Alpha Squadron

Alpha Squadron, also referred to as the Blood Hawks in the StarCraft instruction booklet, is commanded by General Edmund Duke. Alpha Squadron units are colored in white in the game. It is described as the most efficient wing of the Confederate armed forces. The Squadron motto is "first in, first out". Once based on Chau Sara, the Squadron had to evacuate the planet when the Protoss and Zerg wiped out all life on the planet.

History
Alpha Squadron was summoned to Chau Sara to deal with an attack by Sons of Korhal insurgents. They were instructed to take no prisoners. However, they also encountered xenomorphs and Cerberus Recon Squad during the assault. Alpha Squadron found itself following Cerberus' orders and defending the planet from the xenomorphs. General Duke himself led Alpha Squadron in its defense of Chau Sara's capital, Los Andares. Alpha Squadron later left the planet, allowing the xenomorphs to expand. At least some members of Alpha Squadron remained behind on Chau Sara, however.

Against the Zerg and the Sons of Korhal
Alpha Squadron moved towards Mar Sara and clumsily "repelled" the powerful Protoss invasion force, led by Executor Tassadar and capable of wiping out all life on the surface of the planet. In reality, Tassadar simply identified himself and his species, then left, as he was unwilling to sterilize Mar Sara until the humans had time to flee.

On Mar Sara Alpha Squadron took control of the planet in order to fight the Zerg infestation, moving colonists to concentration points in the wastelands and eventually arresting the colonial militias. However, it avoided action against the Zerg, didn't defend the core city and wouldn't even help the civilians to escape. Instead, it seemed more interested in defending scientific installations being used to study the Zerg.

Change in Loyalty
Alpha Squadron left before Mar Sara was sterilized and travelled to Antiga Prime to put down a Sons of Korhal-sponsored rebellion. Over the planet, General Edmund Duke's battlecruiser, the Norad II, was attacked by the Zerg and crash-landed on the planet. Arcturus Mengsk ordered his forces to rescue the general, who in turn had no choice but to join the Sons of Korhal. Duke took his men with him. Alpha Squadron became Mengsk's elite military unit, and they went on to see much action throughout the StarCraft universe as part of the Sons of Korhal and the Terran Dominion.