Sacred Icon Suite

Not to be confused with Sacred Icon Suite 2.

Sacred Icon Suite is the eighth track in Halo 2: Original Soundtrack, Volume 2, and plays mainly in the Halo 2 campaign level Sacred Icon, the namesake of the soundtrack. It is composed of Cortege (0:00-3:38), Opening Volley (3:38-4:06), and Veins of Stone (4:06-7:26).

Cortege
Cortege (3:38) begins with a reprise of Weight of Failure (from the earlier track Prologue), with low strings leading into the vocals of Penance (from the earlier track Delta Halo Suite). High strings and high vocals take over, leading into a multi-part vocal piece. This plays throughout the opening cinematic of the level Sacred Icon.

Opening Volley
Opening Volley (0:28) is a strings playing a triumphant melody. It plays in the opening cutscene of the level Quarantine Zone, when Rtas 'Vadumee rallies his Sangheili troops with Thel 'Vadamee. The piece was arranged into the final section of Arise In Valor in Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack.

Veins of Stone
Veins of Stone (3:20) takes over the strings melody of Opening Volley with high vocals singing eerily, followed by strings and organ, stopping abruptly with a series of digital chimes. Orbit of Glass fades in, with tribal percussion beats taking over soon after. The piece shifts into an eerie ambiance. The eerie high vocals returns, followed by intensive strings, then finally concluding with smooth female vocals and strings. The piece plays throughout the level Sacred Icon, reflecting the 'Vadam's free fall into the lower levels of the Sentinel wall, the containment shield shutting down, his venture into the Flood-infested interiors of the wall, and his eventual entry into the Quarantine zone. The eerie high vocals also plays (along with Destroyer's Invocation from the earlier track Mausoleum Suite) in the level The Great Journey, when Thel 'Vadam battles Tartarus in the control room of Installation 05.

The ambiance section was arranged into Librarian's Gift in Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack.