{"data":{"id":16372,"title":"Empire Report: Stranded in Vanduul Space","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/16372-Empire-Report-Stranded-In-Vanduul-Space","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/16372","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/16372","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"News Update","images":[{"id":3014,"name":"EmpireReportLogo.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/922o8log1il1tr\/source\/EmpireReportLogo.jpg","alt":"","size":307443,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2015-02-17T23:08:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/3014","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/3014\/similar"},{"id":26463,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/weozjmuuh3hwh\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":843046,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-19T15:49:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463\/similar"},{"id":27892,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/w3o9r4zgppm77\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":900916,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2021-09-06T14:48:40+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892\/similar"}],"images_count":8,"translations":{"en_EN":"BECK: Welcome to Empire Report and thanks for joining us. I\u2019m Beck Russum.\n\nALAN: And I\u2019m Alan Nuevo. We begin today\u2019s show by turning our attention to the Vanduul front. While the public is often regaled with stories about high level accomplishments, the incredible, personal stories of the starmen tasked with protecting the Empire are often overlooked.\nBECK: Victoria Hutchins is in the Kilian System to bring us one such story detailing the incredible journey home for a UEE Navy combat pilot.\n\nVICTORIA: This massive hangar on Osha may not look like much, but for members of the military and their immediate family there\u2019s no sweeter spot in the UEE. It\u2019s here that one day each week, starmen step off transports, having completed their tour of duty in some of the most dangerous corners of the universe, to be reunited with their family. While these homecomings are typically filled with excited loved ones holding handmade signs, gracious government officials and even a military band, last night\u2019s return of Lieutenant Commander Liam Nealey was a much different affair.\nThe usual pageantry was put on hold, as a support ship that normally carries supplies pulled into this hangar with Lt. Commander Nealey aboard. Only his wife, Anaya, daughter, Gabija, and a few high-ranking military officials were present. This emotional homecoming was arranged specifically for the pilot, who only days earlier had survived the unimaginable \u2014 being trapped alone in Vanduul space.\nEmpire Report was granted an exclusive interview so that he could share his harrowing story.\nLIAM NEALEY: Thanks for having me. To be completely honest, at one point I never thought I\u2019d ever make it back here.\n\nVICTORIA: Lt. Commander Liam Nealey\u2019s incredible journey home might have ended safely in this hangar, but it began on the Vanduul front. A decorated fighter with hundreds of missions and dozens of confirmed kills under his belt, he knew an enemy encounter was possible when he launched from UEES Ammit.\nLIAM NEALEY: We\u2019d been tasked with doing a recon sweep. Military Intelligence wanted updates to their maps and the system was supposed to be uninhabited. Well, it wasn\u2019t. Turns out a small Clan had taken up residence and was chewing up resources. We ran into them as we were exiting the jump. I\u2019ve tussled with \u2019duul before, but something was different that day. They just had our number. Everywhere I turned, they met me and just hammered my shields. Outgunned, our flight didn\u2019t stand a chance.\n\nI knew I wouldn\u2019t last long once my shields were down, so I threw everything I had at \u2019em. There was one countermeasure left when my shields phased out. That\u2019s when I looped around and pointed my nose just below the wreckage of this Driller we\u2019d somehow managed to knock out.\n\nI really didn\u2019t think about what I was doing. It was all adrenaline and instinct.\n\nThankfully, I timed it right. I juked left, dropped that last chaff and hit eject, hoping they\u2019d lose me in the lightshow. Didn\u2019t even look back to see my ship actually crash, just kept moving until I got inside that destroyed Vanduul ship.\n\nVICTORIA: Unsure if he\u2019d appear on Vanduul scans, Lt. Commander Nealey avoided sending a distress call right away. Instead, he relied on tactics learned during Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training to stay alive. He kept moving, and most importantly, tried to control his breathing.\nLIAM NEALEY: It\u2019s much harder to do when you\u2019re moving through a blasted Vanduul cap ship. Can\u2019t tell you how many corners I turned to come face-to-face with a dead \u2019duul. Never been so close to one before and hopefully never will again. I\u2019ll tell you, I don\u2019t know how the Marines do it.\n\nVICTORIA: When Lt. Commander Nealey felt confident he wasn\u2019t being tracked, he shifted focus to the next step, getting rescued.\nLIAM NEALEY: I sent out a distress call, but no one responded. That meant that everyone was either too preoccupied saving their own hide or gone. Only way to know for sure was to look.\n\nVICTORIA: Nealey risked venturing back out into open space. What he saw confirmed his worst fears.\nLIAM NEALEY: There was wreckage everywhere, but that was it. The battle was over and I was alone.\n\nThis wave of panic washed over me. That was the moment I never thought I\u2019d see my family again. The Ammit was an entire system away and there was no way to let them know what happened. It\u2019d be hours before my squad was officially deemed overdue and a rescue party organized.\n\nThankfully, my training took over. Some quick math proved what I already suspected. My suit didn\u2019t have enough oxygen to survive until the search party reached the system.\n\nVICTORIA: Lt. Commander Nealey found himself in a catch-22. He needed oxygen to survive, but the exertion of searching only used more of it. Slowly, he EVAed through the debris looking for any O2 that had survived the destruction.\nLIAM NEALEY: Wreckage of ships blown to bits kinda looks the same too. Sometimes I\u2019d waste precious time EVAing to a debris field only to discover it\u2019s a Vanduul ship.\n\nVICTORIA: Nealey didn\u2019t have much luck finding O2 floating amidst the wreckage, forcing the task to take a macabre turn.\nLIAM NEALEY: The one place I knew I could find O2 was \u2026 well, attached to other flight suits. Finding fallen starmen became my priority. It was hard to inspect the remains of pilots I\u2019d trained and grown close to. I logged their name, ranks and exact location. That way, if I survived, I could ensure they made it home too.\n\nVICTORIA: As Lt. Commander Nealey systematically searched the debris field, his oxygen supply slowly ticked away. The little O2 he found added precious minutes to his life but he was still running out of time.\nLIAM NEALEY: I thought about stopping my search to focus on conserving O2, but it still wouldn\u2019t last until a rescue party mobilized. I was growing desperate and drew more and more deep breaths to stay calm.\n\nThat\u2019s when I saw this Gladius in pretty good shape floating in the distance. The hull was riddled with plasma fire but from what I could tell, the cockpit seemed mostly intact. I took a risk and EVAed further out than was probably smart. As I approached, I noticed the canopy was open but the cockpit and console were in one piece.\n\nVICTORIA: Nealey climbed in the cockpit and closed the canopy. Knowing his life was on the line, he took a moment and then began to activate the life support systems.\nLIAM NEALEY: My heart almost exploded out of my chest when it sprung life. Don\u2019t know what I would\u2019ve done if it hadn\u2019t fired up.\n\nVICTORIA: Miraculously, it did. The life support system cycled O2 into his suit.\nLIAM NEALEY: Everything hit me at once in that moment. The realization that I might survive just about overwhelmed me. Don\u2019t know what I did to get so lucky.\n\nVICTORIA: Lt. Commander Nealey stayed in the cockpit, patiently waiting until he knew a rescue party would be dispatched. He factored in the time it\u2019d take them to launch, travel to the jump point and traverse it. He feared that sending a distress signal too soon would attract the Vanduul, who are known to return to battle sites to scavenge resources.\nLIAM NEALEY: Thankfully, I timed it right. They weren\u2019t in the system long before I sent my first distress call. Seeing that rescue party drop outta quantum in front of me was one of the best moments of my life. It meant that I was going to make it home.\n\nVICTORIA: And home is exactly where Lt. Commander Nealey is right now. After being rescued, he helped locate the bodies of starmen found during his search. His valor earned praise from High Command, who granted him a temporary leave to rest and recuperate with his family.\nAs for his future, Naval officials have offered him a teaching position at the academy, and though he claims to have not made an official decision, when asked about his plans, Nealey\u2019s eyes sprang to life.\nLIAM NEALEY: Well, what I can say, right now, is that our mission against the Vanduul isn\u2019t over, and I\u2019m obviously not one to give up.\n\nVICTORIA: I\u2019m Victoria Hutchins reporting from Osha. Back to you, Alan and Beck.\nBECK: Thanks, Victoria.\n\nALAM: What an incredible story.\nBECK: Absolutely. On behalf of a grateful Empire, thank you for your bravery, Lt. Commander Nealey.\n\nALAN: We need to take a quick break. Coming up, we\u2019ll head to the Ellis System with sports reporter Colt Legrande to get the lowdown on a few new rules and regulations for this year\u2019s Murray Cup. That and more when Empire Report returns.","de_DE":"BECK: Willkommen beim Empire Report und danke, dass Sie sich uns angeschlossen haben. Ich bin Beck Russum.\n\nALAN: Und ich bin Alan Nuevo. Wir beginnen die heutige Show damit, dass wir unsere Aufmerksamkeit auf die Vanduul-Front richten. W\u00e4hrend die \u00d6ffentlichkeit oft mit Geschichten \u00fcber hochrangige Leistungen verw\u00f6hnt wird, werden die unglaublichen, pers\u00f6nlichen Geschichten der Starmen, die mit dem Schutz des Imperiums betraut sind, oft \u00fcbersehen.\nBECK: Victoria Hutchins ist im Kilian-System, um uns eine solche Geschichte zu bringen, die die unglaubliche Heimreise eines UEE-Navy-Kampfpiloten beschreibt.\n\nVICTORIA: Dieser riesige Hangar auf Osha sieht vielleicht nicht nach viel aus, aber f\u00fcr Milit\u00e4rangeh\u00f6rige und ihre unmittelbare Familie gibt es keinen s\u00fc\u00dferen Ort in der UEE. Hier verlassen die Starm\u00e4nner eines Tages jede Woche die Transporte, nachdem sie ihre Dienstzeit in einigen der gef\u00e4hrlichsten Ecken des Universums beendet haben, um mit ihrer Familie wieder vereint zu sein. W\u00e4hrend diese Heimkehrereien typischerweise mit begeisterten Lieben gef\u00fcllt sind, die handgemachte Schilder, g\u00fctige Regierungsbeamte und sogar eine Milit\u00e4rkapelle halten, war die R\u00fcckkehr von Lieutenant Commander Liam Nealey gestern Abend eine ganz andere Angelegenheit.\nDer \u00fcbliche Pomp wurde auf Eis gelegt, als ein Hilfsschiff, das normalerweise Vorr\u00e4te transportiert, mit Lt. Commander Nealey an Bord in diesen Hangar gezogen wurde. Nur seine Frau, Anaya, Tochter Gabija und einige hochrangige Milit\u00e4rbeamte waren anwesend. Diese emotionale Heimkehr wurde speziell f\u00fcr den Piloten arrangiert, der erst wenige Tage zuvor das Unvorstellbare \u00fcberlebt hatte - allein im Vanduuler Raum gefangen zu sein.\nEmpire Report erhielt ein exklusives Interview, damit er seine ersch\u00fctternde Geschichte erz\u00e4hlen konnte.\nLIAM NEALEY: Danke, dass ich kommen durfte. Um ganz ehrlich zu sein, an einem Punkt h\u00e4tte ich nie gedacht, dass ich es jemals wieder hierher schaffen w\u00fcrde.\n\nVICTORIA: Lieutenant Commander Liam Nealeys unglaubliche Heimreise mag in diesem Hangar sicher beendet worden sein, aber sie begann an der Vanduul-Front. Als dekorierter K\u00e4mpfer mit Hunderten von Missionen und Dutzenden von best\u00e4tigten Morden unter seinem G\u00fcrtel wusste er, dass eine feindliche Begegnung m\u00f6glich war, als er von UEES Ammit aus startete.\nLIAM NEALEY: Wir wurden beauftragt, eine Aufkl\u00e4rungssuche durchzuf\u00fchren. Der milit\u00e4rische Geheimdienst wollte Aktualisierungen ihrer Karten und das System sollte unbewohnt sein. Nun, das war es nicht. Es stellte sich heraus, dass ein kleiner Clan seinen Wohnsitz genommen hatte und Ressourcen aufbrauchte. Wir trafen sie, als wir den Sprung verlie\u00dfen. Ich habe mich schon einmal mit Duul angelegt, aber etwas war an diesem Tag anders. Sie hatten gerade unsere Nummer. \u00dcberall, wo ich mich umdrehte, trafen sie mich und schlugen einfach auf meine Schilde. Unterlegen, hatte unser Flug keine Chance.\n\nIch wusste, dass ich nicht lange durchhalten w\u00fcrde, wenn meine Schilde unten waren, also warf ich alles, was ich hatte, auf sie. Es gab noch eine Gegenma\u00dfnahme, als meine Schilde ausgingen. Dann schlang ich herum und zeigte meine Nase direkt unter das Wrack dieses Bohrers, das wir irgendwie herausgeschlagen hatten.\n\nIch habe wirklich nicht dar\u00fcber nachgedacht, was ich tue. Es war alles Adrenalin und Instinkt.\n\nGl\u00fccklicherweise habe ich es richtig getimt. Ich juked nach links, lie\u00df die letzte Spreu fallen und schlug auf den Auswurf, in der Hoffnung, dass sie mich in der Lichtshow verlieren w\u00fcrden. Ich blickte nicht einmal zur\u00fcck, um zu sehen, wie mein Schiff tats\u00e4chlich abst\u00fcrzte, sondern bewegte mich einfach weiter, bis ich in das zerst\u00f6rte Vanduul-Schiff kam.\n\nVICTORIA: Unsicher, ob er auf Vanduul-Scans erschienen w\u00e4re, vermied Lt. Commander Nealey es, sofort einen Notruf zu senden. Stattdessen verlie\u00df er sich auf Taktiken, die er w\u00e4hrend des \u00dcberlebens-, Ausweich-, Widerstands- und Fluchttrainings gelernt hatte, um am Leben zu bleiben. Er bewegte sich weiter und versuchte vor allem, seine Atmung zu kontrollieren.\nLIAM NEALEY: Es ist viel schwieriger zu tun, wenn man sich durch ein verfluchtes Vanduul-Kappenschiff bewegt. Ich kann dir nicht sagen, wie viele Ecken ich umgedreht habe, um mit einem toten Duul Auge in Auge zu sehen. Noch nie zuvor so nah an einem gewesen und hoffentlich auch nie wieder. Ich sage dir, ich wei\u00df nicht, wie die Marines das machen.\n\nVICTORIA: Als Lt. Commander Nealey sich sicher f\u00fchlte, dass er nicht verfolgt wurde, verlagerte er den Fokus auf den n\u00e4chsten Schritt und wurde gerettet.\nLIAM NEALEY: Ich habe einen Notruf ausgesandt, aber niemand hat geantwortet. Das bedeutete, dass jeder entweder zu sehr damit besch\u00e4ftigt war, seine eigene Haut zu retten oder weg war. Der einzige Weg, es mit Sicherheit zu wissen, war das Schauen.\n\nVICTORIA: Nealey riskierte, sich wieder ins Freie zu wagen. Was er sah, best\u00e4tigte seine schlimmsten \u00c4ngste.\nLIAM NEALEY: Es gab \u00fcberall Wracks, aber das war's. Der Kampf war vorbei und ich war allein.\n\nDiese Welle der Panik \u00fcberflutete mich. Das war der Moment, in dem ich nie gedacht h\u00e4tte, dass ich meine Familie wieder sehen w\u00fcrde. Der Ammit war ein ganzes System entfernt und es gab keine M\u00f6glichkeit, sie wissen zu lassen, was passiert war. Es dauerte Stunden, bis meine Truppe offiziell als \u00fcberf\u00e4llig galt und ein Rettungsteam organisiert wurde.\n\nGl\u00fccklicherweise hat mein Training die Arbeit \u00fcbernommen. Etwas schnelle Mathematik bewies, was ich bereits vermutete. Mein Anzug hatte nicht genug Sauerstoff, um zu \u00fcberleben, bis der Suchtrupp das System erreichte.\n\nVICTORIA: Lt. Commander Nealey befand sich in einem Catch-22. Er brauchte Sauerstoff, um zu \u00fcberleben, aber die Anstrengung des Suchens verbrauchte nur mehr davon. Langsam durchquerte er die Tr\u00fcmmer und suchte nach O2, das die Zerst\u00f6rung \u00fcberlebt hatte.\nLIAM NEALEY: Die Tr\u00fcmmer von Schiffen, die in St\u00fccke gerissen wurden, sehen auch irgendwie gleich aus. Manchmal vergeudete ich wertvolle Zeit damit, zu einem Tr\u00fcmmerfeld zu fahren, nur um herauszufinden, dass es sich um ein Vanduul-Schiff handelt.\n\nVICTORIA: Nealey hatte nicht viel Gl\u00fcck dabei, O2 inmitten der Tr\u00fcmmer zu finden, was die Aufgabe zwang, eine makabre Wendung zu nehmen.\nLIAM NEALEY: Der eine Ort, von dem ich wusste, dass ich O2 finden konnte, war... nun, er war an andere Fluganz\u00fcge gebunden. Die Suche nach gefallenen Sternenhimmeln wurde zu meiner Priorit\u00e4t. Es war schwer, die \u00dcberreste von Piloten zu inspizieren, die ich in der N\u00e4he ausgebildet und aufgewachsen hatte. Ich habe ihren Namen, ihre R\u00e4nge und ihren genauen Standort protokolliert. Auf diese Weise, wenn ich \u00fcberlebe, k\u00f6nnte ich sicherstellen, dass sie es auch nach Hause schaffen.\n\nVICTORIA: Als Oberleutnant Nealey das Tr\u00fcmmerfeld systematisch durchsuchte, tickte seine Sauerstoffversorgung langsam weg. Der kleine O2, den er fand, f\u00fcgte seinem Leben wertvolle Minuten hinzu, aber ihm ging die Zeit immer noch aus.\nLIAM NEALEY: Ich dachte dar\u00fcber nach, meine Suche zu stoppen, um mich auf die Erhaltung von O2 zu konzentrieren, aber es w\u00fcrde immer noch nicht lange dauern, bis ein Rettungsteam mobilisiert wurde. Ich wurde verzweifelt und atmete immer tiefer, um ruhig zu bleiben.\n\nDa sah ich diesen Gladius in ziemlich guter Form in der Ferne schweben. Der Rumpf war mit Plasmafeuer durchsetzt, aber soweit ich das beurteilen konnte, schien das Cockpit gr\u00f6\u00dftenteils intakt. Ich ging ein Risiko ein und EVAed weiter hinaus, als es wahrscheinlich klug war. Als ich mich n\u00e4herte, bemerkte ich, dass die Haube offen war, aber Cockpit und Konsole waren aus einem St\u00fcck.\n\nVICTORIA: Nealey kletterte ins Cockpit und schloss die Haube. Da er wusste, dass sein Leben auf dem Spiel stand, nahm er sich einen Moment Zeit und begann dann, die Lebenserhaltungssysteme zu aktivieren.\nLIAM NEALEY: Mein Herz ist fast aus meiner Brust explodiert, als es Leben ausl\u00f6ste. Ich wei\u00df nicht, was ich getan h\u00e4tte, wenn es nicht angeheizt worden w\u00e4re.\n\nVICTORIA: Wie durch ein Wunder hat es das getan. Das Lebenserhaltungssystem fuhr O2 in seinen Anzug.\nLIAM NEALEY: In diesem Moment hat mich alles auf einmal getroffen. Die Erkenntnis, dass ich vielleicht \u00fcberlebe, hat mich \u00fcberw\u00e4ltigt. Ich wei\u00df nicht, was ich getan habe, um so viel Gl\u00fcck zu haben.\n\nVICTORIA: Lt. Commander Nealey blieb im Cockpit und wartete geduldig, bis er wusste, dass ein Rettungsteam entsandt werden w\u00fcrde. Er ber\u00fccksichtigte die Zeit, die sie brauchen w\u00fcrden, um zu starten, zum Sprungpunkt zu reisen und ihn zu durchqueren. Er bef\u00fcrchtete, dass die Vanduul, die bekannterma\u00dfen an Kampfpl\u00e4tze zur\u00fcckkehren, um Ressourcen zu pl\u00fcndern, ein zu fr\u00fches Notsignal senden w\u00fcrden.\nLIAM NEALEY: Gl\u00fccklicherweise habe ich es richtig getimt. Sie waren nicht im System, lange bevor ich meinen ersten Notruf absetzte. Zu sehen, wie das Rettungsteam vor mir aus dem Quantum f\u00e4llt, war einer der besten Momente meines Lebens. Es bedeutete, dass ich es nach Hause schaffen w\u00fcrde.\n\nVICTORIA: Und zu Hause ist genau dort, wo Lt. Commander Nealey gerade ist. Nachdem er gerettet worden war, half er, die Leichen der Sternenh\u00fcter zu finden, die bei seiner Suche gefunden wurden. Seine Tapferkeit wurde vom Oberkommando gelobt, das ihm einen vor\u00fcbergehenden Urlaub gew\u00e4hrte, um sich mit seiner Familie zu erholen.\nWas seine Zukunft betrifft, so haben ihm Marineoffizielle einen Lehrauftrag an der Akademie angeboten, und obwohl er behauptet, keine offizielle Entscheidung getroffen zu haben, wurden Nealeys Augen, als er nach seinen Pl\u00e4nen gefragt wurde, zum Leben erweckt.\nLIAM NEALEY: Nun, was ich im Moment sagen kann, ist, dass unsere Mission gegen die Vanduul noch nicht beendet ist, und ich bin offensichtlich nicht einer, der aufgibt.\n\nVICTORIA: Ich bin Victoria Hutchins, die von Osha berichtet. Zur\u00fcck zu dir, Alan und Beck.\nBECK: Danke, Victoria.\n\nALAM: Was f\u00fcr eine unglaubliche Geschichte.\nBECK: Auf jeden Fall. Im Namen eines dankbaren Imperiums, danke f\u00fcr Ihren Mut, Lt. Commander Nealey.\n\nALAN: Wir m\u00fcssen eine kurze Pause machen. Als n\u00e4chstes gehen wir mit dem Sportreporter Colt Legrande zum Ellis System, um uns \u00fcber ein paar neue Regeln und Vorschriften f\u00fcr den diesj\u00e4hrigen Murray Cup zu informieren. Das und mehr, wenn der Empire Report zur\u00fcckkommt.","zh_CN":"BECK: Welcome to Empire Report and thanks for joining us. I\u2019m Beck Russum.\n\nALAN: And I\u2019m Alan Nuevo. We begin today\u2019s show by turning our attention to the Vanduul front. While the public is often regaled with stories about high level accomplishments, the incredible, personal stories of the starmen tasked with protecting the Empire are often overlooked.\nBECK: Victoria Hutchins is in the Kilian System to bring us one such story detailing the incredible journey home for a UEE Navy combat pilot.\n\nVICTORIA: This massive hangar on Osha may not look like much, but for members of the military and their immediate family there\u2019s no sweeter spot in the UEE. It\u2019s here that one day each week, starmen step off transports, having completed their tour of duty in some of the most dangerous corners of the universe, to be reunited with their family. While these homecomings are typically filled with excited loved ones holding handmade signs, gracious government officials and even a military band, last night\u2019s return of Lieutenant Commander Liam Nealey was a much different affair.\nThe usual pageantry was put on hold, as a support ship that normally carries supplies pulled into this hangar with Lt. Commander Nealey aboard. Only his wife, Anaya, daughter, Gabija, and a few high-ranking military officials were present. This emotional homecoming was arranged specifically for the pilot, who only days earlier had survived the unimaginable \u2014 being trapped alone in Vanduul space.\nEmpire Report was granted an exclusive interview so that he could share his harrowing story.\nLIAM NEALEY: Thanks for having me. To be completely honest, at one point I never thought I\u2019d ever make it back here.\n\nVICTORIA: Lt. Commander Liam Nealey\u2019s incredible journey home might have ended safely in this hangar, but it began on the Vanduul front. A decorated fighter with hundreds of missions and dozens of confirmed kills under his belt, he knew an enemy encounter was possible when he launched from UEES Ammit.\nLIAM NEALEY: We\u2019d been tasked with doing a recon sweep. Military Intelligence wanted updates to their maps and the system was supposed to be uninhabited. Well, it wasn\u2019t. Turns out a small Clan had taken up residence and was chewing up resources. We ran into them as we were exiting the jump. I\u2019ve tussled with \u2019duul before, but something was different that day. They just had our number. Everywhere I turned, they met me and just hammered my shields. Outgunned, our flight didn\u2019t stand a chance.\n\nI knew I wouldn\u2019t last long once my shields were down, so I threw everything I had at \u2019em. There was one countermeasure left when my shields phased out. That\u2019s when I looped around and pointed my nose just below the wreckage of this Driller we\u2019d somehow managed to knock out.\n\nI really didn\u2019t think about what I was doing. It was all adrenaline and instinct.\n\nThankfully, I timed it right. I juked left, dropped that last chaff and hit eject, hoping they\u2019d lose me in the lightshow. Didn\u2019t even look back to see my ship actually crash, just kept moving until I got inside that destroyed Vanduul ship.\n\nVICTORIA: Unsure if he\u2019d appear on Vanduul scans, Lt. Commander Nealey avoided sending a distress call right away. Instead, he relied on tactics learned during Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training to stay alive. He kept moving, and most importantly, tried to control his breathing.\nLIAM NEALEY: It\u2019s much harder to do when you\u2019re moving through a blasted Vanduul cap ship. Can\u2019t tell you how many corners I turned to come face-to-face with a dead \u2019duul. Never been so close to one before and hopefully never will again. I\u2019ll tell you, I don\u2019t know how the Marines do it.\n\nVICTORIA: When Lt. Commander Nealey felt confident he wasn\u2019t being tracked, he shifted focus to the next step, getting rescued.\nLIAM NEALEY: I sent out a distress call, but no one responded. That meant that everyone was either too preoccupied saving their own hide or gone. Only way to know for sure was to look.\n\nVICTORIA: Nealey risked venturing back out into open space. What he saw confirmed his worst fears.\nLIAM NEALEY: There was wreckage everywhere, but that was it. The battle was over and I was alone.\n\nThis wave of panic washed over me. That was the moment I never thought I\u2019d see my family again. The Ammit was an entire system away and there was no way to let them know what happened. It\u2019d be hours before my squad was officially deemed overdue and a rescue party organized.\n\nThankfully, my training took over. Some quick math proved what I already suspected. My suit didn\u2019t have enough oxygen to survive until the search party reached the system.\n\nVICTORIA: Lt. Commander Nealey found himself in a catch-22. He needed oxygen to survive, but the exertion of searching only used more of it. Slowly, he EVAed through the debris looking for any O2 that had survived the destruction.\nLIAM NEALEY: Wreckage of ships blown to bits kinda looks the same too. Sometimes I\u2019d waste precious time EVAing to a debris field only to discover it\u2019s a Vanduul ship.\n\nVICTORIA: Nealey didn\u2019t have much luck finding O2 floating amidst the wreckage, forcing the task to take a macabre turn.\nLIAM NEALEY: The one place I knew I could find O2 was \u2026 well, attached to other flight suits. Finding fallen starmen became my priority. It was hard to inspect the remains of pilots I\u2019d trained and grown close to. I logged their name, ranks and exact location. That way, if I survived, I could ensure they made it home too.\n\nVICTORIA: As Lt. Commander Nealey systematically searched the debris field, his oxygen supply slowly ticked away. The little O2 he found added precious minutes to his life but he was still running out of time.\nLIAM NEALEY: I thought about stopping my search to focus on conserving O2, but it still wouldn\u2019t last until a rescue party mobilized. I was growing desperate and drew more and more deep breaths to stay calm.\n\nThat\u2019s when I saw this Gladius in pretty good shape floating in the distance. The hull was riddled with plasma fire but from what I could tell, the cockpit seemed mostly intact. I took a risk and EVAed further out than was probably smart. As I approached, I noticed the canopy was open but the cockpit and console were in one piece.\n\nVICTORIA: Nealey climbed in the cockpit and closed the canopy. Knowing his life was on the line, he took a moment and then began to activate the life support systems.\nLIAM NEALEY: My heart almost exploded out of my chest when it sprung life. Don\u2019t know what I would\u2019ve done if it hadn\u2019t fired up.\n\nVICTORIA: Miraculously, it did. The life support system cycled O2 into his suit.\nLIAM NEALEY: Everything hit me at once in that moment. The realization that I might survive just about overwhelmed me. Don\u2019t know what I did to get so lucky.\n\nVICTORIA: Lt. Commander Nealey stayed in the cockpit, patiently waiting until he knew a rescue party would be dispatched. He factored in the time it\u2019d take them to launch, travel to the jump point and traverse it. He feared that sending a distress signal too soon would attract the Vanduul, who are known to return to battle sites to scavenge resources.\nLIAM NEALEY: Thankfully, I timed it right. They weren\u2019t in the system long before I sent my first distress call. Seeing that rescue party drop outta quantum in front of me was one of the best moments of my life. It meant that I was going to make it home.\n\nVICTORIA: And home is exactly where Lt. Commander Nealey is right now. After being rescued, he helped locate the bodies of starmen found during his search. His valor earned praise from High Command, who granted him a temporary leave to rest and recuperate with his family.\nAs for his future, Naval officials have offered him a teaching position at the academy, and though he claims to have not made an official decision, when asked about his plans, Nealey\u2019s eyes sprang to life.\nLIAM NEALEY: Well, what I can say, right now, is that our mission against the Vanduul isn\u2019t over, and I\u2019m obviously not one to give up.\n\nVICTORIA: I\u2019m Victoria Hutchins reporting from Osha. Back to you, Alan and Beck.\nBECK: Thanks, Victoria.\n\nALAM: What an incredible story.\nBECK: Absolutely. On behalf of a grateful Empire, thank you for your bravery, Lt. Commander Nealey.\n\nALAN: We need to take a quick break. Coming up, we\u2019ll head to the Ellis System with sports reporter Colt Legrande to get the lowdown on a few new rules and regulations for this year\u2019s Murray Cup. That and more when Empire Report returns."},"links_count":0,"comment_count":29,"created_at":"2018-01-17T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"8 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 23:33:44","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":16369,"next_id":16373}}