nest. Believe me, you'll know if you did. There's Outcasts around, too, so ya gotta be careful. Just made a circuit of the Sierra Field. We like to troll for Rogues close to the Trade Lane to Mojave. They like to hang out there at the edge of the field, waiting for ships to come along. Bagged me a trophy Outcast the other day just inside the Tahoe Cloud to the west of the San Diego Lane. Just an escort for a smuggler, but still a pretty good bounty. Drinks are on me tonight. We know there's a Rogue asteroid base in the Whitney Field. Problem is getting close enough to nail someone without disturbing the hornets' nest. Believe me, you'll know if you did. There's Outcasts around too. So ya gotta be careful. I'm new to the system. Got tired of New York. Only way to move up there in the Guild is to head into the Badlands. Nasty, that dark cloud is. I prefer open asteroid fields, personally. I think I'll head out to the Whitney Field for a look. It's hard to get to, but there's a Jump Hole to Texas pretty close to the Rogue base. Tough to hang out there for long; Rogues and Outcasts will swarm you pretty quick. Only the gutsy guys risk it. I'm heading off to Cortez. I hear there's Rogues as far as the eye can see out there. A big group of ex-LPI guys is based at that resort Curacao -- keep asking me to join them. They expect to cash out pretty quick, although two of them already bit it. Definitely some risk involved. Planet California Minor Fastest way to some quick bounties? Head straight for the Trade Lane to the Magellan Gate, around the middle of the Tahoe Cloud. You'll get some strikes pretty fast in that area. I made it all the way to the Texas Jump Hole in the Whitney Field yesterday. I didn't hang around for long. Didn't even a take a shot at the Rogues in the area. I'll go back next time with a posse. The air's a little thin here still. I like to sleep in my ship at night. It's warmer and there's more air. Those Planetform people are kind of uptight sometimes. Guess that's how all Bretonians are. Heaviest action in the system is by the Cortez Hole in the Tahoe Cloud. You better come in with your guns blazing if you want a chance of going home that night. Been trying to talk a few of my buddies into doing it, but they all keep backing out. The Planetform folks let us use their site as a forward base for our operations in the central part of California. They're mostly interested in stopping the Rogues who prey on their Silver shipments from Freistadt Base in Omega 7. This is a good location to launch into the Tahoe Cloud. You don't have to go far to find trouble in there. It's also a straight shot across the system to the Whitney Field, if that don't offer enough action for you. Willard Research Station I'm getting bored around here. Same old stuff with the Rogues and Hackers. I want to get out to the Border Worlds. The Corsairs and Red Hessians are supposed to be nasty in the Omega systems. Those white coats gave me a strange request last week. They said to bring back an Outcast with their Cardamine. Guess they want to study them more closely. Sounds kind of creepy to me. This is a good base to intercept Outcasts doing their smuggling runs from Cortez to Texas. Their main route passes just south of here. That doesn't make it guaranteed, but definitely a better chance. This place makes me feel real unwelcome. Them navy folks just don't want us here. They're all suspicious and secretive. We're just performing a necessary duty -- waste disposal. That's what I would call it. I'm just taking a breather. Been floating around this cursed cloud for weeks. There's lots of bad guys out there; it's just tough to nail them. Half the time you're just trying to avoid ice crystals appearing out of the mists. We're not too far from the Whitney Ice Asteroid Field. The main Rogue hideout in California is there. They also got the Jump Hole to Texas. Planet Denver I'm heading off to Galileo after I rest up. Now that's some intense action up there. All those dark matter clouds, crawling with baddies. You definitely want to have a good shield and a killer ship in the Indie Worlds. This is child's play here in Liberty. I just got back from a tough run into the Alamosa Field. It was swarming with Rogues and Hackers. They must have a Hole somewhere up there. Bagged me two Rogues, though. Not a bad day's work. Way better than my old job at LPI. My buddy works for the LPI. I used to, but it was lousy pay and a bunch of corporate crap. I prefer the freelance life of a Bounty Hunter. You can make a killing at this, if you don't get killed first. He'll still be doing time with LPI when I'm retired and sipping a California Breeze on the beach in L.A. I've heard the Rogues make smuggling runs from the Galileo Hole across the east side of the system to the New York Hole. If you figure out their route, you can ambush them pretty easy. There's a couple of Holes into this system. Us Bounty Hunters aren't supposed to tell anyone about them, but you look okay to me. The first one is in the northern end of the Alamosa Field; it goes to Galileo. There's another one into Kepler from the Copperton Field. The Xenos use that one a lot. The Xenos have a base down in the Silverton Field. Pretty easy to bag 'em around there, but the bounty isn't that good, so I don't bother. Guess they don't piss off the powers that be enough. Planet Houston If the Outcasts are going to attack a prison, they will attack the Sugarland. That is the only prison that houses them, and truth be told, there aren't many Outcasts there at all. Most of them fight to the death when cornered. The ones who are captured usually die within the first month of incarceration for some reason. Some of them manage to survive, though. This base being primarily a Commodity producer means that it is a tempting target for the criminals in the area. So I patrol the Trade Lanes nearby, hunting for the scum who waylay shipping. The Xenos are strong in this system; they harass foreign shipping resources on the way to Houston from Kusari and Bretonia, or in the past from Rheinland to the rest of Liberty. Those governments and their corporations are displeased with the lack of action from LPI, so oftentimes we get hired to reduce the Xeno population in the system. The Outcasts come in from the California Jump Hole and then head for the Junker base in Debris Field One. Before they leave the system, they do a bit of pirating themselves. You'd think they wouldn't care about pirating with all the money they make from Cardamine. Not too long ago there was a prison break by some Rogues from a Sugarland work convoy in the East Dallas Debris Field. They fled into the Pequena Negra Cloud, pursued by a Bounty Hunter named Annie "Shorty" Davis. She flew a nice rig called "the Avenger." The Rogues eventually doubled back and escaped through the California Hole. Annie must have gotten confused in there, or maybe her ship was damaged by some enemy fire. Either way, she never emerged from that dark cloud. We offset the cost of housing Liberty's criminals by putting them to work making products for the good citizens of Liberty. If you are on the Sugarland you will be working in the scrap smelters; if you are on the Huntsville, you will be making Consumer Goods. There are all manner of debris fields in this system for the outlaws to hide in, but you have to be careful if you go in, because some of the debris areas contain radiated fields that will cook you and your ship before you can escape. LPI Huntsville The radiation pocket in the center of the West Dallas Debris Field will fry your ship quick. One of my favorite things to do is chase the scumbags I'm following into that area, and then I let the radiation do my work for me. I like to patrol out by the Negra Pequena and the North Dallas Debris Field. You can find Rogues, Outcasts, Xenos, and Junkers in that area. There is a Jump Hole around there that leads to New York, I believe. Somehow a lot of the criminals find their way into this system from California in that general area, too. I've seen the Jump Hole in this system that leads to California. It is in the West Dallas Debris Field, just north of the radiation pocket. This system is a Bounty Hunter's dream. Point your ship in a direction, start flying, and sooner or later you're going to run into somebody who is wanted for a bounty -- especially on the west side of the system. West Texas is a dangerous cesspool. Not too long ago there was a prison break by some Rogues from a Sugarland work convoy in the East Dallas Debris Field. They fled into the Pequena Negra Cloud, pursued by a Bounty Hunter named Annie "Shorty" Davis. She flew a nice rig called "the Avenger." The Rogues eventually doubled back and escaped through the California Hole. Annie must have gotten confused in there, or maybe her ship was damaged by some enemy fire. Either way, she never emerged from that dark cloud. IC pays me well to protect their interests in Texas. They don't have any people or offices here, but this is a very important system for them. The majority of the crime that goes on in Liberty goes on right here in this system. And since most of the stolen cargo is insured by IC… well, you get the idea. I believe that an Outcast would rather die than go to prison. I don't know of any currently at this facility. I think that any Outcasts who do happen to get captured go to the Sugarland. Battleship Arkansas I used to live planetside on Houston. They're always going through some drought. Worked in the Consumer Goods plant on Huntsville for a while as a supervisor for the LPI, then I switched to Bounty Hunting. Let me tell you, I wouldn't buy any of that junk they produce in there. So here I am with the Guild, where I belong. I don't like hanging around this base, but I can put my ear to the ground and hear where the navy is encountering criminals nearby. That way I can use my sources and the navy's sources to track down the scum I'm hired to kill. The Texas system at one time was just wide open space with a couple planets. All the crap you see in this system -- the dark matter clouds, the debris fields with the radiation -- it is all Ageira's fault. It all happened in one fateful day centuries ago. Not too long ago there was a prison break by some Rogues from a Sugarland work convoy in the East Dallas Debris Field. They fled into the Pequena Negra Cloud, pursued by a Bounty Hunter named Annie "Shorty" Davis. She flew a nice rig called "the Avenger." The Rogues eventually doubled back and escaped through the California Hole. Annie must have gotten confused in there, or maybe her ship was damaged by some enemy fire. Either way, she never emerged from that dark cloud. I actually spent some time on the Huntsville a few years back, but I'm one of the smart ones. It is a downward spiral to stay in the crime business in Texas; sooner or later you're going to get a life sentence or you're going to get killed. I've never heard of a Rogue or Xeno retiring rich. The prisons here are revolving doors for the criminals. That is why if you want to get rid of crime, you have to kill the criminals. I don't know where you come down on the rehabilitation issue, but I think it's just a phony word used by politicians and corporate spin wizards. If you're looking for Xenos, I recommend you check out the South Dallas Debris Field here in the southern edge of the system, hidden away. It's rumored that there's a Jump Hole leading to Hudson. LPI Sugarland One of my buddies was chasing some Outcasts near the West Dallas Debris Field a few weeks ago. He tried to cut across the edge of the Negra Pequena to catch up with them, but he stayed in too long and bought the farm. Too bad, he was pretty good. Rogues like to come into this system since there is so much shipping passing through. They come in from New York I believe, and run their sorties from the Junker base somewhere in the North Dallas Debris Field. The largest concentration of Bounty Hunters in the system is hanging out around the North Dallas Debris Field. There is a Junker base in there, and where you find Junkers you are going to find other criminals too. Aside from Trade Lane activity, most of the crime that takes place in this system goes on west of the warning buoys that the navy put up to protect people from flying into dangerous space. Going past those buoys used to worry me when I was green, but now I don't even notice them. ALG hired me to kill all the Xenos and Rogues I run across, with a bonus for every Xeno. The truth is that Outcasts do a fair bit of pirating and raiding in this system, too. They probably drop their Cardamine with the Junkers and instead of going back home with empty hulls, decide to pick up some goodies on the way home. If you patrol the Trade Lanes leading from New York to Bering and Hudson, you are going to run across Xenos. Those guys hate outsiders; anyone who is not Liberty is an enemy in their eyes. So if you have been hired to kill Xenos, just watch the foreign shipping convoys moving through. Cordova Shipping Platform My patrol finally got a hostile contact today. It was at long distance so we couldn't identify the ship, but the IFF was definitely not on the registered list so it couldn't have been government, corporate, or civilian, and that only leaves the criminals. It was traveling from the vicinity of Planet Edmonton towards Cold Lake Nebula and we were on an intercept course with the star at our backs so the cosmic radiation was probably masking our energy profile from detection. We would have been able to identify it and engage about 3 klicks inside the nebula, but just as we were about to enter it we got a priority wave off transmission from Leduc. I can't believe it. First time we actually have a paycheck on the scope and those corporate security weasels decide to get stingy! And now we've been given standing orders not to enter the nebula at all! I sure hope they sent that to the pirates too. When we heard about the attack on Red Deer Station we thought it was a mixed bag for the Bounty Hunter's Guild. On the one hand, Liberty's typical lust for vengeance might result in some extra high paying bounties. But on the other hand, an attack on a police outpost is just the sort of thing that gets those preening Navy types talking about "jurisdiction", when they really just want to hog all the glory and press coverage. Still, a few of us are here doing patrols, and we'll see what shakes out. So far, LPI seems to have run with its tail between its legs, and the Navy doesn't seem motivated enough to even enter the system. There is a LSF agent that's been skulking around the station lately. I was just about to turn a corner in the corridor when I overheard him say something about "dark matter influenced", but then he stopped talking as soon as he heard me. These spooks are worse than naval officers. If they aren't trying to pull rank, they're looking down their noses at you with that "need to know" look they teach them in spook school. They're always off "investigating" when things get hot, and the only intel you can get out of them is the same prattle you can get from the barkeep. I may have to pay the barkeep for it, but at least he doesn't read me the "don't even tell your sweetheart" lecture. Philadelphia Station This is a bit of a backwater system for Liberty, which means there's more smuggling going on then actual attacks. Not to say that there's no trouble here - there's always work for a Bounty Hunter in systems where Freeports exist, because that's where most criminals go to lay low for a while. As far as pirates are concerned, you've got the Liberty Rogues and Xenos out here. The Rogues are generally easy to deal with. Your basic thugs with big lasers and bigger ships that usually flee rather then confront us Hunters. The Xenos on the other hand are fanatics who love nothing more than to get into fights, even if it ends up costing them their lives. There's a Junker base near one of the moons of Sayre. I tailed a Junker leaving from Eerie to find it. Probably a smugglers nest, since there's no scrapfields in Pennsylvania. I doubt the Liberty Police will do much about it, they've got their hands full guarding the Gate and Lanes. All the better, it's a good spot for me to pick up a mark or two. Bethlehem Station There's not much actual thieving going on around Bethlehem, but it's a good place to find information. A few credits or Liberty Ales here and there, and you'll have enough leads to last you a month. Rogues or other fences will sometimes come here to sell some of their stolen goods. The Zoners don't really care for the criminals, but take their business anyway. Their only alternative is to invite the LPI over, and they hate those guys even more. Erie is a nice place to live if you like roughing it. A lot of the planet is still uninhabited, and I hear the wildlife is quite a challenge. 'Though I suppose, after chasing Outcasts in California, a couple of predatory tripeds will seem like vacation. My kind of vacation. Planet Erie Yeah, I bagged me three Xenos earlier! Whoo! The Guild gets paid 40,000 credits by Liberty for every Xeno it takes out, and I get paid half of that. Then, I can send the kill records to Ageira for another 10,000 credits each. If I manage to take a Xeno captive, I can sell him to the LPI for 10,000! Not a bad job at all, eh? You should have seen that fight I was in earlier! Two Xenos tried to intercept me near the Texas jump hole and I had to bank so hard that I nearly slammed into an asteroid. I just managed to dodge it, but the Xeno tailing me wasn't so lucky. Then the second Xeno slipped into my sights and bam! I took it out with several well-placed shots from my Buckshots. That'll be another 60,000 credits in my pocket for those two. I was born on planet Hamburg originally, and lived there for quite a few years. My father was an executive for Republican Shipping while my mother worked in the offices that Universal Shipping has on Hamburg. They were killed in 807 AS by a Liberty Rogue ambush on the Texas side of the jump gate when their transport was destroyed. I considered joining the Rheinland Military, but they're too strict and they can't operate in Liberty, so I joined the Bounty Hunters Guild. I mainly target the Liberty Rogues and look for information on Rogue hideouts, and eventually I'll find out which ones killed my parents. And those won't end up on Sugarland by the time I'm done with them. I quite like this system, its quiet and the law doesn't bother you too much. There are quite a few bounties to be had here too, mostly Liberty Rogue and Xenos. Most of my compatriots work out of Houston, but this system has quite a few jump holes connecting to several other Liberty systems, and the criminals use them all the time. All I have to do is sit here and let them come through the jump holes, then zap em. Easy enough, eh? Huh, you wanna know about my name? My parents had a real sense of humour, I guess. I love it though! You don't even want to know my middle name, although it begins with F. Anyway, it kinda fits with what I do, so I ain't complaining. I would say don't listen to my friend, Max Flight, but unfortunately his bragging isn't just bragging. He really is one of the best fighter pilots I have ever met. I guess he was aptly named. He might have a loud mouth, but you can rely on him to back you up in a fight. He took out seven Liberty Rogue fighters by himself last week, while I was out on patrol with him. I only killed two others. If it hadn't been for him and his prowess in a fighter craft, I think the Rogues might have killed us both. Harrisburg Station There's more Rogues then Xenos around this base, although both the groups have a strong presence in the system. I suspect the Rogues have a hideout in that asteroid field north of Bruin. Haven't found it yet, but enough Rogue activity to keep me busy here. I'm staying on this station because Interspace has an office on this station. All the bounties specific to this sytem posted by Interspace first get posted here. And they certainly got the deepest pockets of all the corporations... Bounty Hunting in Liberty is how many Hunters start. The Hunters Guild has a recruitment policy agreement with the Liberty Police - meaning criminals wanting to live a better life by doing what they did best can get a free pass to join the Hunters. Everybody benefits that way. The few that try to get away... well, let's just say that the Hunters have a way of tracking their own, and dealing with them. You don't leave the Guild before the Guild allows it. One Police Plaza If you ever want to make some quick credits, I recommend tackling a Rogue near the Kepler jump hole and following him through. By the time you're on the other side, no doubt he'll have cooked himself alive. Easiest bounties I've ever claimed - just make sure you don't slide off into the dark matter yourself. You'd think it'd be hard to make claims out here with half the Ohio's complement buzzing around, but you'd be surprised. Most of those jocks don't stray from the lanes, so there's still plenty out in the fields - just keep your wits about you. Battleship Alma I came from Texas not long ago. Followed a Rogue who had made off with a small shipment of Xenobiotic Filters. I'm not sure why that Rogue was going back here, but I lost track of him among the asteroids. Wouldn't mind meeting that loud mouth again. These new Buckshots are louder then his insults. Yea, there's some Junkers moseying about the destroyed Jump Gates. Bloody vultures... the Navy corpses ain't even cold and they're picking 'em clean. Still, they're mostly harmless, and the Xenos are keeping them on their toes. Those two groups really love eachother. Ah, the Independent Worlds. Here's where the Guild starts to seperate the boys from the men. Most Bounty Hunters that receive their basic assignments in Texas eventually "graduate" to one of the Independent Worlds. Hudson is one of the easier ones, for two reasons. One - the Xenos and Rogues each don't know port from starbord, and pretty much rely on firepower over agility. Two, with that big bad battleship over here, you got a place to fall back to if the heat gets to be a bit much. There's two kinds of criminals in Hudson. First, there's the Rogues. They're your typical kind of criminal. Will rob you blind, extort you if they get the chance. Also tend to smuggle a lot of stuff. Good bonuses if you capture some illegal cargo of theirs when you pop one of them. Second, there's the Xenos. Planetform has some bounties out on those, since they specifically target foreigners. And folk carrying stuff they need. Xenos are more numerous in the north, Rogues in the south. I don't plan on staying here forever. There's not a whole lot to do here, not yet anyway. Once Atka is settled that will change, but that will take decades, maybe even centuries. Only Planetform and Interspace have bounties open in this system, and they aren't that high. If you head into the asteroid field southeast of here, you may even run into a Unioner or two. They've crept out of Rheinland of late, and seem to be expanding their territory. Not sure if that'll sit well with the Rogues. It sure as hell don't sit well with the Xenos. They hate all kinds of foreigners in Liberty. Especially the Rheinish kind. Battlecruiser Yellowstone Sure, we're supposed to take pity on these Bretonian "Refugees" because they've lived in smog their whole sorry, foreign lives, and are trying to escape the war torn Leeds system. I save my sympathy for my relatives on Pittsburgh who have lost their jobs to cheap foreign labor. Refugees, shmeshugees. They're just a bunch of lousy scabs and a menace to honest jobs, that's all they are. I'm not going to fall for this fancy propaganda about pity and compassion. Let them flee to some planet in their own House! You see, first all the small businesses get absorbed into megaconglomerates. Then those get purchased by foreign interests and consolidated further. That squeezes out all the local middle management and replaces it with foreign managers sitting in their little offices off in Kusari, Bretonia, or Rheinland. Then they turn to getting rid of the local work force too. I've been preaching the truth for years, but almost nobody would listen. Well now they don't have to listen, because they can see it all coming true right in front of their eyes. The big shots have sold us all out, and now they're scheming to replace us. You can see it on Pittsburgh now. The miner unions are just too much trouble for the foreign owned mining companies. Those pesky miners are so unreasonable with their demands for safe mines, reasonable hours, and medical insurance coverage for when they get Boron lung. So what do the foreign owners do? They ship in replacement labor from outside Liberty to bust up the unions. Nobody taking an honest job from a Libertonian deserves any mercy, I say. The only thing worse than mining Boron for a living is having your job stolen when you're too old to retrain for anything else. You think a Boron miner is going to get some cushy job pushing paperwork or something? San Diego Border Station There's no business like the bounty business. I tried a life of crime for a while, but two days on Huntsville changed my mind for good. Outlaws are full of talk about solidarity and thieve's honor, right up until you're sharing a cell with them. I'm currently on the lookout for an old cell mate, One Eyed Sue. Yup, Sue's a man. Or used to be. He lost more than an eye in a Buffalo bar fight a couple of decades ago. At least I could sleep in peace at nights while he was my cell mate, if you catch my drift. Battleship Concord Most of the Hunters in our guild are Hunters because this is what they want to do -- at least the good ones are like that. I like working on my own terms and not answering to anybody. That's my style -- no bosses. Bonn Station This sure beats the police. I hadn't been paid in two months. The rest of my post had turned to "Trade Lane tolls" that they forced passing ships to pay. Berlin got wind of it and sent the lot of them to Vierlande to discourage others sharing the same thought. I decided to change professions and try to earn some legitimate money. Beware of the radioactive areas in the Ruhr. They're up in the mid-section, north of the Junker Debris pocket. The Ruhr used to be Rheinland's center of uranium mining and processing. There's a simple reason that the main areas of criminal activity in Berlin are in the Ruhrfeld and Saarfeld: That's where the Jump Holes are. The Hamburg Hole is in the northern part of the Ruhr; the Saar Hole leads to Dresden. The Guild has been in Rheinland since IC was allowed to establish this station in 730. Many of the early members here were Liberty transplants. That didn't sit too well with the locals. The typical recruit nowadays is more likely to be an unpaid Rheinland Federal Police officer or a reformed Red Hessian just out of Vierlande. If you want a real challenge, head out to Solarius in Omega-11. Daumann needs Bounty Hunters to help them with basic security. It's a rough post, but you can go Diamond mining while you're out looking for Hessians and Corsairs. There's good business for the Guild down in Dresden. Daumann and Kruger are both looking for Bounty Hunters to guard their operations. Kruger is the better one because you can always go Diamond mining when no one is looking. You'll earn your keep, though. Plenty of Hessians to go around in Dresden. Planet Hamburg Hamburg's a good place to be based. It's a criminal crossroads of sorts, because of the nature of the Jump Hole network in Rheinland. You can find plentiful work without having to go into the heart of the Walker Nebula. Those clouds can change the odds quite a bit, usually in the bad guy's favor. It's not real exciting work around here; chasing down Unioners and the odd Bundschuh for the most part. If it's excitement you're looking for, go to Omega-11. I'd buy me a pretty strong shield, though. The sun's gone red giant, going to go planetary nova pretty soon. I'm from Texas. You get lots of sun and wind there. Beautiful in a stark sort of way. This place is too cold and gray. Then there's that frosty disposition of the Rheinlanders. They aren't the friendliest of folks, especially toward the Guild. Vierlande doesn't produce that many ex-cons who could become Bounty Hunters, for the simple reason that most sentences are for life. Personally, sounds a little harsh to me. They don't even put them to work, like the LPI. It's a pretty grim place. Republican pays most of the bounties around here. That means we hunt down Unioners. The only reason to chase a Junker is a chance at some contraband. We don't get paid enough by the military to bother that much with the Bundschuh. There's a Hole into the Independent Worlds in the Alsterfeld. That's where you'll see Junkers running contraband. You might even see a few Rogue smugglers moving to or from Dawson. And there are always plenty of Unioners to keep you company. Battleship Westfalen The Altenburg and the Karlsruhe used to practically be sister-ships, patrolling the same route and everything. During the Rheinland civil war the two ended up on opposite sides though. How the Karlsruhe faired? Well, if you look behind planet Steinfurt you'll find the debris field. Such a terrible loss of life. Some of the Hunters use this as a base to strike against the Red Hessians in Dresden. Plenty of Hessians down there with a bounty on their head. Kruger posts the bulk of them, though Universal chips in on occasion. With Saarbrucken back under Rheinland control the rest of Sirius will know our house got its act back together again. The civil war took a significant toll but Rheinland will come back stronger than ever. Cologne is quite the jewel in Rheinlands crown; it's underdeveloped sure but it is the only major trade route connecting this side of Sirius with Gallia. I'm sure it will bring great prosperity in the future. The military's brought us in to help them out in Cologne. They don't pay us too much, though. But they have good, long-range scanners and a strategic position in this area, so it's worthwhile for us. Most of the actual bounties are put up by Republican. There are a few reformed Hessians in Hamburg. They're the lucky ones who got out of Vierlande before their sentences were up. One guy had some story about some neutron star in Omega-41. That's way out there in the Edge Worlds in Corsair land. Planet Stuttgart Where there's LWB you are probably going to find Red Hessians nearby. Those two groups seem to get along pretty well, of course the Hessians are far more dangerous. Though, the LWB pilots are becoming better and better pilots, don't forget they all used to be simple farmers. The Red Hessians come into this system through the Jump Hole leading to Omega 11. The hole is tucked away in the southern side of the Westnebel. Hessians use this system to get to Dresden and for resupply at the LWB base on the eastern side of Stuttgart. I was hired by Synth Foods to protect them against LWB terrorist attacks. Unexplained fires still sweep across the fields here from time to time. We are paid to make the arsonists sorry. I came here once as a child; it was a lush and green planet with a warm golden sun. This is not like it was; the rolling green fields and prismatic growing tents that dotted the horizons are gone. Look as far as you can see in any direction and only the gray Synth Foods plants are seen spilling their way to the edges of the land. The LWB base is located near the Jump Hole to Dresden. Do you know where that is? Aye, it's in the Ostnebel. The LWB conduct operations from that are. Mostly they run attacks on the lanes between here and the New Berlin Jump Gate. I can sympathize with the LWB, I'm a Rheinlander. I don't like those Synth Foods Liberty vultures coming here and despoiling the most beautiful planet in our space, but it comes down to the money. The fools in New Berlin sold Stuttgart away fighting the GMG, and I sold my allegiance to who had the most cash. Freiburg Station The police in Rheinland barely get enough parts to keep their ships flying. They are good pilots and have decent training, but that is all they've got. Hey, I can find more work in Rheinland than anywhere else. That means the police aren't doing their job. The Red Hessians are the real problem in this system. At least the LWB confine themselves to the east side of Stuttgart. The Hessians come in from the Jump Hole in the Westnebel and range all over this place. They are fierce pilots too. My apprentice lived for six days before he died. The Hessians think they own Rheinland, but I am paid to make them think differently. I used to be a freelancer that did a lot of work for the Corsairs. Eventually, I had to start going up against Hessians in Omega-5. That's how I learned to kill them. The Jump Holes in this system lie on opposite sides of Stuttgart. The hole to Omega-11 is in the Westnebel, and the hole to Dresden lies within the Ostnebel. If you're looking for the LWB, you're best served hunting them down in the Ostnebel. That's where they will be found -- or raiding the Trade Lanes between New Berlin and the planet Stuttgart. Occasionally I am hired to kill the LWB. I don't like the work as much as taking down Hessians, but it's much easier. Synth Foods is really the only company that pays well for LWB pilots, and the less I have to work for Liberty the better. Battleship Altenburg The Altenburg and the Karlsruhe used to practically be sister-ships, patrolling the same route and everything. During the Rheinland civil war the two ended up on opposite sides though. How the Karlsruhe faired? Well, if you look behind planet Steinfurt you'll find the debris field. Such a terrible loss of life. Some of the Hunters use this as a base to strike against the Red Hessians in Dresden. Plenty of Hessians down there with a bounty on their head. Kruger posts the bulk of them, though Universal chips in on occasion. With Saarbrucken back under Rheinland control the rest of Sirius will know our house got its act back together again. The civil war took a significant toll but Rheinland will come back stronger than ever. Cologne is quite the jewel in Rheinlands crown; it's underdeveloped sure but it is the only major trade route connecting this side of Sirius with Gallia. I'm sure it will bring great prosperity in the future. The military's brought us in to help them out in Cologne. They don't pay us too much, though. But they have good, long-range scanners and a strategic position in this area, so it's worthwhile for us. Most of the actual bounties are put up by Republican. There are a few reformed Hessians in Hamburg. They're the lucky ones who got out of Vierlande before their sentences were up. One guy had some story about some neutron star in Omega-41. That's way out there in the Edge Worlds in Corsair land. Heisenberg Research Station This is a quiet place. The pirates and the scientists get along together rather well. It might look like a Hunter's paradise but there aren't really any contracts floating around. Surprisingly, the local pirates seem to leave the companies here alone for the most part as well and those who don't -- well, ALG and the policemen are quite sure that they can handle it. So I only really stop here for short drinks. It's one of the few places where I can walk in the same corridor as my future marks and not get shot at in the process.

NOTE: Page generated on the 20/12/2024 at 17:31:18 UTC