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 had to evacuate the planet when the Protoss and Zerg wiped out all life on the planet.

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.

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. 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 would lead the assault on Tarsonis, driving Delta and Omega Squadrons 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 disaster. Alpha Squadron encountered heavy resistance from both the Protoss and Zerg and was unable to retrieve Kerrigan. The ground assault was a disaster; half of the force's troops were lost, unable to even defend their own landing zone. When the Zerg came to return the favour by boarding the Squadron's ships, a retreat was carried out.

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 traveled to Aiur, either working with or against the Protoss.

Interbellum

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

Alpha Squadron was dispatched to the world of Bhekar Ro, a Terran colony so far from the original Confederacy the colonists were not aware of the Confederacy's defeat. The colonists had attempted to call the Confederacy for help after coming under attack by the Zerg. The Zerg (and Protoss) had traveled to the world in order to delve into a Xel'Naga Temple which had seemingly attacked Terran colonists who had wandered too close. In a massive battle, Alpha Squadron dropped a nuke onto the Temple which only activated it, wiping out the Zerg and most of the Protoss. Alpha Squadron suffered crippling losses, much of its ground forces having been destroyed in the battle and its fleet decimated when the strange creature destroyed it. The Squadron was stranded and it was months before anyone 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 colour was assumed in-game by the United Earth Directorate Expeditionary Force's Cronus Wing. Given the losses it suffered in Bhekar Ro before the Brood War, Alpha Squadron is presumebly either disbanded, merged with Mengsk's Elite Guard or destroyed during the war.

Known Members

 * Colonel/General Edmund Duke
 * Captain Morrow
 * Captain Ragay
 * Captain Sandler
 * "The 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)