Alpha Squadron

Template:Faction 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. Alpha Squadron did not help the evacuation of the colonists and promptly left the planet before the Zerg could infest the planet completely though at least a few ALpha Squadron members remained.

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 then evacuated all of the remaining troops in Mar Sara save for the 417th Confederate Marine Platoon and eventually abandoned the entire system.

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 unable to do so 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 although not everyone in Alpha Squadron was particularly happy with siding with the Sons of Korhal, such as Lieutenant Scott and Samir Duran(possibly?).

Alpha Squadron would lead the assault on Tarsonis, driving Delta and Omega Squadronforces 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. A number of its troops also deserted to join Raynor such as Chuck Ayers.

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 assault was a disaster as well; half of the troops deployed were lost, unable to even defend their own landing zone and more of them failing to make it back to the main fleet. When the Zerg came to return the favour by boarding the Squadron's ships, a retreat was carried out. At some point, some of Alpha Squadron's bases in Char were also infested.

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. Alpha Squadron thought that it was a seemingly unimportant mission though in reality, Emperor Mengsk sent them there only because he wanted Duke and his men away from him as far as possible. 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. Alpha Squadron found itself fighting against both Protoss and Zerg forces, starving off the later. Things did not go well for it in the beginning of the battle as a number of its battlecruisers were destroyed by Protoss ships. Alpha Squadron then deployed its ground forces straight for the colony Free Haven, whose colonists were fighting a losing battle with the Kukulkan Brood. The battle was won with the Squadron's timely arrival and driving out the Zerg forces out of the colony though caused heavy collateral damage upon the town. Not wasting time, Alpha Squadron rebuilt the town into a massive fortress to serve as a HQ with Duke in command. General Duke then deployed most of the Squadron's troops to secure the Xel Naga Temple despite heavy fighting there between the Protoss and Zerg. Alpha Squadron troops formed up a phalanx like wall of Marines and Firebats with Goliaths and Siege Tank support in the rear and charge towards the temple. The battle was a disaster for the Squadron; the infantry charged too fast and found themselves cut from support by both Protoss and Zerg forces, the former decimating most of them with Reavers. Alpha Squadron attempted to save its troops by via Wraith support but these too were thwarted by psionic storms from High Templars.

In the 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 in the end, much of its ground forces having been destroyed in the battle and its fleet was decimated after attempting to shoot the strange creature with Yamato Cannons, eventually the whole fleet being reduced to nothing but rubble in space. 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. It is likely it went on to fight in Brood War though at a much less scale due to the massive losses in Bhekar Ro drove it almost to annihilation. However, it may have been disbanded prior to this, or merged as a small unit of Mengsk's Imperial Guard or on the whole, destroyed during the conflict.

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)