Alpha Squadron

Alpha Squadron, also referred to as the Blood Hawks, was a Terran Confederacy military unit commanded by Edmund Duke. Consisting of multiple divisions, Alpha Squadron units wear white. 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 survived when the Protoss and Zerg wiped out all life on the planet, even confronting the Protoss which attacked that world.

History

 * StarCraft: Loomings

Alpha Squadron was summoned to Chau Sara to deal with an attack by Sons of Korhal insurgents. They were instructed to take no prisoners. There they 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 the city of Los Andares. They successfully defended the city and were then ordered to attack the main Zerg hive cluster in the planet. The attack was a success. However, these efforts only delayed the inevitable and could not stop the Zerg taking control of the planet.

Against the Zerg and the Sons of Korhal

 * Main article: StarCraft Episode I

Alpha Squadron moved towards Mar Sara and clumsily "repelled" the powerful Protoss invasion force led by Executor Tassadar. 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. The Squadron eventually evacuated all of its remaining troops save for a few members who were stranded.

Change in Loyalty
Alpha Squadron left before Mar Sara was sterilized and traveled 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. Alpha Squadron attempted to rescue him at some point though were heavily outnumbered by the Zerg presence and thus unable to do so. Arcturus Mengsk ordered his forces to rescue the general, Duke accepting Mengsk's offer to join the Sons of Korhal. The rest of Alpha Squadron followed suit.

Alpha Squadron would lead the assault on Tarsonis, driving Delta and Omega Squadron forces from the planet's central space platform and breaching the defenses for a landing planetside. They would also help to secure the orbiting Ion Cannon. However, they were unable to prevent Jim Raynor and his disillusioned followers from destroying the cannon and forcing their way off world.

Alpha Squadron was sent to Char to retrieve Sarah Kerrigan, who had been sending desperate psychic visions to Arcturus Mengsk as she was being infested. The mission was a absolute disaster. Alpha Squadron encountered heavy resistance from both the Protoss and Zerg and was unable to retrieve Kerrigan. The ground force was dislodged from their drop zone with over fifty percent casualties. The fleet came under attack by zerg and attempted to withdraw. While Norad III managed to escape much of the remainder was destroyed by the protoss expeditionary force. A small detachment remained on Char under Duke's command but was also defeated by the protoss and pulled out as well.

The Enslavers Mission

 * Main article: StarCraft: Enslavers

An element of Alpha Squadron was ordered to attack the notorious smuggling organization, the Schezar's Scavengers, on an unidentified world. The Scavengers were surrounded by Zerg which seemed to be cooperating with them, but Alpha Squadron was able to defeat the combined forces. The Squadron then traveled to a larger Scavenger base, where the Scavengers had control of a Zerg Cerebrate and also held several Protoss prisoner. Mengsk ordered the Cerebrate killed. The Protoss Praetor Mojo, imprisoned in a Stasis Cell on Aiur, contacted the local commander and asked him to rescue the Protoss instead, as Alan Schezar, leader of the Scavengers, could simply acquire another Cerebrate. The Squadron eventually travelled to Aiur, either working with or against the Protoss.

Interbellum

 * Main article: StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga

Alpha Squadron was dispatched to aid the Terran colonists of Bhekar Ro. The world had been invaded by the Zerg following the discovery of a Xel'Naga Temple. The Squadron considered this as a trivial mission, and the real reason they had been deployed was Mengsk's desire to keep Duke and his men as far away as possible. The Squadron engaged the Zerg and the Protoss in orbit of Bhekar Ro, losing a number of battlecruisers to the Protoss. The timely arrival of Squadron ground forces at Free Haven, the world's only town, successfully repulsed the encroaching Kukulkan Brood. The town suffered heavy damage during the fighting but was promptly fortified to serve as Alpha Squadron's headquarters. Duke ordered his troops to advance and secure the Temple despite heavy Protoss and Zerg activity in the area. The offensive was stymied by Protoss forces and failed with heavy casualties. Reasoning that if the Temple were destroyed the aliens would leave, Duke ordered the Temple to be nuked. The destruction of the Temple released a phoenix-like creature that absorbed the Protoss and Zerg. The remainder of the fleet unsuccessfully attempted to destroy the creature with Yamato Cannon fire and were annihilated in the process. Alpha Squadron was left stranded on Bhekar Ro without long-range communications as well as any transport and it was months before anybody thought to check on them.

Brood War
Alpha Squadron made no identifiable appearances in the Brood War, although General Duke was seen twice before he was killed in action, which would render the squadron leaderless. The squadron's white color was assumed in-game by the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Force's Cronus Wing.

Known Members

 * General Edmund Duke (Leader)
 * Captain Morrow
 * Captain Ragay
 * Captain Sandler
 * Unnamed Lieutenant (player character of StarCraft: Loomings)
 * Lieutenant Samir Duran (formerly, at least by his own account)
 * Lieutenant Scott (formerly)
 * Lieutenant Emily Swallow
 * Ghost Agent MacGregor Golding
 * Chuck Ayers (formerly)
 * Jacobs
 * Malkovitch