By James 'Porphyre' Grahn
Guarding should be one of the more enjoyable tasks of TEP. Here's a look at what being a guard might entail: (by situation)
1. Deputy: If there's a rumor of attack or even an attack in progress, the local police will pay you to fight along side them. You'd get to keep the bounties from all the attackers you kill, as well. You'll be given a police ID temporairily and will be treated accordingly. Attacking a fellow policeman is a quick way to loose your position, money, and be marked a criminal. There's also an agreement which you must follow if you want to be deputized.
3. Security guard: You might be assigned to guard graves, junkyards, mines, shipyards, asteroids, or just about anything else imaginable... Guarding junkyards, mine claims, and shipyards would require patroling. You'd also likely get a combat bonus for each enemy downed, in addition to the bounty.
4. Escort: Whenever there's a ship going into a territory that it is not confident its own weapons will handle, an ad will be posted. This should be a common job. Most of the ships you'll be guarding will be bloated trading ships, but you may also defend other relatively weak ships. You may be hired with several others (wingmen for the job) or you may be expected to defend more than one ship (a convoy). The better your Elite ranking, the more money you can expect and the better jobs you'll get.
The Tools of the Trade:
Escape Capsule: Just in case, eh?
A Fighter: Having a ship specialized to fight would be an advantage. Further specialization might be beneficial per job (i.e. when defending a colony on a habitable planet, an airfighter might be desirable, as it is more manuverable).
ID verification: Though typically standard, it would be particularly important to see who's on your side in this field.
Weapons and Defenses: It would figure if someone hires you for protection, they would like for you to do more than throw yourself in front of the laser.