UNSC Iroquois

The UNSC Iroquois is a Destroyer. It was manufactured sometime in April of 2552. Three months after manufacturing, on July 17 of 2552, it was the first ship to respond to the Covenant attack on Sigma Octanus IV. It was subsequently involved in the ensuing battle, which lasted until July 18.

The ship is outfitted with 2 MAC cannons, 26 oversized Archer Missile pods, and 3 Shiva nuclear-tipped missiles. Covered with 2 meters of Titanium-A battleplating and Vanadium Steel alloy, as well as a red warstripe painted on each side.

The ship was commanded by Commander Jacob Keyes. He happened to be near Sigma Octanus IV when the Covenant were detected there. The Iroquois fought with four Covenant vessels: one carrier, one destroyer, and two frigates. Commander Keyes destroyed the Covenant destroyer and both Covenant frigates using a maneuver later called the Keyes Loop and a Shiva nuclear-tipped missile. Little did the Captain know but during his maneuver he scaped against the hull of the Covenant destroyer and lost all the 2 meter armor on the underside of his ship. The Covenant carrier deployed dropships and fled to Slipspace.

After this first encounter, although the Covenant hadn't landed a serious shot, the "Iroquois" was severly damaged. Apart from the missing 2 meters of battleplating on the underside, it needed a full engine overhaul, replacement of 15% of the electronic systems, replacement of 5 superconducting magnets, not to mention all the Archer Missles, MAC rounds and the nuclear supply of the ship. It was estimated that The Craddle could refit the ship in 30 hours but was interrupted half way through due to the arrival of a new Covenant fleet.

Commander Keyes later received a promotion to Captain. Then twenty Covenant ships dropped out of Slipspace and prepared to attack. The UNSC force was four dozen. The Iroquois , which had been severely damaged during the Keyes Loop, broke formation after the opening salvo and rammed a Covenant stealth corvette which was in the process of recieveing a secure transmission from their ground troops at Côte d' Azur. This transmission was partialy intercepted by Keyes before the ground troops cut it off.

As the battle came to a close, the Iroquois  was tagged by a Covenant Spy Probe and subsequently led the Covenant to the planet of Reach.

Historical Reference

 * The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee, also known as the League of Peace and Power, Five Nations, or Six Nations) is a group of First Nations/Native Americans. It was originally made up of five tribes: The Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, and the Seneca. A sixth tribe, the Tuscarora, joined after the original five nations were formed. They are also sometimes called the people of the Long house. They are often referred to as Iroquois, a term that some members of the group consider derogatory.