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Ghosts are a race of ethereal beings composed of coherent energy of an unknown kind, and are the sole inhabitants of PSR J2241+19C, which they call Valish. They are able to survive the planet's inhospitable climate by thriving in and feeding upon the pulsar's electromagnetic radiation. They can assume a corporeal form by using the ability to shift between energetic and material compositions, or they can possess individuals to communicate. Because they are a power-hungry race, they prefer the latter method of communication due to the fact that it generates an atmosphere of fright. In their energetic forms, they are able to interact tangibly with matter.
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Not much is known about the Ghosts, particularly about their origins. But they claim to have shed their physical bodies (much like Ascension in the Stargate universe) so that they could survive their star's supernova. As Liam, one of the more friendly Ghosts, tells it, in order to save their planet, they encompassed it in the most powerful energy shield they could build. When the star exploded, the shockwave nearly buckled the shield, but it survived, preventing the planet from vaporization. Their planet is the only fully intact one in the system, with the others being nothing but loose collections of fragments, which impact the surface from time to time. The pulsar's radiation has killed everything but the Ghosts, leaving the planet a barren wasteland with nothing but scorched ground and crumbling cities.
In their energetic forms, Ghosts are barely visible, but because they are coherent energy, they bend light that passes through them, creating the spectral image for which they are named. In their corporeal forms, they are humanoid and have white skin, black hair, and blank eyes that have neither iris nor pupil. They are generally tall and thin, with angular facial structures. They do assume separate male and female forms, suggesting that they still must reproduce sexually (Liam explained that they are not immortal as they claim to be).
As energy beings, they are able to possess the bodies of sentient and non-sentient life forms. Generally, the victims have no control over the situation, but the stronger-minded, particularly hra'vakh and higher-evolved humans, can resist possession or cast out the Ghost. One notable example is of Abigail Zuckerman, possessed by a Ghost named Shyra, Liam's mate. She drove Shyra out, but at the same time, Shyra demonstrated another of the Ghosts' unique abilities: when necessary, the Ghost can completely remove the consciousness from a victim's body, leaving the body in a coma. Only upon reinsertion will the victim regain consciousness.
Ghosts thrive on the energy given off by their pulsar of a sun. Because of this, they are able to drain energy of various types from various sources. For instance, a Ghost can drain the power from a battery by coming in contact with it. This enables them to drain power to sabotage, prevent surges, and for many other applications. When the party of Ghosts boarded the Halcyon, they took their sustenance from the reactor, making several of them drunk. Liam chose wisely and took only what he needed. He later died of massive energy overload after he saved the reactor from destruction by absorbing the excess produced by the other Ghosts' sabotage. The effect of consuming too much energy is similar to having extremely high blood alcohol levels.
In early 2042, the Terran ship Halcyon, using an inaccurate course plotting system, came out of hyperspace near PSR J2241+19. High Commander Sishese saw it as an opportunity to expand the horizon a bit, and sent a detachment of troops to board the ship and wreak havoc. When the Halcyon jumped back into hyperspace, the Ghost stowaways went with it. Presuming them lost, High Commander Sishese vowed to find his comrades and punish the ones who took them.
Meanwhile, aboard the Halcyon, the passengers and crew began to visually and aurally hallucinate, and to exhibit symptoms similar to demon possession. It wasn't until one of the Ghosts possessed the Hydroponics Officer, Abigail Zuckerman, that anybody knew about the stowaways. Her possession was different in that the Ghosts actually did so in order to communicate with the Terrans in a way that would instill fear. Finally, after their goal was accomplished, the Ghosts stopped possessing people and revealed their corporeal forms.