UNSC Iroquois

"Alea iacta Est (The Die is Cast)"

- The ship's motto

The UNSC Iroquois (hull classification symbol DD-906) was a Halberd-class destroyer in-commission with the UNSC Navy during the Human-Covenant War. Commissioned in April 2552, Iroquois would be the first ship to respond to the converging Covenant fleet en-route to Sigma Octanus IV on July 17th, 2552. Her first commanding officer was Jacob Keyes who executed the famed "Keyes Loop" maneuver; his exemplary performance would lead him to be reassigned as commander of the. Iroquois served much of her career during the war with the Leviathan battlegroup.

Specifications
The Iroquois was outfitted with a spinal-mounted, twin-linked, 1170mm/647mm high-velocity coilguns, 26 oversized Archer missile pods, and three Shiva-class nuclear missiles.

The Iroquois was covered with two meters of Titanium-A battleplating and Vanadium steel alloy. It was painted with non-regulation, red war stripes painted on each side of the name "Iroquois," a reference to the Native American tribe of the same name. The ship also features a circular shaped bridge. Commander Keyes approved of the war stripes painted on the ship, but intended to have them removed anyway. Both stripes would be damaged during the Keyes Loop. The commanding officer of the repair ship offered to repaint them for Keyes, but refused the offer, choosing to leave the damage intact to display its battle history.

Early operations
The Iroquois was constructed at the UNSC shipyards orbiting Reach, and launched in April 2552. It was commanded by Commander Jacob Keyes.

During the Covenant invasion of Sigma Octanus IV, the Iroquois was the first initial force to respond to the attack. The Iroquois engaged on the Covenant fleet which consisted of one, one destroyer and two frigates. Though outnumbered, the Iroquois managed to destroy the Covenant destroyer and frigates using a decisive maneuver and a Shiva-class nuclear missile. The carrier avoided the engagement, headed groundside to deploy its Covenant ground forces and left the system. The Iroquois, still in orbit and badly damaged by the maneuver pulled off by Commander Keyes, deployed the SPARTAN-IIs to engage the Covenant forces on the surface of Sigma Octanus IV towards Cote d'Azur.

After the engagement, the Iroquois needed major repairs due to the damage it received; the ship needed to replacement for its underside armor, a full engine overhaul, 15% replacements of electronic systems, five new superconducting magnets, as well as a replenished supply of Archer missiles, MAC rounds and Shiva nuclear warheads. The ship was repaired on the Cradle that arrived at Sigma Octanus system along with a fleet led by Admiral Michael Stanforth. However, full repairs to the Iroquois were not possible as the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV began with the arrival of a larger Covenant fleet.

Battle of Sigma Octanus IV
The Iroquois participated in the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV, despite not being fully repaired. During the engagement, the Iroquois spotted a stealth ship in orbit above the planet and attempted to destroy it with a barrage of Archer missiles. The barrage missed its target when the alien ship jammed the missile guidance locks. In response, the Iroquois rammed the tiny craft, stopping Covenant ground forces from transmitting data from the planet's surface. With the Covenant ground operation foiled by Spartan Blue Team, the remaining Covenant vessels fled the system.

Shortly after the battle, the Iroquois was tagged by a Covenant spy probe, subsequently leading the Covenant to the colony and military stronghold of Reach. Captain Keyes and his bridge crew would be reassigned to the just prior to the invasion of Reach in August 2552.

Crew

 * Commander Jacob Keyes — Commanding Officer
 * Lieutenant Aki Hikowa — Weapons Officer
 * Lieutenant Hall — Operations Officer
 * Lieutenant Jaggers — Navigation Officer; relieved of post after Battle of Sigma Octanus IV
 * Lieutenant Dominique — Communications Officer
 * Ensign William Lovell — Navigation Officer

Trivia

 * The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee) is a group of native North Americans. It consists of six tribes situated mainly around the Great Lakes region of America and Canada.
 * The UNSC Iroquois shares its name with a 21st century guided missile destroyer of the Royal Canadian Navy, the HMCS Iroquois (DDG 280), and other historical North American vessels.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: Fall of Reach
 * Covenant