Soooooo. . . . what should I buy?

I made it through main game, but I haven’t bought anything yet. . .

What initial ship systems are must haves?
(note: that I don’t have any DLC yet. . . )

um, everything?
I like Ultraheavy armor, Fast Recharge and multiphasic shields, supercharged Cruiser engines, and zero-crew pods

LOL, with that honor, EVERYTHING!! modules, hulls, races, etc etc xD

Friends, love, self-confidence, honor, and respect are all premium commodities and probably for sale on Federation planets. You might not have enough, though.