Battle over Installation 07

The Battle over Installation 07 was an engagement that took place on December 12, 2559, between the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and the Banished. The battle was a major engagement, ultimately resulting in the scattering of both UNSC and Banished forces on Installation 07, leading to a protracted conflict on the ring.

Background
In October, 2558, the Created conflict begun, with the leader of the Created, Cortana, claiming the Mantle of Responsibility to enforce peace throughout the galaxy with the Guardian Custodes under her command. She made a general broadcast, inviting numerous species and factions to submit themselves to the guardianship of the Created, but threatened those who would resist her leadership with violence. Personally confronted by Cortana, the Jiralhanae Atriox, the leader of a group of mercenary raiders known as the Banished, declared his independence from Cortana, and thus, opposition against the Created. In a show of force for Atriox's defiance, Cortana commanded her Guardians to destroy the Jiralhanae homeworld Doisac while communicating with Atriox. Vowing revenge, Atriox led his Banished forces to Installation 07, where Cortana resided. Meanwhile, the, escorted by a fleet of six s, also traveled to Installation 07. The UNSC was to carry out a plan devised by Doctor Catherine Halsey: send John-117 to the surface of the ring and deploy the Weapon to lock down Cortana, then return her to the Infinity for deletion.

Battle
Upon arrival at Installation 07, the was attacked by the Banished. John-117 was on the bridge with Captain Lasky when their plan went awry. The Banished had ambushed the advance group of frigates and the Infinity, all the while sending occupation forces to the Ring's surface by the hundreds.

The Infinity had been prepared for a ground assault and was caught by surprise, with Lasky initially believing they'd been attacked by Guardians. Four Banished dreadnoughts attacked the supercarrier and overwhelmed its defenses. Several engines were taken offline within minutes of the opening salvo. Lasky ordered the deployment of the Weapon. One dreadnought rammed the dorsal hull, causing massive structural damage, prompting a general evacuation as Banished forces boarded the Infinity. John-117 left the bridge after the collision to repel the Banished boarding parties, but he returned after realizing that the enemy outnumbered the UNSC to escort Captain Lasky to a dropship. Lasky, accompanied by John-117 and several marines, linked up with the Spartan-IVs of Fireteam Taurus and proceeded to the hangar bays, which had been overrun by Banished forces.

Upon arriving at the hangar, John-117 ordered Spartan Hudson Griffin to take Lasky to a dropship while he covered their retreat. Lasky and Fireteam Taurus fought their way across the hangar until they came across a functioning Pelican. Griffin and the other members of Taurus refused to accompany Lasky in his dropship, electing to stay behind and assist with the rest of the evacuation. Once inside the ship, Lasky began issuing a general evacuation call, but was cut-off midsentence as his ship came under fire.

After ensuring Captain Lasky’s ship was away, Spartan Griffin and the rest of Fireteam Taurus organized the evacuation of the remaining Spartan-IVs, marines, and crew to the surface of Installation 07 under fire from Banished artillery. Dropships and lifepods fled the disintegrating Infinity, many being shot down seconds after exiting the vessel. The leader of the Banished, Atriox, boarded the Infinity and defeated Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 as he fought off Banished forces in the hangar bays before tossing him into space as the hangar was engulfed in flames. Upon hearing of the loss of the Master Chief, Fernando Esparza, a civilian engineering contractor, panicked and stole a Pelican, Echo 216, and fled from the doomed vessel.

The Spartans who made it to the ground began organizing to take out Banished artillery to ensure the safety of the incoming survivors. The Infinity suffered heavy damage and eventually started to come apart as she fell, crash-landing with the superstructure relatively intact on the ring's surface.

Aftermath
"We lost. Lost everything. There's nothing left for us here. I don't even know where here is."

- Echo 216's pilot to John-117.

The conflict resulted in extensive damage to Installation 07, as well as leaving Echo 216 and its pilot adrift near the installation. Additionally, the battle resulted in heavy casualties among personnel assigned to the, with the ship crash-landing on the ring. At some point, the ring was moved from the Ephsu system, alongside UNSC and Banished assets. Atriox was also presumed deceased by both the UNSC and the Banished, though he had in reality survived.

List of appearances

 * Halo Infinite
 * Halo: The Rubicon Protocol