CMA Heracles

CMA Heracles was a UNSC-built in service with the Colonial Military Administration. Heracles was commanded by Captain Maribeau Veredi and the destroyer served as the lead ship of Battle Group 4.

Investigation of Harvest
On February 3, 2525, contact was lost with the Unified Earth Government Outer Colony of Harvest, in the Epsilon Indi system. In response, the Colonial Military Administration sent the scout ship Argo to investigate. The scout ship arrived in the system on April 20, 2525, but transmissions from Argo ended shortly after. As the issue became more serious, UNSC Fleet Command and the CMA sent Battle Group 4—consisting of Heracles, along with Arabia and Vostok—into the Epsilon Indi system to discover why the Colonial Administration Authority had lost contact with Harvest.

Heracles and the rest of Battle Group 4 arriving in the system on October 7, 2525. Upon traveling to Harvest, the crew of the destroyer discovered that the planet's once-verdant surface had been destroyed and that Argo was missing. While at Harvest, Heracles recovered a RQ-XII drone left behind eight months earlier by, the sloop of Jilan al-Cygni—an Office of Naval Intelligence operative. The battle group soon detected a Covenant super-destroyer in orbit over the planet. Following protocol, Heracles attempted to initiate communications with the ship. The super-destroyer responded by broadcasting the message: "Your destruction is the will of the gods, and we are their instrument", and then opened fire. After a brief exchange of fire that lasted less than fourteen seconds, Arabia and Vostok were destroyed and Heracles was forced to retreat. Due to the extensive damage it had taken during the skirmish, Heracles took several weeks to return to Reach in the Epsilon Eridani system. While the ship was repaired at Reach, the sensors logs of Heracles were analyzed to give Central Command some knowledge on their new enemy. Battle Group 4's contact with the super-destroyer eventually led to the Battle of Harvest, which resulted in a Pyrrhic UNSC victory and the destruction of the Covenant ship.

Trivia
The ship was named after Heracles, a legendary hero from Greek mythology.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo Wars: Genesis
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole
 * Halo: Fall of Reach
 * Boot Camp
 * Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series
 * Halo: Ground Command
 * Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo