Earth vs Core
Clone Legion
The unity of the Legion can be exemplified no clearer than the image of ranks of Alpha Clones, identical to a man, marshalled for war. Their commanding presence, legendary abilities, and iconic look gave rise to the first concept of the Legion, and the legacy of that force lives on today in the UEL. Below is the detailed account of the most powerful army ever seen. Read on and understand what a priviledge it is should you ever find yourself in the presence of an Alpha Clone.
Soldiers of Misfortune
Not only were the Alphas not created for combat purposes, but they were in fact strictly prohibited from all official military actions. Their function in defense and civil order would occasionally place them in situations of conflict, but their use as a unified offensive force was universally restricted by all governing bodies from their creation through the end of the Expansion Age. To ensure their neutrality, they were dispersed across the whole of human occupied space and prevented from forming their own cohesive structure.
What brought them to the forefront of the war was, at least partially, coincidence. The Dillamanse maintained a higher concentration of Alphas than any other region as it was still being colonized and actively expanded. Initial response to the outbreak of hostilities with The Core was to rush emergency responders and reserves, nearly all of them Alphas, to the region for evacuation and relief efforts. The unique abilities of the clones, specifically designed for survival, gave them a far lower mortality rate than the human settlers when they encountered Core forces and soon a majority of the defenders covering civilian retreat were Alphas.
The temporary halt of the Core advance just before The Dillamanse was abandoned was largely credited to the Alpha Clones' efforts in conjunction with Earth forces and proved to military officials at the time that the Alphas weren't just useful in combat, they were essential. Conscription of the Alphas was unanimously approved and all remaining clones were directed to join the defense. Alphas were immediately integrated into the command structure and soon found themselves with a majority of control. A new force began to emerge.
Structure
Refugees from The Exodus flooded back towards Home Space with tales of the horrifying advance of The Core and the valliant efforts of the Alpha Clones. Details of the conflict unfolding and the terrible toll being taken were starting to arouse a general state of panic and a symbol of strength was needed to hold humanity together. That symbol was found when a chance misnomer on a photograph of a batallion of Alphas in ranks labled them as "a legion of Earth Space Forces". The photograph began to circulate with the caption "We Are Legion" prominently displayed below column after column of identical Alpha troops and its popularity as an iconic image of human strength and unity soon prompted major change.
The Alpha Legion Restructure was a strategic shift in military command to solidify the weakened front and provide an organized retreat instead of an all out rout. The new command structure was created for three key purposes: to give the Alpha Clones the freedom to effectively engage the enemy, to present a combat force whose image of strength and power would intimidate the enemy in the field, and most importantly to create a symbol to boost morale of defenders and civilians alike; to unify humanity in body, mind, and will.
To maintain an iconic image, the Legion was organized in loose imitation of the traditional structure of the Roman Legion. The Alpha Legion included all combat, fleet, and support personel under one command which would later be divided into the three branches of the UEL. The Alphas elected officers themselves and divided command of the forces below them uniformly. The Alpha Clones' ability to work seamlessly on every level, from close quarters combat to formation maneuvers and extended front operations, made them essential for the duration of their presence in the war.
Tactics
During the initial Core invasion and The Exodus of the colonies, before discovery of the enemies weaknesses and development of effective weapons and tactics, the Alpha Legion fought a very different war. The Core's ultra-alloys gave them overwhelming advantage in the ability to both deal and withstand damage and despite having far greater numbers over all, the armies of man were being eradicated almost effortlessly. The Alphas had to find better ways to fight.
The losses incurred were highest among the fleet engaged in interstellar combat. Concentrated fire for sufficient duration to penetrate Core armor would give the enemy time to shred the attacking squadrons and then turn their attention to the unguarded cruisers. The only significant advantage held by the Legion was speed and maneuverability. With encounters in open space stacked highly in The Core's favor, Alpha commanders began to strategically withdraw to more confined battlefields before engaging the enemy. Asteroid fields and belts provided enough cover for the agile Legion fighters and cruisers to quickly deal damage, then find safety. These tactics helped to reduce the casualties sustained by the Legion in such encounters, but The Core's apparent disregard for their own increased losses as they relentlessly advanced through unfavorable territory meant that human losses across the front remained high and steady. Fleet combat alone would not stop the enemy.
Since The Core seemed determined to exterminate us to the last man, the Legion began to use the aliens' passion against them. Defensible positions across the colonies were heavily fortified and the enemy began to slow their advance to dig them out, just as anticipated. Fleet operations began to concentrate on luring enemy forces to these fortified systems and assaulting endlessly until The Core committed their armies to rooting out the Legion. Ground combat became the main theatre of the war and the brute force of the enemy was shown anew.
The ominous view of a Core armada steadily advancing through heavy artillery without sustaining damage is frightening, but the massive form of a Core Beast outfitted for war is truely terrifying. Those Legion forces committed to holding planetary fortifications would face wave after wave of these giants across countless fields of battle until the day came when their post was lost, often to the last man. These were the worst days of the war, particularly for the Alpha Clones, who saw their numbers diminish from several hundred million to less than 25 million when the last outpost of the outer colonies was lost.
The vast stretch of space before the borders of Home Space and the inner colonies provided few locations to effectively fortify and fleet combat continued to take its toll on the Alpha Legion. Tactics shifted again to guerrilla warfare and hit-and-run operations aimed at distracting, misleading, and delaying enemy forces. The strength of the Alpha Legion was almost spent and there was no hope in sight of keeping the enemy from reaching Earth and winning the war.
Sacrifice
Then, a miracle. The accidental discovery of The Core's incredible weakness and our ability to take advantage of it put the Legion in sight of a turning point in the war, but with their numbers heavily diminished and spread dangerously thin to hold the line, that point was not yet in reach. Legate Orion relayed his discovery to Legion commanders and a difficult but noble choice was made. In order to give the remaining forces of Earth the time to prpare for the arrival of The Core, the remainder of the Alpha Legion would make a tremendous stand at the Nova system, holding as long as they could. The Alpha Legion fought nearly to their bitter end in the Siege of Alpha Nova, but held on and reached the turning of the tide.
Unification
The relatively few surviving Alphas took point to lead the new Beta Host against The Core, and while the campaign to reclaim the colonies was proving successful, what the Legion had gained in numbers it had lost in cohesion. The Legion had lost the unity innately shared by the Alphas and needed to find a new order to replace it. After the successful but jumbled Liberation of Humador, Legion command was again restructured and the United Earth Legion was formed. The three branches of the UEL allowed more organized control of the more specialized units that were forming from the variation of the Beta Host. In order to assist Legion coordination, the Jump Grid was strategically streamlined as it was rebuilt and the Comms Grid was expanded exponentially. These improvements made in the early days of the UEL have developed into the unified community that all of the colonies share today.
Salvation
The official days of the Alpha Legion were over, but the war was still raging violently on. Under the expert command of the Alpha Clones, the UEL forced the enemy out of colonial space and held the line when the Second Wave threatened to wear us down once again. The Alphas' strength and determination in the face of every challenge and through each one to victory is an inspiration to every Legionaire and every human today. Even after The Core was unanimously stopped by the completion of the Mag-Wall, the Alphas continued their dilligent partol as guards at the front lines of the Legion.
Contention
After several years free of conflict, the peoples of the colonies began to settle their fears and look hopefully towards the future. Legate Orion began to see a dangerous lack of resolve and began to vehemently push for not just the maintainence of the Legion, but continued training and expansion of Beta Clone conscription. The war weary populace began to change their mood and pressure from the Colonial Tribunal slowly forced the Legion to change course.
Discharge
By the end of their service the Alpha Clones had ceased efforts to continue Legion mobilization and sought merely to ensure that training programs remained top notch and defensive operations were diligently maintained. The Legionary Branch developed a strict adherence to the Alpha ideal, but reluctantly gave in to pressure and disbanded the Alpha Legion, officially discharging them from military service. Every surviving Alpha was awarded the highest military honors and offered substantial compensation for services to Earth, its colonies, and the human race. Despite offers of all sorts, nearly every Alpha refused relocation and rehabilitation and instead joined Legate Orion as he set off in the Equidae to parts unknown. Only one Alpha maintains official rank within the Legion today, Prefect Cygnus Kings, whose Tribunal influence remains strong.