Space bounty hunting seems quite complicated. Or perhaps I have a tendency to overthink things. I have to remember that we are not beginners at this kind of thing. Are we? We all at least have related skills.
We should have asked the client if the target item would withstand orbital bombardment and just take out the planet and then look for it.
I really don't know what the most likely professional approach would be, or what would be best for us to do.
It would be useful to potentially discover any rumours behind who ordered this theft as help in case we get caught up in double/triple-cross shenanigans. But then we might just alert people that we are coming. But then the target must expect considerable pursuit.
There are probably two approaches I can think of right now. First - to knowingly fall for the trap but hope that superior ability and preparation gets us out of it. But we can't rely on our superior ability, and don't have enough information yet to prepare enough. Aubrey and Kari could possibly be of use in surveilling the target area, beyond insertion/extration/trying not to die horribly. The main risk here is death.
The the approach of just see what happens and then strike after the probable ambush etc. etc. The main risk here is losing out. Possibly committing crimes/death, too.
In both cases there is also the risk of it being a decoy and the exchange taking place somewhere else entirely! But the target seems confident and homocidal enough that probably he would want to confront his pursuers and dispose of them, rather than fleeing. Possibly.
edit: i've just signed up for a course on "how to survive on mars" to better inform my participation in this game
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/survive-mars?