Ghost

"You called down the thunder, now reap the whirlwind."

- Terran ghost

Ghosts are feared terran covert operatives. They are known for their skill, psionic powers and ability to cloak.

Overview
Ghosts were chosen from psychically-gifted individuals who were quarantined by the Terran Confederacy and trained from infancy to channel their psionic energies to augment their natural physical strength and endurance. Conscripts who successfully completed the Ghost Program's rigorous training and augmentations then served as commandos and assassins.

Ghosts are trained in target shooting, close-quarters combat (martial arts and possibly other techniques) and vehicular expertise. Ghosts are also trained to move quickly and are desensitized to combat; an example would be Sarah Kerrigan's training, who had a gun placed to her head by a guard and was ordered to kill the guard before he killed her. Kerrigan was subjected to this training at age twelve.

Ghosts were frequently tasked with locating targets and provide targeting for tactical nuclear strikes. Their reconnaissance role was aided by cybernetic enhancements to their eyes.

Controls
Standard Confederate practice was to implant psychic dampeners into all ghosts to weaken and reshape their memories and as a safeguard, acting on the principle of neural resocialization; however these implants could be disabled.

Following the defection of Sarah Kerrigan, the Confederacy instituted a policy of memory wipes.

Designation
For the most part, ghosts are simply numbers or names. Under the Confederacy, all ghosts, regardless of whether they "graduated" or not, were assigned a standard number and/or agent number (an alpha-numeric code). The Dominion has retained this system, though has included the use of codenames. Few ghosts under the program have any memories of their former lives or even their names, especially after memory wipes became SOP (Standard Operating Procedure).

All ghosts possess a personal file, though the contents are restricted.

Psionic Powers


Ghosts have the ability to read minds but generally do not have the ability to block thoughts; ghosts find each other very easy to read. Ghosts and weaker psychics can detect other sources of psionic power.

Ghosts channeled their psionic energies through their hostile environment suit, a specialized skinsuit laced with psi-sensitive artificial muscle fiber, to augment their physical capabilities. A cloaking device and requisite power supply were frequently issued as well; the device requires psionic energy as a component.

Some ghosts have demonstrated a wider variety of powers. For instance, Sarah Kerrigan and Nova have demonstrated the ability to damage opponents' brains to the point of death. Nova can even kill multiple opponents while leaving someone in the midst of the attack unharmed.

Devon Starke has demonstrated the ability to project his thoughts, as well as remote viewing and psychometry. He and some other ghosts have also demonstrated the ability to plant suicidal and homicidal urges into an opponent's mind.

The Next Generation
Following the defection of Sarah Kerrigan, the Terran Confederacy instituted new controls on its ghosts. For instance, instead of relying on psychic dampeners, which could be disabled, the memory wipe technique was implemented.

Events
Following the Fall of Tarsonis, the Terran Dominion also instituted changes. The was moved to Ursa. Ghosts were portrayed as "superheroes" who served the Dominion. The Academy was "opened up" to make it seem more appealing. Students could even communicate with their parents before their impending memory wipe.

Arcturus Mengsk presided over a purge of former Confederate ghosts, ultimately eliminating half of them.

Ghost began disappearing in approximately 2503.

Capabilities
In addition to their previous abilities, ghosts were trained to combine psionics and technology to do things such as see through objects with heat vision. The powerful ghost Nova can use her hostile environment suit and psionic powers to greatly increase her speed and reflexes.

Ghosts also began using protoss-derived technology such as the psyblade.

Gestalts
Project Gestalt, lasting from 2502 to 2503, utilized cross-species tissue transplants, specifically implanting protoss tissue into a ghost, converting him into a gestalt. However, the project was terminated by the protoss.

Spectres

 * Main articles: Project Shadow Blade, Spectres

After the some ghosts were exposed to terrazine gas and jorium, substances known to drive genetic mutation in psychics. This was part of Project: Shadowblade. The results were "enhanced" ghosts known as spectres.

Other Faction Psychics
The Umojan Protectorate also uses psychics, called shadowguards. They have more freedom than those of the Terran Dominion.

Arsenal
In addition to the hostile environment suit, ghosts have been known to wield the following weapons:


 * AGR-14 rifle
 * BOSUN FN92 rifle
 * C-10 rifle
 * C-20A rifle
 * Combat knife
 * E-11 lockdown device
 * Psyblade
 * Tactical nuke launcher
 * Torrent SR-8 shotgun

StarCraft

 * For StarCraft gameplay information see: Ghost (StarCraft).
 * For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft Ghost Quotations.

StarCraft: Ghost

 * For StarCraft: Ghost information see: Ghost (StarCraft: Ghost).

The player-character in the game was a ghost named Nova. Ghosts were also a playable 'class' in multiplayer.

StarCraft II

 * For StarCraft II gameplay information see: Ghost (StarCraft II).
 * For StarCraft II in-game quotations see: StarCraft II Ghost Quotations.

Known Ghosts

 * ''Main article: List of terran ghosts

The following is a list of important ghosts and trainees grouped by latest affiliation.

Kimeran Pirates

 * Manic
 * Twitch

Terran Confederacy

 * Agent X81505M
 * Ghost No. 24506
 * Ghost No. 24718
 * Piett
 * John Raynor

Terran Dominion

 * Sarco Angelini
 * Aal Cistler
 * Andie Dessai
 * Delta Emblock
 * Ghost No. 15
 * MacGregor Golding (Alpha Squadron, formerly of the Confederacy)
 * Dori Koogler
 * Winlaleah Martine
 * Obi Minaya
 * Dylanna Okyl
 * Colin Phash
 * Devon Starke (Ghost #24876, formerly of the Confederacy)
 * Kath Toom
 * Lio Travski
 * Nova (Agent 12-862)

Other

 * Atticus Carpenter (Fist of Redemption, formerly of the Terran Confederacy)
 * Samir Duran (unknown race but poses as a terran, various factions, true allegiance to a "greater power")
 * Echo
 * Gestalt Zero (protoss/terran hybrid, formerly of the Dominion)
 * Ghost Brother (Church of Besainted Pelagius, formerly of the Confederacy)
 * Sarah Kerrigan (Sons of Korhal, formerly of the Confederacy)
 * Alexei Stukov (formerly of the United Earth Directorate)
 * "Unholy" Tara ("Unholy" Tara's Stalkers, mercenary)
 * Gabriel Tosh (Raynor's Raiders, formerly of the Confederacy and Dominion)
 * Kare Vaessen (Alliance)
 * Jenn the Vivacious (mercenary)
 * Welke (Hale's Commandos)

Trivia
Sarah Kerrigan's Ghost number designation, 24601, is a reference to the number Jean Valjean was designated as a prisoner in the Bagne de Toulon in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel/play Les Miserables.