When Balon Greyjoy first crowned himself King of the Iron Islands in 289 AC, the ironborn opened their rebellion by burning the Lannister fleet at anchor in Lannisport, and for a season the longships of the Iron Fleet raided the western coasts unchallenged. King Robert Baratheon answered by gathering the strength of the realm against the isles, and to his brother Stannis, Lord of Dragonstone and master of ships, fell the task of breaking the ironborn upon the water. Stannis is not remembered as a warm man nor a beloved one, but the maesters allow that he was a careful and relentless commander, and at Fair Isle he showed the whole of that cold cunning.
The Iron Fleet under Victarion Greyjoy, the Lord Reaper's brother and the finest sea captain in the isles, came out to give battle in the channel between Fair Isle and the mainland. There Stannis sprang the trap he had prepared. He divided his ships and let the ironborn drive between them, then closed his jaws upon the Iron Fleet from both sides and crushed it in the narrow water. The slaughter was very great; the ironborn, who had never been beaten at sea in living memory, saw their proudest ships broken and burned, and Victarion himself was fortunate to escape with his life. With the Iron Fleet destroyed, the seas passed to the Iron Throne, the isles could no longer be reinforced nor relieved, and the way lay open for Robert's host to cross and bring the war home to Pyke.