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Ghost

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"You called down the thunder, now reap the whirlwind."
―Terran ghost[src]
Ghost
Species

Terran

Special Abilities

Psionic abilities, cloaking device, advanced special forces training


Ghosts are feared terran covert operatives. They are known for their skill, psionic powers and ability to cloak.[1]

Contents

[edit] Overview

A ghost

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.[1]

Ghosts are trained in target shooting, close-quarters combat (martial arts and possibly other techniques) and vehicular expertise.[2] 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.[3]

Ghosts were frequently tasked to locate targets for and provide targeting for tactical nuclear strikes. Their reconnaissance role was aided by cybernetic enhancements to their eyes.[1]

[edit] Controls

Standard Confederate practice was to implant psychic dampeners into all ghosts to weaken and reshape their memories[4] and as a safeguard,[1] acting on the principle of neural resocialization;[5] however these implants could be disabled.[4]

Following the defection of Sarah Kerrigan, the Confederacy instituted a policy of memory wipes.[2]

[edit] 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[4] 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).[2]

All ghosts possess a personal file, though the contents are restricted.[6]

[edit] Psionic Powers

Ghosts—psionic assassins
Main article: Psionic Powers

Ghosts have the ability to read minds[1] but generally do not have the ability to block thoughts; ghosts find each other very easy to read.[3] Ghosts and weaker psychics can detect other sources of psionic power.[4][2][7]

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.[8] A cloaking device and requisite power supply were frequently issued as well;[1] the device requires psionic energy as a component.[3][9]

Some ghosts have demonstrated a wider variety of powers. For instance, Sarah Kerrigan[5][4] 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.[2]

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.[10]

[edit] The Next Generation

Ghost guarding Arcturus Mengsk

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.[2]

Following the Fall of Tarsonis, the Terran Dominion also instituted changes.

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.[11][12] The powerful ghost Nova can use her hostile environment suit and psionic powers to greatly increase her speed and reflexes.[2]

Ghosts also began using protoss-derived technology such as the psyblade.[13]

Ghost began disappearing in approximately 2505.[14]

[edit] Ghost Enhanciles

[edit] 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.[15]

[edit] Spectres
Mysterious terran unit, possibly the spectre.
Main articles: Project Shadow Blade, Spectres

After the Brood War some ghosts were exposed to terrazine gas, a substance known to drive genetic mutation in psychics. This was part of General Horace Warfield's Project Shadow Blade. The result were "enhanced" ghosts known as spectres.[16]

[edit] Arsenal

In addition to the hostile environment suit, ghosts have access to the following weapons:

[edit] Units

[edit] StarCraft

A ghost
For StarCraft gameplay information see: Ghost (StarCraft).
For StarCraft in-game quotations see: StarCraft I Ghost Quotations.

[edit] StarCraft: Ghost

This article or section contains information about StarCraft: Ghost.
The content may be significantly out of date. Please do not add speculation to this article, and remember to cite a published source for details.

The ghost in 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.

[edit] StarCraft II

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

[edit] Known Ghosts

[edit] Major Ghost Characters

[edit] Other Ghosts

Unidentified female ghost
Main article: List of terran ghosts

[edit] References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 DeCandido, Keith R. A. (November 28, 2006). StarCraft: Ghost: Nova. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7134-2.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Grubb, Jeff (February 27, 2001). StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-671-04148-7.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Neilson, Micky (December 18, 2000). StarCraft: Uprising. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-1898-0 (eBook).
  5. 5.0 5.1 Neilson, Micky. "StarCraft: Hybrid." Amazing Stories 601 (Spring 2000): 70-75.
  6. Mesta, Gabriel. StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga. Pocket Books, 2001. ISBN 0-671-04149-5.
  7. Karune. 2008-03-26. StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 33: ScreenCraft. Battle.net StarCraft II General Discussion Forum. Accessed 2008-03-26.
  8. Ghost. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-08-10.
  9. Rosenberg, Aaron (June 1, 2006). StarCraft: Queen of Blades. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7133-4.
  10. Golden, Christie (November 27, 2007). StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga #2: Shadow Hunters. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-7434-7126-1.
  11. Source: BlizzCon 2005 StarCraft: Ghost information. Terran Infantry. Artist: Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-08.
  12. 2006-02-06. Psi Powers. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-01.
  13. Blevins, Tal. 2002-09-19. StarCraft: Ghost: Exclusive first details of Blizzard's big console shooter. IGN. Accessed 2007-09-01
  14. Pocket Books: Fall 2009. Simon & Schuster. Accessed 2009-04-12.
  15. Elder, Josh (w), Ramanda Kamarga (p), Angie Nathalia (i), Junadi (i). "Do No Harm." In StarCraft: Frontline: Volume 3 (paperback binding), pp. 48-89. Tokyopop, July 14, 2009. ISBN 978-1427-80832-5.
  16. 2006-02-15. Story. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-01.
  17. Blizzard Entertainment, Mass Media Inc. StarCraft 64. (Nintendo of America, Inc.) Mission: Resurrection IV (in English). 2000.
  • 2005-11-29. Ghost. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2007-09-06.
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