CMA Heracles: Difference between revisions

|fleet=[[Battlegroup 4]]<ref name="enc270"/>

'''CMA ''Heracles''''' was a [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]-built {{Class|Hillsborough|destroyer}} in service with the [[Colonial Military Administration]].<ref name="he459"/><ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''page 67''</ref> ''Heracles'' was commanded by [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]] [[Maribeau Veredi]] and the [[destroyer]] served as the lead ship of [[Battlegroup 4]].<ref name="FoR99">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 96-99''</ref>

On [[2525#February|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 [[CMA Argo|''Argo'']] to investigate. The scout ship arrived in the system on [[2525#April|April 20, 2525]], but transmissions from ''Argo'' ended shortly after. As the issue became more serious, [[UNSC Fleet Command]] and the CMA sent [[Battlegroup 4]]—consisting of ''Heracles'', along with [[CMA Arabia|''Arabia'']] and [[CMA Vostok|''Vostok'']]—into the Epsilon Indi system to discover why the [[Colonial Administration Authority]] had lost contact with Harvest.<ref name="he459"/><ref name="FoR99"/>

''Heracles'' and the rest of Battlegroup 4 arriving in the system on [[2525#October|October 7, 2525]]. Upon traveling to Harvest, the crew of the destroyer discovered that the planet's once-verdant surface had been [[Glassing|destroyed]] and that ''Argo'' was missing.<ref name="FoR99"/> While at Harvest, ''Heracles'' recovered a [[RQ-XII drone]] left behind eight months earlier by {{UNSCShip|Walk of Shame}}, the [[sloop]] of [[Jilan al-Cygni]]—an [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] operative.<ref name="recovery">'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 391''</ref> The [[battle group]] soon detected a [[Covenant]] [[Covenant super-destroyer|super-destroyer]] in orbit over the planet. Following protocol,<ref name="FoR99"/> ''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.<ref>[http://www.halowars.com/gameinfo/timeline2.aspx '''Official Halo Wars Community Site''': ''Timeline'']</ref> After a brief exchange of fire that lasted less than fourteen seconds,<ref name="he459"/> ''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]].<ref name="FoR99"/> While the ship was repaired at Reach, the sensors logs of ''Heracles'' were analyzed to give [[Central Command]] some knowledge on their new enemy. Battlegroup 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.<ref name="he459"/>

File:FoR Battle group 4.png|The ''Heracles'' and [[Battlegroup 4]] orbit a glassed Harvest, shortly before the fleet's near-destruction.

File:TFoR AS - Harvest glassed.jpg|Battlegroup 4 discover Harvest's fate