If there is one constant to the galaxy, it is that there will always be places beyond
the rule of law. On every world, from the lowest levels of Coruscant, to the ragged territories
of the Outer Rim, hives of scum and villainy operate beneath the surface of civilization.
In these hidden territories neither the decrees of the Republic Senate or the iron
grip of the Imperial fleet can bring integrity or stability. Instead, justice more often than not,
comes from the barrel of a hired gun in the service of the Bounty Hunter’s Guild.
Bounty hunting is a complicated profession, and one that most often operates in a grey area,
both legally and morally. The Guild is an attempt to regulate this trade,
to bring to it some level of professionalism, respect, and legitimacy. Despite this objective,
the Bounty Hunter’s Guild have instead come to emulate its members.
It is secretive, duplicitous, and exists across both sides of the law.
Its structure, operations, and the authority it holds over its members is often malleable,
shifting to accommodate whatever regime controls the galaxy.
Only a vague “Bounty Hunter’s Code” remains somewhat consistent,
a set of rules dictating the behavior and conduct of every individual within its membership.
The Code is most notable in that it forbids any member of the guild to kill another.
If a bounty is placed on one of their own, there is an understanding amongst the Guild that no
member will try too hard to collect on it. The code likewise prohibits any hunter from stealing
the bounty of another. But it is confidentiality that is prized above all. A guild-aligned hunter
will not speak of his work, and immediately forget any details of his clients and actions.
While acceptance of this code is required for membership within the guild,
how strictly it is enforced has varied. Aspiriant Bounty Hunters have been known to try and steal
the contracts of more established members or even collect bounties on their Guild rivals.
Those with enough skill, notaritaty or connections can often flaunt the Guild Code at their leisure,
but if the code is violated in such a way that it might endanger the entire organization,
the perpetrator might be hunted down without restraint by their former compatriots.
Even the guild itself was not above violating its own code,
sometimes sending more than one hunter on a contract without their knowledge.
The legitimacy offered by the Bounty Hunter’s code was just enough to allow the Guild to
operate within the Galactic Republic, but its operations were largely trivial. With
the outbreak of the Clone Wars however, the collapse of stability across the galaxy
instantly created a wealth of opportunities for any bounty hunter. Jango Fett, Cad Bane,
Sugi and Bossk, found enormous success during this era, conducting government-sanctioned work
with the Galactic Republic, Confederacy of Independent Systems and Hutt Clans.
While their involvement or membership within the Guild remains murky, their activities
nevertheless brought renewed attention and credibility to the use of bounty-hunting.
With the rise of the First Galactic Empire, the relationship that had been created with the Bounty
Hunters Guild continued to develop. Many within the Imperial military considered these agents
to be little more than scum, but the Empire’s leadership regarded bounty hunters as an effective
tool against internal dissent and rebellion. In the ensuing decades, the Guild became a noteworthy
aspect of Imperial security. The organization was even given the authority to issue Peace-Keeping
Certificates to its bounty hunters, allowing them access to the Imperial Enforcement Datacore.
Hunters such as IG-88, Boba Fett and Dengar entered into an elite position within the
Imperial power structure, trusted by Darth Vader himself to conduct clandestine missions.
The collapse of the Empire ended the era of government-sanctioned contracts. The New Republic
was unwilling to employ the services of those who had acted against them during the Rebellion
and the Guild once again retreated to the more lawless sectors and worlds across the galaxy.
Today they can be found hunting down their targets across the Outer Rim Territories, or beneath the
cityscapes of Coruscant or Nar Shadda. Their agents recruit aspirant gunslingers, smugglers
with a talent for killing, or freelancers looking to do any kind of job as long as the credits are
there. The worlds of the galaxy are hardly any more peaceful since the revolution, and there will
always be a demand for hired guns, mercenaries and bodyguards. Here, the Bounty Hunter’s Guild is
always willing to lend its services, prioritizing results, and maintaining professional discretion.
Yet for an organization built on keeping secrets, recently, many strange stories have been spreading
across the Cantinas in the Outer Rim. They tell of a Bounty Hunter, a Mandalorian who took on a job
only to discover a prize beyond measure. Hunted now by the guild, the New Republic,
and even the remnants of the Empire. How much truth there is to this story few can say,
but it lends credence to the age old-adage, that bounty hunting is a complicated profession.