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“The Rabbit’s Warren offers the unique function of being a neutral port in Venal. Ran by third party Capsuleers, it’s a slightly more enticing location for people to go to to trade or discuss business compared to walking into a Guristas owned and staffed port. While Gurista personnel frequent the location, we are a port open to numerous outsiders who want to do business in the region, but are still slightly squeamish about doing business under a Gurista built roof.”
- Utatis Parinen
“Ja’Tier”
December 19th YC 122
6NJ8-V IV - The Rabbit’s Warren Fortizar, cargo loading dock.
“You know, I was starting to think I was going to meet with a proxy, and not the man himself looking to buy the goods…”
“I can’t trust a proxy to appraise the art. They don’t have my eye for my detail… I need to see the set for myself to know they’re the real thing.”
“And you had the balls to come out all the way out here to do that?”
"What? Am I to just invite you to my property and do business in my front yard? Maybe sit on the patio and drink some iced tea? The further away from my place of residence, the better. For all you know? I’m from the Jove empire
“Right, right…So got a name I can refer to you by?”
“Sure, and I’ll give you my date of birth and street address while I’m at it. Please, the only names relevant right now are the names on these pieces of art. You care only for your payment, I care only for the goods. Nothing more.”
“Well… they’re all right here.”
“The entire set is accounted for?”
“The sixteen pieces of art you requested are all laid out before you. Sealed in protective glass cases strong enough to survive a forge-gun blast. Won’t find any better protection. Everything is in pristine condition as you requested.”
“I wouldn’t have requested anything less. And what of the rubbish?”
“The rubbish? You mean the bulk? Right over ther-”
“I have no interest or space on my ship for it.”
“Why the hell you pay us to grab it then?”
“Confuse authorities. The more this looks like a surgical theft, the more they have to go on to tracing the attack back to me.”
“What do we do with it then?”
“What do I care? Jettison it into the sun? This is some slum of a trade hub isn’t it? Sell it…Do you have any idea how valuable this artwork is compared to that junk over there?”
“Not really, but a bunch of executives spend good kredit on them and you’re willing to drop even more money on them for us to go up and jack it. So hey, pretty damn valuable.”
“Typical…”
“… Is that a microscope or something?”
“To a layman, yes. It’s far more sophisticated tech than that… I need to make sure the art is the authentic piece and not some soulless replica… Replicas tend to remove or overlook the small flaws and touches of the original artists.”
“And you know what they all are?”
“Of course, you think I blindly hired a bunch of cutthroat mercenaries to steal art I know nothing about? No, I’ve researched the work extensively and know each artist’s background and quirks…”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“The artist’s signature on this piece, ‘Ja’Tier Dele’ had this unique way of writing his name in his native language. The curves, the bumps… I could see it’s unique characteristics a mile away.”
“I don’t see it.”
“Of course you don’t.”
“Right, so is it authentic? Or did we just kill a bunch of security guards protecting this ■■■■ for a trash replica?”
“No… It’s the real thing. Their deaths were not in vain.”
“Some would disagree…”
“Such people are irrelevant to you or I.”
“Sure… So you know about each of their backgrounds. Who was this JaTier guy?”
“Ja’Tier.”
“Right, what’s this dude’s story?”
“Am I being quizzed right now by pirates?”
“Call me curious…”
“Hmpm… Long story short, Ja’Tier was a… Interesting case. Grown up in the ghetto alleyways on Gallente Prime with little in the way of opportunity to escape poverty. Originally picked up painting as an outlet for his stress and misfortune, but it ended up saving him for his lowly position when he realized he had work good enough to sell.”
“Self-made man then?”
“Indeed, made a living selling original pieces and being commissioned by wealthy holders and businessmen for portraits… His ability to paint human beings with such accuracy and detail is what set him apart from others.”
“So where is he now?”
“A padded cell in a asylum prolly thrashing about in a straitjacket.”
“What?”
“This right here was his last… eh… ‘Official’ piece of work before a sickening tragedy. See, Ja’Tier let success get to him in a bad way. He went from a humble street urchin trying to make something of himself to a narcissistic and wealthy pariah whose burned multiple bridges with friends over simple and forgivable infractions…”
“So he was a prick?”
“To put it bluntly, Yes… Nobody saw this more than his girlfriend at the time, Randa Baigier - Who threaten to leave Ja’Tier over his toxic behavior and… Well, painting a portrait of her sleeping nude and publicly releasing it without her permission or knowledge.”
“…Was it at least a good piece of art?”
“Yes actually, I own it already. She had such a lovely face…”
“Had?”
“I’m getting to that. Ja’Tier was emotionally attached to this woman… His muse as he put it. Begged her to stay with him, but his pleas fell on deaf ears… So unable to put up with her leaving he acted quickly to make sure that she never left him and… Immortalized.”
“… Which was-”
“Killing her, cutting her face off and draining her blood to use as paint for a new portrait of her.”
“… What?”
“In court, it’s stated that Ja’Tier had the uh… ‘Artistic vision’ of using her very being for material in an end all be all tribute to her. To immortalize her beauty, and to get the message across that no other man or woman would ever be able to express their love for her like Ja’Tier was able to.”
“…Well ■■■■… that’s… Quite the escalation…”
“The ‘painting’ never officially entered circulation. It was confiscated by the police as evidence and terrorize the jury unfornaunte enough to be selected for the trail… However it did enter circulation unofficially after an officer with access to the evidence and connections to a local Sani Sabik sect, stole the painting to give to the sect who sold it off to proper Blood Raiders for a king’s ransom.”
“… So are you trying to get ahold of this painting or-”
“-Oh absolutely not. I’m not superstitious in the slightest, but the damn thing looks cursed and I certainly don’t need blood crazed cultists breaking into my property to retrieve the thing. They keep it for all I care…”
“Fair enough… So there’s not going to be a trend here with every piece of art we stole being tired to an artist that did some ■■■■■■ up ■■■■, right?”
“Maybe one or two more. But we’d be here for ages discussing their history and crimes, and frankly I’m not a man with that kind of time to spare.”
“Yeah, you’re a busy man. I can tell… One last question though. About this Ja’Tier guy.”
“Make it quick.”
“Why the hell are Caldari executives hanging up the artwork of a guy like this in their executive towers? A Gallentean murdering their girlfriend, chopping their face off to pin to a painting? Why would they want to admire any work from this guy…”
“Because they don’t care about such things… They comfort themselves with the cowardly defense of “Separating the person from the art” so they can enjoy their masterpieces without guilt. I for one see the art incomplete without the person that made it. I do not judge Ja’Tier, he is the man that made this beautiful work of art. His crimes do not invalidate that…”
“So a proud new piece to your collection?”
“Very much so.”