Scrapper

Much like the salvage crews found throughout the more industrious parts of the galaxy, Scrappers exist for the purpose of dismantling ships and stations of every make and model for parts that can be reused. This, however, is where the similarities end, for while salvage crews do their work in government sanctioned salvage yards, dismantling ships and stations for reuse by their governments, Scrappers go out into the sites of these wrecked vessels to strip them of valuable components to either hoard to themselves, or sell on the black market. Because of this, Scrapper work is considered a criminal offence, in the same class as piracy, and all Scrappers captured by galactic authorities are tried and punished as such. Despite the inherent risks of the job, this hasn't stopped those poor and desperate enough, greedy enough, or adventurous enough from pursuing a career in this field, leading to Scrapper crews becoming a fairly common sight in the outer reaches of civilised space.

Career

Qualifications

Strong knowledge of technology and shipbuilding is a strong asset in this profession, as well as having some experience in salvage work. Beyond that, so long as you're not afraid to get your hands dirty and go places you probably shouldn't be, you're qualified.

Career Progression

The closest thing to career progression in this line of work is respect. The more salvage runs you do, the better you do them, and the better the salvage you bring back is, the more respected you are among the general Scrapper community. This in turn will get you more and better tips on potential scrapping sites, let you get away with charging more for your services, and a variety of other perks.

Payment & Reimbursement

The payment a Scrapper can receive from a run varies greatly from job to job; it all comes down to how much scrap you bring back, and how good it is.

Other Benefits

Unlike the more legitimate work done in the various salvage yards throughout the galaxy, Scrappers are free to claim any piece of salvage from their runs as their own, usually for the purposes of enhancing their ships or to keep as trophies, since they've reached the wreck before any official organisations could.

Perception

Purpose

While most do Scrapper work for personal gain, others turn to it because it's the only work they can do to support themselves and/or their families.

Social Status

The majority of civilised space view Scrappers as little more than thieves, stealing technology and resources from both their own star nations and others for their own monetary gain. As a result, being caught doing Scrapper work is a serious criminal offence in almost all star nations, with Scrappers being charged under the same laws that cover thievery and profiteering. In fact, the only places that Scrappers can ply their trade without any worry about running into the law is around the outer fringes of civilisation.

Demographics

Scrappers can come from any race, and are usually former salvage workers who struck out on their own for greater personal profit, people from the poorer areas of the galaxy turning to illegal and dangerous work to get by, or individuals looking to get their hands on tech they couldn't otherwise get legally.

Operations

Tools

Scrappers use many of the same tools as salvage workers, such as wire cutters, salvage saws, mag-grips, and any other tools that can cut through hulls, remove components, and move items in zero-G.

Workplace

While Scrappers are expected to work in many different environments and conditions, their most common workplace would be their ship. All Scrapper ships are designed to have a large cargo hold, as well as a workshop area where components can be safely dismantled on-site.

Provided Services

If you need to get some components or parts that you either can't afford, or know you won't be able to get legally, you go to a Scrapper. For the vast majority of the Outlier Territories, especially the orbital habitats, Scrappers are their lifeblood, bringing in parts that help to keep their stations, buildings, and other systems running.

Dangers & Hazards

The life of a Scrapper comes with many hazards. Firstly, there's the law enforcement of every major star nation to watch out for. If they don't cause you problems, there's a good chance your fellow Scrappers might, as any salvage claimed by Scrappers is on a first-come-first-serve basis, and they may not be in any mood to share the profits. Additionally, Scrappers tend to either work alone, or in small teams, so there's fewer people watching your back if things go wrong. And finally, there's a variety of environmental hazards to worry about, such as debris fields, hostile wildlife, and active war zones, to name a few.

Alternative Names

"Vultures", "Junk Rats"

Type

Illicit

Demand

Fairly common, especially around the outer territories of civilised space.

Legality

In practically every star nation, Scrapper work is deemed illegal, with Scrappers being seen as no better than pirates. The fact that many of their preferred scrapping targets consist of military vessels and their systems has lead to Scrapper work being charged under profiteering laws, as they are essentially stealing vital resources from a foreign power for personal gain. Many individual Scrappers and Scrapper crews have been arrested over the years, and any Scrapper hideouts that are raided are stripped of any military and/or industrial grade technology and resources, to be returned to their star nation of origin.