KensaiVGYeah, my lack of Odyssey (The DLC itself, I'm on live galaxy) is the reason I'm restructuring my plans. Rescue I've never quite gotten into but I could check. Trading yeah I've gotten a few mills per trip with my mining Python (Which I'm wondering if I should switch to laser mining as apparently the profitability gap between laser and core has dropped)
Mining and trading does not appeal to everyone, but it does to me.
My trick to core mining is to find a system paying high prices for a mineral then find that mineral in a planetary ring close by. 700-800K per ton adds up fast.
I also game the mining missions without having to do any mining by taking mining missions for minerals that can be purchased. I don't mind paying 50K per ton for gold if a mission from another station is paying me 300k per ton to "mine" it. Easy 250k/ton profit for little to no actual work.
Overall, mining and trading does not generate money as fast as other activities, but it is super easy to advance through the elite trader levels.