Cairo Station

Cairo Station is the third level in Halo 2 taking place in Earth's orbit on the Cairo Station. The Master Chief and UNSC Marines fight against boarding Covenant troops culminating in a battle over a Elite-guarded bomb intended to destroy the station. This is the first level in which enemies are encountered.

Vehicles seen

 * Pelican
 * Longsword
 * Seraph
 * Covenant Boarding Craft
 * In Amber Clad

Weapons

 * Battle Rifle
 * Energy Sword
 * Pistol
 * Needler
 * Machine Gun Turret
 * Plasma Cannon
 * Plasma Pistol
 * Plasma Rifle
 * Shotgun
 * SMG
 * Plasma Grenade
 * Fragmentation Grenade
 * Thunderstorm Skull (Legendary Only)

Transcript
{Cutscene}

SPARTAN-117 and Sgt. Mjr. Johnson step from the tram into a crowd of cheering Marines, robot cameras hover around.

SPARTAN-117: "You told me there wouldn't be any cameras."

Sergeant Major Johnson: "And you told me you were gonna wear something nice! Folks need heroes, Chief. To give 'em hope! (raises cap, adjusts his hair, puts cap back on) So, smile, would ya? While we still got something to smile about."

Johnson and SPARTAN-117 walk to the end of the room, as the Bridge's blast doors open up.

The view changes to High Charity, where Jiralhanae walk the Sangheili Commander, Thel 'Vadamee, out onto a ledge on High Charity''. Covenant Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Mgalekgolo have gathered on the walkway.''

Unggoy: "He-re-tic! He-re-tic!"

They reach the ledge, we see the stadium seats filled with roaring Covenant aliens, and the Jiralhanae fix the Commander's arms onto floating cuffs.

Tartarus: "You've drawn quite a crowd."

Thel 'Vadamee: {Bitterly} "If they've come to hear me beg, they will be disappointed."

Tartarus: "Are you sure?"

The entire crowd cheers as energy beams hit 'Vadamee on either side, and he shakes with pain.

The view changes back to the Cairo's bridge, dozens of Naval officers cheer as SPARTAN-117 and Sergeant Johnson approach Lord Hood at the end. SPARTAN-117 and Johnson salute to Lord Hood.

Lord Hood: "Gentlemen, we're lucky to have you back." An officer whispers to Lord Hood's ear.

Lord Hood: "Go ahead, Cortana."

Cortana's avatar appears on a nearby holotank.

Cortana: "Another whisper, sir, near Io. We have probes en route."

Lord Hood: "I apologize, but we're going to have to make this quick."

Lord Hood turns away.

Cortana looks towards SPARTAN-117 and Johnson.

Cortana: "You look nice."

SPARTAN-117: "Thanks."

Sergeant Johnson: {simultaneously} "Thank you."

SPARTAN-117 and Johnson look at each other.

Lord Hood: "Sergeant Major, The Colonial Cross is awarded for acts of singular daring and devotion, for a soldier of the United Nations Space Command..."

 Hood places the medal on Johnson's uniform.

The view changes back to High Charity, on Tartarus' face.

Tartarus: "...There can be no greater heresy! Let him be an example for all who would break our Covenant!"

''The Covenant crowd cheers once more. Tartarus barks an order, and two Brutes grab onto 'Vadamee's now charred armor and pull.''

The view once again changes back to Cairo Station, as a young woman joins SPARTAN-117 and Johnson.

Lord Hood: "Commander Miranda Keyes. Your father's actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service. His bravery in the face of impossible odds reflects great credit, upon himself, and the UNSC. The Navy has lost one of its best."

Hood hands her the Colonial Cross medal.

''The view changes back to High Charity again, where a blackened Sangheili Combat helmet falls to the floor, and the naked 'Vadamee hangs limply from his restraints. A glowing brand rises from the floor behind him, and Tartarus grabs it and strides forward.''

''Thel 'Vadamee raises his head weakly. Tartarus gives him a fierce look, and presses the brand against the Elite's chest with malice. The tortured Thel 'Vadamee fights the pain but gives in and screams.''

The view once more changes back to Cairo Station, where alarms start to sound.

Cortana: "Slipspace ruptures directly off our battle cluster."

Lord Hood: "Show me."

Images of Covenant ships appears on a large screen.

Cortana: "Fifteen Covenant capital ships holding position just outside the kill zone."

The screen shows UNSC ships approaching the Covenant fleet.

Fleet Admiral Harper:{Over Speaker} "This is Fleet Admiral Harper. We are engaging the enemy."

Lord Hood: "Negative, Admiral. Form a defensive perimeter around the cluster." {to Miranda Keyes} "Commander, get to your ship, link up with the fleet."

Keyes salutes.

Commander Keyes: "Yes, sir." {leaves}

Lord Hood: "You have the MAC gun, Cortana. As soon as they come in range, open up."

Cortana: "Gladly."

Soon Cortana's avatar disappears.

Lord Hood: "Something's not right... The fleet that destroyed Reach was fifty times this size."

An Officer faces Lord Hood.

Officer: "Sir, additional contacts.(panicky) Boarding craft and lots of 'em!"

The view shifts back to the screen.

Lord Hood: "They're going to try to take our MAC guns offline, give their capital ships a straight shot at Earth. {Looks to SPARTAN-117} Master Chief, defend this station!"

SPARTAN-117: "Yes, sir." {to Johnson} "I need a weapon."

Sergeant Johnson: "Right this way."

''Johnson and SPARTAN-117 leave the bridge, as Lord Hood turns back to his command station. Through the bay windows looking up to the MAC cannon, the fleet turns to engage the Covenant attackers. Longsword fighters hurtle overhead trailed by huge UNSC cruisers.''

{Gameplay}

Cairo Defense Coordinator (Loudspeaker): "Alert! Boarders inbound"

Cairo Defense Coordinator (Loudspeaker): "All hands report to battle stations. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill!"

Sergeant Johnson (O.S.): "How's it going, Malta?"

Malta Defense Coordinator (O.S.): "Stand-by... they're latched! Check your targets and watch the crossfires."

Malta Defense Coordinator (O.S.): "They're in standard formation, little bastards up front, big ones in back...Good luck, Cairo."

Sergeant Johnson: "Field of fire on that bulkhead. As soon as that door opens, let 'em have it!"

''The Marines take up position around a sealed bulkhead. Johnson sets up a stationary gun turret. A bright light and crackling noise, like a welding torch, comes from the center of the door, and is soon followed by an explosion, where the door explodes and Covenant intruders appear.''

Glitches

 * It is possible to reach areas that are supposed to be inaccessible to the player in this level.
 * In the sub-level "Return to Sender", it is possible to be pushed through the wall. Simply stand in front of the moving firing pin. You will be pushed forward at an incredible speed directly into the wall. After running into the wall, you will be able to see the wall as it really is: a textured line that is infinitely thin. After seeing this, you will simply "squish" through the wall, and fall to your death to the level below.
 * It is possible to fall below the MAC gun's pump. If you try to jump on the middle of the MAC cannon at the end of the level, it will launch you out of the station and sometimes you will hit an invisible barrier stopping you from getting to the scenery.
 * If you kill the Drones as the elevator is rising, one of their bodies might get caught on the edge of the elevator and look as if it's falling indefinitely.
 * It is possible to see the outside of a Covenant boarding craft on this level up close. Just before you enter the first elevator, use one of the structures near the edge to jump to a lower ledge, and there is the craft.
 * There is some old dialog where Miranda Keyes would say "Thanks, Chief. I owe you one. Take me now!"
 * When you get to the armory part and you see one of the stair doors is closed, get on top of the door and the door should be going up the ceiling. When the door closes, you will fall through the door and be back to normal instead of dying.
 * It is possible to get into the airlock room Master Chief jumps out of. On the chapter "Return to Sender", walk up to where the firing pin shoots forward. Walk up to the front track, and it will move forward. If you are lucky, your body will fall through the floor and down to the airlock below.
 * When you get out side of the Station, it possible to get inside the FFG-142 "In Amber Clad"'s reactors.
 * Right when you begin the level, head down the stairs, and on your right, there will be Johnson's commemorative hat lying on a case; if you melee the case, the hat will be floating about one meter above the ground, just like if the case was still there.
 * Right after killing the Elites with jet packs for the first time, you can walk to the left of the area you came from instead of walking to the area where you're supposed to go and hop onto a near by platform which will lead you to getting on top of most closed in areas you have previously walked through (hence on top of the Cairo Station) Although it is impossible to get on top of the tower.
 * It is possible to have two Sergeant Johnsons in the same place. The one that appears at the start of the level can be meleed to the area right before "Authorized Personnel Only" where another one is waiting for you. This is easier if you have an Energy Sword because if left alone for any amount of time, he'll run backwards.
 * There is a hat on a crate near the beginning of the level that will float in the air if the box is hit away.
 * On the elevator that leads to the bomb room, if you keep running to the diagonal doors you go through when the elevator stops you can see not only the outside of the elevator but the lower half of your body running up against the wall.

Mistakes

 * Although Sergeant Johnson receives a medal in the ceremony before the mission and it is seen being placed on his chest, on the actual mission, it does not appear on his uniform except for the Purple Heart.
 * Despite Johnson's claim that the MAC platforms are geo-synchronized with their respective cities, if the player looks out of the Cairo's windows, Cairo Station itself is over 1000 miles from Cairo, Egypt; the city it is supposedly geo-synchronized with.
 * Although the MJOLNIR armor system has only 90 minutes worth of oxygen, you can stay in vacuum indefinitely.
 * In the beginning cut scene, Lord Hood says United Earth Space Corps. This is a reference from the game Marathon as its military branch (In Halo, the military branch is called United Nations Space Command).
 * The Covenant guarding the bomb strangely did not evacuate the station to escape the detonation, although they may have been willing to give their lives to ensure the Cairo ' s destruction.
 * It's possible, when going outside the station through the airlock, to not kill the grunts or elites. They will stay alive, even though they are in the vacuum of space.

Easter Eggs

 * The Thunderstorm Skull is located in this level.
 * Johnson's cigar is also found in this level, but it is put out, unlike in the Armory level, the cigar was lit up and smoke could be seen. You can see this if you find the Thunderstorm Skull on this level.
 * It is possible to hear Lord Hood saying something on the intercom about Megg in this level.
 * Also on the chapter "Return to Sender", you can find one surviving Marine. To do this, you must enter the room underneath the firing pin. Walk away from the Elites' position, and you should find a lone Marine survivor, armed with a Battle Rifle. The Marine is a different model every time.
 * At the end of the level, where you have to disarm the bomb, there is a German Shepard's head. After you exit the elevator on the level, hop across the structure in the middle of the room, but be careful of the firing pin for the MAC gun, as it could crush you. After your across, track backwards until your at the opposite door. There will be debris to the upper left of you. If you maneuver in such a way, you will be able to see a piece of metal on the ground that looks like a dogs head.
 * Their is a hidden marine located in the firecontrol room in this level.
 * On the elevator that leads to the bomb room, if you keep running to the diagonal doors you go through when the elevator stops you can see not only the outside of the elevator but the lower half of your body running up against the wall.

Miscellaneous

 * This is the only level in which an Elite (actually, a pair) wields Plasma Pistols.
 * Three Spec Ops Elites with Active Camouflage are present on the bottom floor of the Armory, two being in the room and one appears in the corridor you came from. (Note that all difficulties permit the player to see them)
 * During this level, you can see Covenant Carriers flying pass Cairo Station. You can see one when you're outside near the MAC fire control center and another when if you look out the windows inside the MAC fire control center.
 * The turret that appears in the first Pelican bay is not present on harder difficulties.
 * Originally, Bungie had planned a level after Cairo Station, in which the Master Chief would land on a Covenant ship, break in, and destroy it from the inside out. This was shown in the Halo 2 Announcement Trailer, when the Chief jumped out of the airlock without the bomb. However, because of deadlines, the level was cut from the final game.
 * On Legendary difficulty, a Zealot can be found not too far into the level.
 * It is possible to see an Ultra Elite with a dual-wielded Plasma Rifle and Needler, (Like with others, get too close or shoot him to much, he draws an Energy Sword) on Easy difficulty.
 * In the final fight by the bomb, if you kill the Covenant in the right positions, it's possible for the bomb to move their bodies around while being dragged.
 * Right when you are fighting the forces defending the bomb, you can see through the window the Prophet of Regret's Carrier.
 * In this level, and in others like The Armory or Outskirts, you can see some equipment cases, where there is written information about some UNSC equipment like Marine's helmet or Marine's body armor. The information shows their weight and the number of items included in the case.
 * In the room where the bomb is, you can find a Marine hiding in the back from the Covenant.
 * This level features a music piece that unfortunately didn't make it onto either volume of the soundtrack in any form. It is played in the Armory and Commons Area B-01, after you kill the two Elites that killed the Master Gunnery Sergeant. This "lost song" reappears on the level Gravemind.
 * In the order of the battle platforms were destroyed (or about to be destroyed in the case of the Cairo), spells out MAC (Malta, Athens, and Cairo).
 * There is blood splattered on the wall in the top floor of the room where you meet Sgt. Johnson and Miranda Keyes for some odd reason.
 * You can complete almost all or all (If skilled in jumping) of the level without a weapon. Just keep jumping over weapons on the ground and running past covenant troops to the end and the marine at the back of the bomb room will hopefully kill all the covenant there.

Images
 Image:Cairo.jpg 