Traveling Meliorist Museum & Artifact Collectorium
Without a doubt, the greatest collection of artifacts in the galaxy is housed inside the tongue twistingly named "Belloq Tull's Traveling Meliorist Museum and Artifact Collectorium." The name itself is a mouthful, but has a simple distinction: "meliorist" simply means leaving a strong impression on the observer's or participant's mind.
The History of Belloq's Collections
Belloq begun his professional career as a pilot at a time when sentients were still prohibited from leaving a planet's surface by planetary shield grids. These restrictions led to suffering on an almost unimaginable scale: he'd often see hundreds of bodies just lying in the streets on planets like Kashyyyk, Gamor and Tatooine. As horrific as it sounded, Belloq found he could help in some small measure by packing his cargo ships with as much food and water as he could in whatever space wasn't taken up by paid deliveries, and sharing such items with a desperate public.
The locals were incredibly grateful, and in return, many of them offered whatever small tokens that they could. So by circumstance and the will of the Force, Belloq became a collector of antiquities. While he often paid vast sums for these items -- as of Year 26, some estimates suggest he's spent upwards of 6 billion Galactic credits on his collection, including finders fees and the financing of private expeditions -- he has as yet never sold a single item. He does part with copies of some of the items that his cadre of ex-Imperial scientists have managed to back-engineer, including the Gree tech item known as The Jade Sands Hourglass, and some of the less dangerous datacrons. He has chosen to maintain his ever-increasing collection of artifacts as a free Museum, open without charge to the entire galaxy to gaze at and marvel over -- except for criminals and pirates, of course.
Belloq has also come into contact with several expeditionary parties who have uncovered ancient technology without any way to profit from their discoveries. Belloq has offered to purchase whatever he can afford, and has become acquainted with several research groups willing to exchange what they consider useless, nonworking devices for modest bundles of credits. Rather than have them collect dust in some university basement, Belloq has provided space in the Museum to display such prizes of past sentients' accomplishments.
The First M.M.A.A.C.
After many years of buying rarities and unearthed ancient tech, Belloq decided he needed a home for his expanding collection. He acquired a barely-used Prometheus-class Starship, and set about modifying its 55 rooms to accommodate his collection.
He soon realized that some visitors wanted to see more than just dusty oddities, so he had installed a massive stable for a few of his more tame creatures, including his pair of trained Vornskr, and at least one real-live adult Rancor, affectionately known as 'Grumpy.'
This first Museum had a nominal eating and drinking area, as well as a modestly spacious multi-media room whose main attraction was the almost continuous playing of the hit holofilm, "Big Trouble in Little Korriban." He staffed the Museum with hundreds of droids, overseen by a select crew of dedicated sentients. Many of these were criminals in their former lives, including such reprobates as Huk Harkonnen, Insurik Damask, Kuga Morguul, Plinko Pok, and Shobba Pau.
The Museum also hosts several crowd favorites that entertain visitors from across the galaxy. Such notable figures as Ga`ma Myrtille, Moronna `Teal Ma, Ulrike Rayne Schultheiss, and Za Zarzuela Zohan greet old friends and new fans alike, as they carry out their duties aboard the Museum.
The New and Improved M.M.A.A.C.
Eventually, Belloq's many collections outgrew even the Prometheus. So in Year 25, he contracted with Endless Endeavors to acquire an even more massive Kandosii Dreadnaught with a more expansive 88 rooms.
But Belloq didn't want just any old ship out of the yards: this time, he did some private research. Through exhaustive data mining and a few credit bars pressed into the right hands, he was able to trace the YT transport upon which his Kel Dor Master was last seen alive. His search led to a recycler who sold that ship's raw materials to one of the shipyards where Endless Endeavors produced their Kandiis.
EE's master seller Kez Aak was able to locate a very specific ship per Belloq's unusual request, made with those particular mats. It came with the auspicious serial number of #2771776. Belloq could never prove the spirit of his previous Master was somehow connected to this new ship, but The Force indicated it was a distinct possibilirty.
Belloq, with the help of a few trusted curators, is now in the process of transferring more than 2000 custom items from their original installations onboard the Prometheus to the more expansive quarters on the Kandii. Leaked engineering plans indicate there will be several eating and drinking establishments, along with an increased size for the Zoo, as wll as more heavily guarded sections for such rarities as The Ark of Ryloth, The Guardians of the Galactic Truths Wall Panels, and several technological and Force items that are rumored to be of the highest priority to the more ruthless thieves associations in the galaxy.
The Creation of The Galactic Artifact and Souvenir Project (G.A.S.P.)
Somewhere in Year 25, Belloq realized he needed an arbitration body to assist in his efforts to catalogue all of the rarities he'd helped uncover. Following his request made over unsecured channels, the semi-voluntary (and up 'till then highly secretive) body known as The Galactic Artifact and Souvenir Project (G.A.S.P.) became known to the galaxy at large.
As of early Year 26, there were already a few dozen artifacts recorded with the Project, with new additions being added every week, as its curators find time.