The Cabal

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The Cabal was a group of xenos races determined to fight Chaos, mentioned in a number of the Horus Heresy novels, primarily Legion. At least one Eldar, at least two Kroot ("Spavined avian creatures"), two humans (and Perpetuals to boot), and possibly the Watchers in the Dark were included (they totally were), as well as nearly-extinct, intelligent atmospheric layers and a small, not-dickish omniglot insectoid. Legion also makes references to the "Old Kind," but it seems that the Perpetual saying that was merely calling the Eldar et. al. "older than humanity," not referring to a literal race. They would have invited the Emperor, but it's not like he'd invest in the destruction of the entire human race. Also, he would rather kill all xenos than work with any of them, as he really is that much of a bloodthirsty bastard Actually, the Imperium did not kill all aliens. Only the ones who were threats or definitely would become threats. Everyone else was either made a protectorate/client state/satrapy/whatever, made an ally, or their neutrality was accepted and respected. Also, the aliens being exterminated really deserved it. More accurately, the Cabal did not invite the Emperor because his very existence is anathema to Chaos, so his plan to make humanity like him both for mankind's glory/survival/etc. would also cause the effortless eradication of Chaos. The Cabal hoped to bring their own (non-human) species into power after their own "sacrifice humanity to destroy Chaos" plan completed. They did not tell their human "members" that and actually used them more as slightly more informed pawns, which those humans stupidly obeyed blindly. Said humans were against the Emperor specifically because they thought of him as a power-hungry tyrant because he had power and because the could feel his bloodlust directed at the aliens torturing humans across the stars.

They are the group responsible for Alpharius' (and Omegon's) treachery (or LOYALTY?). Using the Acuity, a form of divination based on Eldar farseeing, they told them that they had two options:

• 1: The Emperor wins and the galaxy is plunged into 10,000 years of stagnation, during which time Chaos will grow steadily more powerful, eventually consuming the galaxy and all living things in it.
  • This at first had someone named something-Carroll stabbing the Emperor with a Chaos artifact during his post-Great Crusade victory parade, turning the Emperor to Chaos. It seems to have been abandoned and replaced. Not surprising since the normal human cultist would never get past the Custodes (or the Emperor Himself) and the Emperor's very presence would have purged the Chaos taint of the artifact anyway.
  • Also, this first possibility ignores the fact the Emperor was the antithesis of stagnation and was already rapidly advancing humanity in every way, shape, and form. So it was clearly a blatant lie. Unless the Cabal foretold that only the canon result of the Horus Heresy was the possible outcome and what they called "victory". In which case they were stupid since if they helped the Emperor he would have enjoyed a clear-cut victory. Or if the Cabal had prevented any Primarchs from falling to Chaos (or even prevented their kidnapping from Luna as infants).

• 2: The Emperor dies, Horus wins, and the galaxy is plunged into Chaos. However, Horus's guilt over having killed the Emperor would lead him to self-destructively trying to destroy the human race, and the Chaos Gods, having gorged themselves on human emotions, would collapse along with them; non-human life in the galaxy would survive, however.
  • This foretelling suspiciously ignores the fact the Emperor, as a perpetual, would have gotten up a moment later, good as new, whenever killed.

Later events imply that neither Alpharius nor Omegon fully believed these, although they disagreed with what would happen. Either regarding these visions as false or at least trying to find another option, the twins have started working against each other, and therefore the Cabal consider this endeavor to have been a failed Gambit on their part and move towards other options.

This is further backed up in Vulkan Lives, where the dick starts trying to undermine the Cabal and save Vulkan, as he believes that an actual victory for the Emperor would be bad for the Chaos Gods, and if Vulkan is at the Siege of Terra, he would affect the outcome of Heresy in a way that would be beneficial to the overall Galaxy.

The Cabal also knows something about this, so they arrange for John Grammaticus to kill Vulkan using divine cast-off energy from the Emperor. However, this plan succeeds/is spoiled (depending on your viewpoint) when Vulkan is slain after being stabbed by the weapon, but it doesn't kill him permanently as they had anticipated. Which is amazing since the fucktards really shouldn't be surprised someone made of the Emperor wouldn't be truly killed by the Emperor's own power. Especially since said power contained no intent to harm Vulkan in the first place.

According to The Beast Arises, the Cabal were wiped out during the Heresy. (Because Eldrad killed them all with help from Barthusa Narek in 'Old Earth'!) It also reveals that they had considered the Eldar's destruction an acceptable loss, meaning that the master manipulators had been manipulated. Even in death, they still maintained that the Acuity was more accurate than Eldrad could ever hope to be. He finds this sentiment amusing, especially since it didn't let them foresee their own destruction. Ultimately, it can be said that their attempts at fighting Chaos ultimately made the Ruinous Powers stronger instead (and knowing Tzeentch, that was all part of one of its plans). Not to mention the dumb fucks made the same mistake the Eldar Farseers always do. Their foretelling is only true at the exact moment it was made. The next moment people do this thing called "changing their minds", fucking over the foreseen future, or at least its details.

Ultimately, it is doubtful the Cabal actually wanted to defeat Chaos. They wanted to dominate the galaxy instead of letting humanity do it and chose to try and use Chaos to achieve this. It backfired spectacularly. Trying to manipulate an eldritch force whose very nature enables them to know all plans past, present, and future, is stupid.

TLDR; the Cabal tried to play dice with the gods. It went about as well as you'd expect.