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The last [[Space Marine Legion|Legion]] created during the [[First Founding]], work on the XXth Legion was begun only some few decades before the discovery of their Primarch, [[Alpharius]]. However, other reports exist that the Legion existed in a prototype form long before that.{{Fn|17}} Indeed, [[Remembrancers]] seem to give contradictory reports on when exactly the ''Alpha Legion'' was formed.{{Fn|17}} Regardless, it seems the Legion was created in total secrecy on the [[Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]]'s order. Information on the Legion's own [[Gene-seed]] was made top secret. Like the [[Salamanders]] and [[Space Wolves]], the XXth Legion was formed and established largely in separation from the rest of the [[Legiones Astartes]], likely for a very specific purpose. These three specific legions were obliquely called "[[Trefoil]]" by some sources .{{Fn|23a}} The earliest known activities of the Legion saw it conduct abductions, targeted strikes, and assassinations of the [[Imperium]]'s enemies on [[Terra]] and beyond. The designation for this mysterious special operations units, taking orders from none of the [[Primarch]]s who had been discovered at the time, was simply '"Alpha'". For reasons unknown approval to rapidly expand the Alpha Units gene-seed group was denied by the [[Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]], limiting the force to only around 1,000-2,000 Legionaries. There is some suspicion that this was done because there was a potential problem or flaw within the Legion's gene-seed that the Emperor was not able to rectify. Others speculate that the Legion was deliberately preserved separately as an isolated unit by the Emperor for special gene-seed augmentation in the future that no other Space Marine Legion would ever undergo.{{Fn|23a}}

Later when Alpharius-Omegon took open command of the [[Space Marine Legion|Legion]], it was young, zealous and completely committed to embracing the [[Primarch]]'s directions. [[Alpharius]] believed that secrecy and fluidity brought success, and taught his Legion to apply all such military techniques to both their training and their operations. The Legion's victories in the [[Great Crusade]] all feature some form of subterfuge, misdirection or rapid, unexpected movement. Such victories required great skill and dedication to achieve, and the ''Alpha Legion'' quickly became an insular and proud formation.{{Fn|1a}} It was this martial pride that led to a number of clashes and fights with members of the other Legions, particularly the [[Imperial Fists]], [[Ultramarines]], and [[Death Guard]].{{Fn|7b}}{{Fn|17}} Also, [[Konrad Curze]] of the [[Night Lords]] openly criticized the ''Alpha Legion'''s tactics by calling them "sinners in a shroud of lies".{{Fn|17}} The [[Thousand Sons]] Legion discreetly shunned and tried to avoid any contact with the ''Alpha Legion'', although the true cause for this is unknown.{{Fn|17}} However, at the side of [[Horus]]' [[Luna Wolves]] the ''Alpha Legion'' successfully campaigned without incident together with the [[Dark Angels]] and the [[Iron Hands]].{{Fn|17}}

After Alpharius' disagreements with [[Roboute Guilliman]], the ''Alpha Legion'' threw themselves even further into their preferred method of operations, largely cutting themselves off from standard [[Imperium|Imperial]] practices and orchestrating greater and greater victorious examples of their approach to the [[Great Crusade]], even when more conventional attacks would have been more efficient. The most notorious example of this took place on the world of [[Tesstra Prime]], where the ''Alpha Legion'', instead of taking the opportunity to capture the planetary capital to force the world's surrender, allowed the enemy to dig in and defend it so that they could then expertly take the defending forces apart in a number of different ways. After a week of suffering seemingly random mishaps as well as brutal ambushes, the defenders were forced to capitulate, having taken 90% casualties. When asked why the [[Space Marine Legion|Legion]] had not taken the simpler strategy, [[Alpharius]] is reported to have replied that they avoided it as "it would have been too easy". This campaign brought him censure from almost all of his brother [[Primarch]]s; only [[Horus]], always impressed by Alpharius and his work, praised the ''Alpha Legion'''s skill.{{Fn|1a}} In the later stages of the Great Crusade, the ''Alpha Legion'' withdrew into the empty space on the Imperium's frontiers.{{Fn|17}}[[Image:ALWhiteScar.jpg|thumb|right|220px|''Alpha Legion'' member dressed in the colors of the [[White Scars]] during the [[Horus Heresy]]{{Fn|41b}}]]

With such examples existing in the [[Imperium|Imperial]] records, it is perhaps easy to see why the ''Alpha Legion'' sided with [[Horus]] when the [[Warmaster]] made his pact with [[Chaos]]; their martial pride and [[Alpharius]]' avoidance of all his brothers apart from Horus seemingly led to their downfall. However, another given reason is that, a scant two years before the [[Horus Heresy]] began, [[Alpharius Omegon]] was contacted by a [[Xenos]] organisation known as the [[Cabal]], which presented the [[Primarch]] with visions of the Heresy to come and other predictions of the future as well as knowledge about the nature of Chaos. They were shown that the only outcomes of the Heresy were that, if the [[Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]] won, humanity's existence would be ensured for ten or twenty thousand years of decay before they and the galaxy were consumed by Chaos and that, if Horus won, humanity would perish inside two generations, taking the Chaos powers into oblivion with them, thus saving the rest of the galaxy. The ''Alpha Legion'' was asked to take on their greatest challenge; to defect to the side of Horus and ensure the final destruction of Chaos. Alpharius Omegon appeared to accede to this request.{{Fn|2}}

After the virus-bombing of [[Isstvan III]], the presumed loyal ''Alpha Legion'' was one of the [[Space Marine Legion|Legions]] sent by the [[Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]] to destroy [[Horus]] at his base on [[Isstvan V]]. Assigned to the second wave, the Legion instead turned on the loyalist first wave.{{Fn|1d}}

When [[Raven Guard]] Commander [[Branne Nev]] arrived at [[Istvaan V]] to retrieve several of what remained of the Loyalist forces including his [[Primarch]] [[Corax]] the ''Alpha Legion'' tried to help Corax escape, going as far as killing the commander of a [[World Eaters]] [[Battle Barge]] which could have delayed the superior [[Raven Guard]] fleet.{{Fn|10}} The ''Alpha Legion'' had [[Apothecary|Apothecarii]] that were masters of face transplantation. They took the faces of fallen [[Raven Guard]] Marines to transplant them onto their own [[Space Marines|Astartes]]. Together with the knowledge gained by digesting the brains of the dead [[Raven Guard]], three ''Alpha Legion'' Astartes were able to infiltrate the [[Raven Guard]] Legion.{{Fn|19a}} Later about 50 ''Alpha Legion'' Astartes in the colours of the [[Raven Guard]] were sent as reinforcements for this agents.{{Fn|19b}} While [[Omegon]] could retrieve the data these infiltrators obtained, all of them were killed by the [[Raven Guard]].{{Fn|19c}} Learning of the infiltration of the [[Raven Guard]], [[Horus]] ordered [[Ezekyle Abaddon]] to find ''Alpha Legion'' agents inside his own Legion at all costs.{{Fn|19a}}

During the [[Horus Heresy]], the ''Alpha Legion'' split off from the main body of [[Horus]]' forces early and did not attack [[Terra]], instead embarking upon a series of delaying actions in an attempt to hold [[Imperium|Imperial]] reinforcements in place. A notable earlier example was [[Chondax Campaign|attempting to block]] the [[White Scars]] at the [[Chondax System]], but [[Jaghatai Khan]] was able to maneuver out of their trap.{{Fn|28}} [[Alpharius]]' or [[Omegon]]'s dubious agenda came to light at Chondax, where they were under orders from [[Horus]] to recruit the White Scars. Instead, the ''Alpha Legion'' fleet there engaged in hostile actions to seemingly provoke the Scars into a fight after blockading them long enough for them to get word from [[Rogal Dorn]] of Horus' treachery. Indeed this message was only delivered because Omegon had dispatched forces to destroy an ''Alpha Legion''-occupied [[Pylon]] array blocking the White Scars' communications. Subtly, the ''Alpha Legion'' or at least elements of it made sure that Jaghatai Khan would join the [[Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]].{{Fn|28}}{{Fn|11f}} Not even the ''Alpha Legion'' itself was spared from their own schemes. Alpharius was able to manipulate a strikeforce of members of the [[Shattered Legions]] under [[Shadrak Meduson]] into eliminating a cell of seemingly loyalist ''Alpha Legion''.{{Fn|32}}

During the [[Horus Heresy]] the ''Alpha Legion'' also engaged in smaller actions, defeating a [[White Scars]] force on [[Tallarn]]. During the [[Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula]], the ''Alpha Legion'' nearly succeeded in destroying the [[Space Wolves]] until the loyalists were saved by the [[Dark Angels]].{{Fn|29}} In addition, a squad of Alpha Legionaries disguised as [[Ultramarines]] under [[Aeonid Thiel]] nearly succeeded in assassinating [[Roboute Guilliman]] on [[Macragge]].{{Fn|81}}

In the aftermath of the [[Horus Heresy]], the ''Alpha Legion'' did not retreat to the [[Eye of Terror]] like the other [[Traitor Legions]]; instead they moved on into the Galactic East, following new objectives of their own. Whether or not being brought into battle with the [[Ultramarines]] was one of these objectives is unknown, but it occurred all the same.{{Fn|1a}}

On the world of [[Eskrador]], the ''Alpha Legion'' was assaulted by [[Ultramarines|Ultramarine]] forces. [[Alpharius]] (or [[Omegon]], who had since assumed his mantle since the [[Battle of Pluto]]{{Fn|31}}) was reportedly happy with such a development, as it allowed him to demonstrate the superiority of his flexible, multitudinous and unexpected military strategies on the notoriously precise, methodical and perhaps even moribund [[Ultramarines]]. However, the ''Alpha Legion'' [[Primarch]] was apparently taken by surprise when [[Roboute Guilliman]] departed from his own strictures and led a surprise assault by his elite units on the ''Alpha Legion'' headquarters. In the resulting personal combat between [[Alpharius|Alpharius-Omegon]] and Guilliman, it is believed that Alpharius-Omegon was killed. The ''Alpha Legion'' responded, not by breaking and fleeing as Guilliman expected, but by turning on the Ultramarine detachment and harrying them so mercilessly that by the time they had returned to the main body of the Ultramarine force their casualties were almost total. The Ultramarines were driven from the planet in the subsequent battle.{{Fn|1a}}

Following the battle on [[Eskrador]], the ''Alpha Legion'' fractured in order to hide from the [[Imperium]].{{Fn|1a}} Small, autonomous warbands were left in Imperial space where they set up secret bases in asteroid fields, [[Space hulk]]s and on barren worlds.{{Fn|9}} These units launched frequent attacks against military targets that were weakened by the [[Horus Heresy]]{{Fn|1a}} and still pose a threat to ships, settlements and garrisons. They further spread and coordinate [[Chaos Cult]]s throughout the galaxy in order to instigate massive revolts against Imperial rule. These insurrections are often used to lure Imperial forces away from worlds the ''Alpha Legion'' wants to attack, paving the way for large scale assault from inside the [[Eye of Terror]].{{Fn|9}}[[Image:AlphaLegionAttack.jpg|thumb|right|400px|[[Horus Heresy|Heresy]] ''Alpha Legion'' attacks en masse{{Fn|25}}]]

Despite their many heinous acts, at least some elements within the ''Alpha Legion'' still view themselves as loyal sons of the [[Emperor of Mankind|Emperor]]. These Alpha Legionaries, such as [[Occam]], see themselves as the most loyal sons for it is they that damn themselves to work from within traitor cells to purge both weak elements of the [[Imperium]] while dealing with serious [[Heresy|heretical]] threats. They see themselves as the "Emperor's test", challenging his servants to see if they are worthy to serve him.{{Fn|33b}}

[[Image:Alpha_Legion_Terminator.jpg|thumb|right|220px|''Alpha Legion'' unknown [[Terminator]] Strike Leader who led the initial orbital raid on the Panopticon Complex of the Paramar Terminus facility{{Fn|23b}}]]

Extensive preparations are made before actually attacking an [[Imperium|Imperial]] target, including using spies and corruption to weaken an enemy's resolve. Not only is an enemy attacked from every angle, but every attack is often coordinated to achieve the most destructive results. Many actions are planned to utilise and support local [[Cultist]] activity. These cults go to considerable efforts to spread propaganda, perform sabotage, and carry out acts of unrest and rebellion, providing a distraction and weakening the enemy before the ''Alpha Legion'' strikes.{{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|8}} Furthermore, the [[Traitor Legion|Legion]] has been known to ally themselves with anti-Imperial forces including other Traitor Legions and [[Xenos]].{{Fn|1a}} On worlds far away from the [[Eye of Terror]], [[Daemon]]s are less relied upon since they cannot remain stable for long enough to be useful. If the ''Alpha Legion'' succeeds in securing the belief of a local Chaos cult they are summoned smmoned to add to the variety of their attacks.{{Fn|1a}}{{Fn|8}}

The ''Alpha Legion'' does not fight like any other [[Traitor Legion|Chaos Space Marine Legion]] or warband. They prefer to avoid direct combat, using subterfuge, infiltration, sabotage, brainwashing, and meticulous multi-year plans to destroy their enemies as opposed to a simple attack. The very identities of ''Alpha Legion'' Marines is the subject of mystery. Their supposed identities are frequently aliases which are shared by cell members, meaning the name and identity of one ''Alpha Legion'' Marine could actually refer to many. Genetic face-changing technology is utilized to change the appearance of Legionaries to confound [[Imperium|Imperial]] authorities as to their real identity. Due to this habit of shared aliases, members of the ''Alpha Legion'' often refer to themselves as part of a greater collective identity. When they do show themselves, ''Alpha Legion'' Marines prefer to let their [[Chaos Cult|cultists]] and underlings do most of the combat while they themselves wait for the decisive moment to strike or make their escape.{{Fn|15}} The final overwhelming push by the massed forces of the Legion at the precise moment when the enemy is at its weakest from subterfuge is known as ''The Harrowing''.{{Fn|17}}

Unlike most of the other [[Chaos Space Marine]] [[Traitor Legion|Legions]], the ''Alpha Legion'' rarely operates within the [[Eye of Terror]] itself. As a result, they have not been subjected to the time distortion that the [[Warp]] has affected other [[Chaos Space Marines|Traitor Marines]] with, leading many in the [[Inquisition]] to debate how the Legion, now, ten thousand years after the [[Horus Heresy]], can still be active. According to [[Inquisitor]] [[Kravin]], the ''Alpha Legion'' acquires new recruits, genetically modifies them and then trains them for missions all within [[Imperial]] territory itself.{{Fn|14}}

Even before the [[Horus Heresy]], the ''Alpha Legion'' was known to develop special weapons and technologies in secret without [[Imperium|Imperial]] approval or knowledge. ''Alpha Legion'' forces were known to operate secret arms factories and caches both inside and outside Imperial space. The ''Alpha Legion'' was the first [[Space Marine Legion|Legion]] to produce [[Bolter]] shells specifically designed to penetrate [[Ceramite]] [[Power Armour]], which gave them an early advantage during the [[Drop Site Massacre]]. The Legion was also able to acquire small numbers of [[Power Armour_#Mark 6 "Corvus Armour"|Mark 6 ''Corvus Pattern'' Power Armour]] and reverse engineer it as the "Corvus-Alpha" pattern.{{Fn|23b}}

The ''Alpha Legion'' is known to possess chameleon technologies that allow them to outwardly change their appearances and mimic not only other legionnaires but also unaugmented [[human]]s.{{Fn|33b}}

All [[Space Marine Legion]]s set arduous tasks and trials for potential recruits, but prior to the [[Horus Heresy]] the ''Alpha Legion'' set these initiation tests for squads, not individuals. Squads succeeded as a group or not at all - foolhardy heroics were frowned upon. The overall plan was paramount and more valuable than any one [[Space Marine]].{{Fn|1a}} This was an extension of the Legion's philosophy that they were a body of one that could strike in many places at once. This complete solidarity with each other expressed itself in other ways. Decisions within the Legion were made in a fairly open and reasonably democratic way, with all ranks - – including the Alpha Legions' non-Astartes Operatives - – allowed to interject and comment freely during planning sessions. This freedom was allowed not just on military matters - : the Alpha Legion internally discussed matters of philosophy and galactic policy that would have been forbidden or frowned upon in other Imperial institutions. Later recruits for the Legion were selected by the Primarch primarily based on high intelligence and personal initiative.{{Fn|2c}}{{Fn|2e}}

''Alpha Legion'' equivalents of companies, battalions and chapters were known as "Harrows", "Cohorts", "Hosts" and "Instruments". However, those structures have never stayed permanent and were formulated and broken down on an as-needed basis.{{Fn|17}} At the top of the Legion hierarchy were the [[Harrowmaster]]s, which was a title issued to the designated commander of Alpha Legion forces in any given theatre.{{Fn|23b}}

The [[Space Marine Legion|Legion]] also made a habit of recruiting non-[[Space Marines|Astartes]] specialists in every theatre and campaign they entered, commonly members of the [[Imperium|Imperial]] armed forces.{{Fn|2c}} These operatives often remained in their original position, ready to respond to ''Alpha Legion'' commands.{{Fn|2f}} They were referred to as [[Sparatoi Vindicta|"Sparatoi"]], meaning "sown men", a reference to them being seeded into other organizations' ranks.{{Fn|23a}} Compromised operatives were not discarded if it could be avoided, and Alpha Legionaries would go to great lengths to retain them or hide their existence, lengths that included the fatal silencing of other Imperials. Operatives were tattooed with a small hydra symbol.{{Fn|2c}}

Even less is known about the internal organisation of the ''Alpha Legion'' since the [[Horus Heresy]] than was known before. On occasions there have been successful assassinations of members of the [[Traitor Legion|Legion]] thought to be high-ranking officers, but their removal has had little visible effect on ''Alpha Legion'' operations. The [[Traitor Legion|Legion]]'s symbol, the hydra, is a multi-headed mythical beast which could keep fighting even if one of its heads was cut off. This legend seems to reflect the ''Alpha Legion'''s command structure, as well as echoing its doctrine of multiple attacks.{{Fn|1a}}

It is believed that, since the Heresy, the ''Alpha Legion'' has been operating as independent cells hidden throughout the [[Imperium]], coordinating various [[Chaos Cult]]ist activities to subvert Imperial rule. While these cells operate independently of one another and destroying one will not affect the effort of their overall mission, the Legion still loosely coordinates its actions across the Galaxy. Who is coordinating these efforts and how they are doing so is largely a mystery to the Imperium, but many believe they achieve this through "Operatives". These figures are apparently human, but have undergone limited psycho-hypnotic therapy to make them absolutely loyal to the Legion. These operatives, fully infiltrated into Imperial society, act as the link between ''Alpha Legion'' cells and cultists and are their primary method of galaxy-wide communication.{{Fn|1b}}

During the [[Great Crusade]]-era some Alpha Legionaries were notably tall even for members of the [[Space Marines|Astartes]], physical attributes which suited [[Alpharius]]' focus on misdirection. For the [[Primarch]] put into place a directive that, as far as possible, all ''Alpha Legion'' Marines had to attempt to look alike; and the face they patterned themselves on was that of Alpharius and [[Omegon]].{{Fn|2d}}

*''[[Alpha]]''- — [[Gloriana Class Battleship]]{{Fn|76a}}*''[[Beta]]''- — [[Gloriana Class Battleship]]{{Fn|76a}}*''[[Delta]]''- — [[Battleship]]{{Fn|29f}}

*[[Autilon Skorr]] — ‘’’The "The Hydra's Headman’’’ Headman" — [[Consul Delegatus]] of the ''Alpha Legion''{{Fn|24}}