Editing Cairo Station (station)

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*[[Class-3_Bumblebee|SKT-9 Bumblebee]] lifeboats{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}}

|battles=[[Battle of Earth]]

|affiliation=[[UNSC]]  

'''''Cairo Station''''', [[hull classification symbol]] '''OWP-142''', is an [[orbital defense platform]] in [[geosynchronous orbit]] about 35,900 kilometers above [[Earth]]. Named after the [[Egypt]]ian city of [[Wikipedia:Cairo|Cairo]], it is in the same battle cluster as ''[[Athens Station|Athens]]'' and ''[[Malta Station|Malta]]'' stations and seems to be mainly guarding the area above the [[Wikipedia:Mediterranean|Mediterranean]].<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''', ''page 294'' (2011 edition)</ref> The station was commanded by [[Terrence Hood|Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood]] during the [[Battle of Earth]].<ref name="cairo">'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Cairo Station]]''</ref>

''Cairo Station'' was assembled and put into [[Earth]]'s orbit by [[Vosper Engineering]] in August 23, 2550, and officially commissioned on September 14, 2552 when it was designated as the flagship headquarters of the [[Earth Defense Coordination Zone]]{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}}. In preparation for the inevitable [[Battle for Earth]], [[Fleet Admiral]] [[Joseph Harper]] had {{UNSCShip|Chevalier}} deploy a security team to the station to facilitate the arrival of Fleet Admiral [[Terrence Hood]]. The security team was later assessed before Hood arrived.<ref name="loot2">'''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]''', ''[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #2]]''</ref>

On [[2552#October|October 20, 2552]], [[John-117]] received the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|MJOLNIR Mark VI armor]] in the ''Cairo'' armory prior to attending an awards ceremony on the station's command center. The ceremony was interrupted by the start of the battle for Earth when thirteen [[Covenant]] {{Class|CCS|battlecruiser}}s and two {{Class|CAS|assault carrier}}s attacked Earth. They tried to break through the ''Cairo'''s battle cluster by sending boarding craft to plant bombs on the stations to destroy them. [[Terrence Hood|Fleet Admiral Hood]] commanded the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] forces from the station during the attack. Unlike the ''[[Athens Station|Athens]]'' and the ''[[Malta Station|Malta]]'', ''Cairo'' survived the Covenant attempt to detonate an [[antimatter charge]] on board. In an ironic twist, the bomb was located and used by John-117 to destroy a Covenant assault carrier.{{Ref/Reuse|cairo}}

Hood remained aboard the station for most of the battle. Hood and a navigation officer aboard ''Cairo'' helped [[Blue Team]] hijack [[Covenant destroyer]] ''[[Bloodied Spirit]]'' and jump into slipspace for [[Onyx]] by providing [[slipstream space]] coordinates and other intel.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''pages 211-220''</ref> When John-117 returned later to Earth, ''Cairo'' was still intact, but appeared damaged from the battle. Lord Hood was still on board and in command of the UNSC forces participating in the Battle of Earth.<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[The Great Journey#Ending|The Great Journey]]''</ref> The ''Cairo'', the other MAC platforms, and three [[UNSC fleet]]s held firm against the onslaught of the [[Prophet of Truth]]'s Covenant forces. ''Cairo'' ultimately survived the Battle of Earth.

By [[2557#July|July of 2557]], ''Cairo Station'' was still functioning in orbit over Earth. After {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} left the [[Epoloch system]], the vessel intended to dock with ''Cairo''.<ref>'''[[Halo 4]]''', campaign level ''[[Shutdown]]'' (Interactive console: ''"Information for all hands regarding Infinity return voyage to Cairo Station, Earth..."'')</ref>

[[File:HWF CairoCS.png|thumb|300px|left|A cross-sectioned view of Cairo Station.]]

''Cairo Station''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s main purpose is as a defensive station for Earth.{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}} Its main armament is a [[MAC#"Super" Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|Mark V "Super" Magnetic Accelerator Cannon]], capable of causing severe damage to even a shielded [[Covenant]] capital ship with a single hit, and is capable of being operated by an AI such as [[Cortana]].{{Ref/Reuse|armory}} However, there is an apparent lack of point-defense systems, as enemy boarding craft were able to attack the station unhindered. Presumably, like Reach's orbital weapon platforms, it runs on power transmitted from a [[orbital defense generator|planetside generator]].

Internally, it is very similar to [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] ships with set out decks and specialized rooms. Like all United Nations Space Command space constructs it featured regular bulkheads for protection against hull breaches but seemed especially adept for fending off boarding parties. It had large stockpiles of [[combat barrier]]s, large supplies of [[M247 General Purpose Machine Gun|M247 GPMGs]], security booths providing defense points and regular weapons lockers in the walls containing [[BR55 Battle Rifle|Battle Rifles]] and [[M7/Caseless Submachine Gun|SMGs]]. It is possible that these weapons are a substitute for point defenses. These extra defenses against boarding parties are an obvious precaution, as the ODPs like the Cairo would be large targets for Covenant forces. Unlike the ''Athens'' or the ''Malta'', the ''Cairo<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' hangars were outfitted to support [[D77-TC Pelican|Pelican dropships]] and [[F-41 Broadsword|F-41D Broadswords]] fighters.{{Ref/Reuse|Warfleet}}

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*Athens, Malta, and Cairo were all cities involved in the 1985 hijacking of [[Wikipedia:EgyptAir Flight 648|EgyptAir Flight 648]], which was en route to Cairo from Athens and forced to land in Malta.

File:WF Cairo.jpg

File:H2_EarlyCairoStation.jpg|A work-in-progress model of ''Cairo'' early in ''Halo 2''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s development.

File:CairoStationCallouts.jpg|A diagram of ''Cairo''.

File:H2A_CairoBridge_Concept.jpg|Paintover of the previous image used for ''Halo 2: Anniversary'' concept art.

File:H2ACampaign CairoFireControl2.png|A view of ''Cairo Station'''s primary firing mechanism.

File:H2-SMACODP-CairoStation.jpg|Full view of the "Super" MAC Orbital Defense Platform Cairo Station.

File:H2AWeaponrack.jpg|John-117 engages an [[Unggoy Minor]] near one of the many weapon racks onboard Cairo Station.

File:H2A-pavel-belov-cairo-external.jpg|Concept art of ''Cairo'''s exterior in Halo 2: Anniversary.

File:Cairo station Alarm screen.png|Cairo Station alarm screen.