Keyes Loop: Difference between revisions

Arriving over [[Sigma Octanus IV]] in response to a possible impending Covenant attack, the [[UNSC destroyer|destroyer]] {{UNSCShip|Iroquois}}, under the command of Commander Keyes, found itself outmatched by the arrival of a Covenant battle group consisting of one [[Covenant carrier|carrier]], one {{Class|RPV|light destroyer}}, and two [[Covenant frigate|frigates]] (medium-sized support ships). They were only expecting four medium-sized ships.

Keyes resolved to attack by setting the ''Iroquois'' on a collision course for the destroyer at emergency acceleration while launching a nuclear warhead in what seemed to be the wrong direction. The two escorting frigates proceeded to launch one [[plasma torpedo]] each, but the ''Iroquois'' managed to evade by utilizing its [[emergency thruster]]s. Having missed their target, the plasma torpedoes came about and continued to track and home in on the UNSC warship.

The trailing ordnance was to prove critical to the success of Keyes' strategy. A last minute course correction allowed the ''Iroquois'' to merely graze the destroyer's shields rather than smash directly into the ship, resulting in the destruction of a large portion of the ''Iroquois''' armor (the collision tore through two meters of titanium armor, and subsequently breached every bottom deck of the ''Iroquois''). However, the tracking plasma torpedoes were unable to correct themselves for the sudden maneuver of their target and, consequently, hit the Covenant destroyer instead. A heavy salvo of [[Archer missile]]s sent the remainder of the Covenant warship to its destruction.

With the momentum built up during the first phase, the ''Iroquois'' performed a slingshot maneuver around the planet. Once safely away, the nuclear warhead deployed earlier was detonated, completely draining the shields of the two frigates. Having completed its orbit, the ''Iroquois'' resumed its attack and destroyed the two frigates with two heavy [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC]] rounds and hundreds of its remaining Archer missiles. Its escorts destroyed, the carrier disengaged and escaped from the system. Before leaving, it dropped 34 dropships and a [[Covenant stealth ship|stealth ship]] to continue the ground assault. Later, the carrier hailed the rest of the attack fleet to Sigma Octanus IV.