UNSC Las Vegas

The UNSC Las Vegas was a UNSC Destroyer that was involved in the Callisto Incident, which effectively marked the beginning of the Insurrection.

Prelude to the Callisto Incident
Shortly after 2490 the corvette was captured by insurgents, its entire crew was murdered and computer system gutted and replaced. In response, the UNSC sent a battle group of three light destroyers - the UNSC Las Vegas, and  - to hunt down the Callisto. Their crews were inexperienced and the weapons were, so far, untested.

Confrontation
On March 2, 2494, the battle group confronted the Callisto in the 26 Draconis System. The UNSC destroyers fired six of their seven Ares missiles. In response the Insurrectionists maneuvered behind an asteroid, on which a nuclear warhead planted beforehand then detonated in the direction of the battle group. The Buenos Aires was destroyed and the other two destroyers were severely damaged. The entire bridge crew of the Las Vegas, including Captain Harold Lewis, Commander Rinkishale, and Lieutenant Taylor were killed; with the exceptions of Lieutenant Jorgenson, who was left unconscious and wounded, and Second Lieutenant Preston Cole, who was unharmed. As the last remaining active bridge officer, Cole took command of the Las Vegas.

Cole signaled the Callisto, declaring their surrender. However, unknown to the Callisto, he ordered the crewmen to remove Las Vegas's last Ares missile from its silo and transport it to Cargo Bay 5. When the Callisto docked with the Las Vegas at Cargo Bay 5 the missile was fired directly into the corvette, crippling it and forcing its surrender.

Trivia

 * The Las Vegas is almost certainly named after the city in Nevada, United States of America.