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{{QuoteBox|quote = ''"Our name is Legion, for we are many."''

{{Traitor Founding Legions

|Pre-Heresy Banner=ALSymbolPreHeresy.jpg

==History==

===Pre-Heresy===

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 claim 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, 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}}

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 these 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 manoeuvre 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 despatched 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}}

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 are 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 utilised to change the appearance of Legionnaires to confound 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 cultists and underlings do most of the combat while they themselves wait for the decisive moment to strike or make their escape.{{Fn|15}}

Unlike most of the other [[Chaos Space Marine]] 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 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}}

*[[Effrit Stealth Squad]] - led by [[Omegon]]{{Fn|11d}}

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}}