Portrait of a Bounty Hunter

Social historians sometimes have a tendency to focus on the rich and powerful, forgetting that the people who dwell on society’s margins can also have an impact on the shape of the galaxy. In this new series, we take a look at some of recent history’s less well-known figures, and shine a light on their unique achievements. Our first episode explores the life of the bounty hunter Ziva Eschel.

Ziva Eschel began her career in the Federal State Police, spending ten years as a Viper pilot in the Beta Hydri system. She left the force shortly after she and her partner were imprisoned by the Judas Syndicate on the infamous Black Mausoleum. Eschel escaped with her life but her partner was executed, and, due to the unique status of the Mausoleum, the Beta Hydri authorities were unable to bring his killers to justice.

After quitting the Federal State Police, Eschel acquired a lease on an old Sidewinder and began a career as a bounty hunter operating out of Beta Hydri. Her approach relied more on careful planning and preparation than flashy flying, but she nevertheless progressed to larger and more dangerous scores, upgrading her ships and finally settling on the Dragon Queen, a highly customised Fer-de-lance.

Eschel is not a public person and has eschewed several invitations to syndicate her operations to ‘Federation’s Most Wanted’, but in police and bounty hunting circles she is known to be both cautious and dangerous, and also meticulous in adhering to the law – a rare trait in her profession.

Eschel and the Dragon Queen were last seen heading for Jackson’s Lighthouse, possibly in pursuit of the notorious Red Hourglass.