After their run in with the mysterious crew, Leonidas felt it would be prudent to improve the capabilities of the Gaze. He had built the ship himself but he had to recognize the truth of the matter, their last firefight was a close call. If it was not for Ezran's impeccable marksmanship, they would have perished. As captain, he cannot take that chance.
Hence their current location. Durin V was a forge world, the skies bloated with smoke trails and its cities built on scaffolds of iron and ambition. This is a planet that never sleeps. Tirelessly it pulses with the rhythm of machinery, the ceaseless beating of hammers, and the endless hum of innovation. If the Empire had a living mechanical heart, this was it.
This was the home of the great Star-Forgers of the House of Durin. The Dwarves were the finest engineers and smiths, you could find within the Empire - at least that is what every single Dwarf would tell you.
The House of Durin did not sell the vast innovations their brilliant workers built; rather they preferred to hold auctions. Many across the galaxy would come clamoring to have the chance of owning anything they made, from Imperial officers to the unruly mercenaries that roamed the infinite void of space. This made Lord Durin one of the richest men in the seven galaxies.
The Lion's Gaze docked in the Korran Sector. Its hull bruised from the last heated battle, the ship's internal systems were long overdue for an upgrade. Leonidas stood at the helm, eyes scanning the skyline.
"Gentleman, our main goal," he said. "A high grade shield matrix."
Ezran smirked. "About time. The one we have is held together by nothing but tape and prayer. It's a miracle we've made it this far."
Leonidas pulled up the auction manifest. "A private tech auction is being held today. Invite only. Luckily, Kaelin, our favorite liaison from Davonport, managed to pull some strings to get us in. From there, we are on our own."
Titus nodded. "Besides the matrix, what else do we need?"
"Advanced hull plating. A stealth-capble sensor suite. A gravity stabilizer. And-" he paused, "a Mark VII tactical AI Core."
Titus frowned. "That is military grade. You are treading on dangerous territory, boy. Do you have any idea how many people would kill for that?"
Ezran whistled. "We will not be making a graceful exit, will we?"
"No, we will not" Leonidas admitted.