An interview with bounty hunter Ellyot Salem

Date: 200411
Planet: Tatooine
Region: Farpoint Valley

By Sila Synergy, Galactic News Agency

GNA: How did you came to work as a bounty hunter, Mister Salem?
Ellyot Salem: I was an Imperial army trooper. Found I could make four, five times that in the private sector. Rios an me mustered out, took up arms..been getting richer ever since.
GNA: Rios is your partner?
Ellyot Salem: Yeah, and my best friend.
GNA: Was he in the same unit?
Ellyot Salem: Yes we were. Thats how we met.
GNA: And how long have you been bounty hunting?
Ellyot Salem: Must be going on five years now.
GNA: Mister Salem, I was told you were involved in an incident in West Carova.
Salem: Damn right I was. Couldn’t believe it. I’d just come back from a hunt, something for one of the locals, killing Valarian Spice heads. Well, I had money in my pocket and I figured it was about Beer o’ clock. I was enjoying my second Corellian ale when in walks this pair of trandoshan.
GNA: A pair you knew?
Ellyot Salem: Oh yeah. Been looking for this bunch for a week. Brazen as brass they walk in and all but stand next to their wanted posters.
GNA: What were they wanted for, and do you have thir names?
Ellyot Salem: Sure do..give me a moment and I'll get the information off my helmet displays.
Ok'ea Oiwige nods.
Here it is..Dominian Clan, Leader by the name of..well I actually can't pronounce it..Slaaaris or something..two others, one caries a heavy acid launcher and the other a sniper.
Ellyot Salem: I ran them against my bounty finder algoryithyms. I don't try to collect unless I've double checked a target.
GNA: Smart choice.
Ellyot Salem: Smart bounty hunter.
GNA: So what did you do then?
Ellyot Salem: Can't get paid if you try to collect on the wrong target.
GNA: Of course. What happened then?
Ellyot Salem: Another fellow looks at me, recognises who these two are and pulls his blaster about the same time I'm unlimbering my carbine. We order them to the floor, they pull out guns.
Ellyot Salem: Poor sod got shot twice before we were able to put the doshans down. Course all the fire draws the local law enforcement in.
GNA: I heard about those.
Ellyot Salem: Lanner’s a good sheriff. Them Enclave folk had a bounty out on him, a high one too but it was'nt registered with the Guild.
GNA: Did they give you trouble?
Ellyot Salem: The deputies? Naw. Helped us drag the wounded doshans to the sheriffs office..a fella named...Pi...Pious...Pius thats it.
GNA: So, you took down two doshans. Was anyone else but the other hunter wounded?
Ellyot Salem: Not that I could see. I checked my fire before opening up. A few stray bolts hit some of the gambling machines and tables..I paid for the damage of course.
GNA: How much was the bounty?
Ellyot Salem: Twelve thousand credits..each.
GNA: A decent bounty then. How much were the damages?
Ellyot Salem: Just a few hundred. Fortunatly wall plaster is cheep.
GNA: Did you split the bounty with the other hunter?
Ellyot Salem: I surely did. Six thousand each. Another fellow..Mandalorian by his looks split the other doshans bounty with the deputies. They came in about half way through the light-fight.
GNA: Ah, so there were more involved?
Ellyot Salem: Yeah..an ex deputy by the sound of it. Did'nt catch his name.
GNA: That's an exciting tale. Is your life always like that?
Ellyot Salem: No. Not always. Usually its just me and my partner Rios. We're both on some smug..err..freighter captains payroll. We gun for him sometimes.
GNA: Aha. And do you know why those two trandoshans were hunted?
Ellyot Salem: Guess they'd caused some sort of ruckus in West Corova..don't know the details, don't really care..they were worth credits, and I always get paid.
GNA: So the bounty was placed by the city officials?
Ellyot Salem: Sure was. Registered with the Guild.
GNA: That’s quite the amount to pay. Was that an ongoing concern? Or, to be more precises, are there more bounties on this clan?
Ellyot Salem: There was some trouble a while back. Imperial lockdowns, martial law, that sort of thing. On this clan? Does'nt look like it, I make it a habit to check the local bounty boards and these Dominion Clan doshans have been taken off the list. Don't mean they won't get themselves back up on the board though..and when they do..I'll be there to collect.
GNA: I've heard rumors that for West Carova, such incidents are the norm. Can you comment on this?
Ellyot Salem: Surly can. Has'nt been a time I have'nt drifted into town and there were'nt something going down. Usually its just a fist fight between some horn heads.
GNA: More work for you then?
Ellyot Salem: I can only hope. More trouble means more bounties, means more credits for me.
GNA: were you ever seriously hurt?
Ellyot Salem: couple of times. Usually I don't hunt alone. Rios has my back.
GNA: and was he ever seriously hurt?
Ellyot Salem: Yeah, it was pretty gruesome this one time. Took some grenade shrapnel to his face. Lets just say he ain't pretty any more.
Ellyot Salem: Course we all know I'm the pretty one.
GNA: would you like to add anything, mister Salem?
Ellyot Salem: That should about cover it...oh yeah.. Hi Mom!
Ellyot Salem waves to the camera.
GNA: GNA thanks you for this interview, Mister Salem
Ellyot Salem: Your welcome, glad I could help out.