7th Shock Troops Battalion

7th Shock Troops Battalion
Affiliation:	United Nations Space Command
Branch:	UNSC Marine Corps 105th Shock Troops Division;
Type:	Shock infantry battalion
Role:	Locate, close with and destroy the enemy with fire and maneuver
Size:	800 - 1,000 Marines
Engagements:	Battle of Reach Battle of Viery; ; Battle of Earth Battle of Mombasa; ; Battle of Installation 05; Battle of Installation 00;
Notable commanders:	CDR Miranda Keyes (de facto); SgtMaj Avery Johnson (de facto);

The 7th Shock Troops Battalion is a formation of the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers that served during the closing stages of the Human-Covenant War.^[1] It is subordinate to the 105th Shock Troops Division.^[2]

History

Reach

Main article: Battle at Szurdok Ridge

The 7th Battalion served during the Fall of Reach in summer 2552. On August 12 the battalion operated as part of a large joint task force that countered Covenant deployments in the Viery Territory, where it served in the northern region.^[2]^[3]

Mombasa

Main article: Battle of Mombasa

On October 20, 2552, members of the 7th Battalion assigned to the frigate UNSC In Amber Clad were deployed to the Kenyan city of Mombasa in an attempt to board Solemn Penance, the flagship of the invading forces; their mission was to capture the Prophet of Regret, a member of the Covenant's triumvirate of Hierarchs. A D77-TC Pelican carrying part of this strike team was shot down by a Scarab assault platform in the city's older district, forcing the surviving occupants to take cover in the nearby Hotel Zanzibar. They were soon rescued by Spartan John-117 and aided the Spartan in destroying the Scarab.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Installation 05

Main article: Battle of Installation 05

On November 2, after In Amber Clad arrived at Halo Installation 05 in pursuit of the Prophet of Regret's flagship, members of First Platoon of an unidentified company were deployed to the surface of the installation to capture the Prophet. After securing a landing zone on a remote island , some of the remaining members of First Platoon escorted John-117 as the Spartan moved toward the Prophet's location. Though the Spartan assassinated the Prophet of Regret, the ODSTs were killed en route to the target.

Over the next two days, most of In Amber Clad's 7th Battalion contingent were killed by either the Covenant or the Flood. However, it is possible that some escaped back to Earth with the assistance of their newfound Sangheili allies, as did Commander Miranda Keyes and Sergeant Major Avery Johnson.^[7]

Installation 00

Main article: Battle of Installation 00

On December 11, 2552, troopers of the 7th Battalion were deployed to the surface of the Ark to destroy an array of Covenant anti-aircraft artillery platforms that were overlooking a desert sea. The destruction of these emplacements allowed the frigate Forward Unto Dawn to land near the Cartographer building.^[8]

During the Battle of the Citadel (the final battle of the war) the 7th Battalion breached the Covenant's armor and artillery defenses. They assisted SPARTAN-117 and Sergeant Major Johnson in shutting down the shield generator stations protecting the Citadel; meanwhile, the Sangheili assault carrier Shadow of Intent provided air cover and distracted enemy forces from the joint human-Sangheili offensive by firing on the shield with her plasma torpedoes. After their primary objective was complete the allied forces entered the citadel canyon, defeating the remaining hostiles (including a pair of Type-47B Scarabs). This allowed the Spartan and Arbiter Thel 'Vadam to push inside and kill the Prophet of Truth, dissolving the Covenant.^[9]

Trivia

The name of the battalion is an obvious reference to the number seven.
The 7th Battalion's unit patch was intended to be displayed on the ODSTs' battle dress in Halo 2, though this was not implemented in-game.^[1] A heavily weathered version appears on the ODST NPC model in Halo 3.