Scarran

The Scarrans are a fictional alien race from the Farscape universe.

Scarrans are enemies of the Peacekeepers in a pseudo-cold war. They are reptillian in appearance, and have a specialized "heat gland" which is primarily used for torture/interrogation of prisoners. Scarran size averages larger than Humans and Sebaceans, and they posess natural armoring, which makes them impervious to most small-arms fire.

Scarran fleets are based around massive dreadnoughts. Scarran dreadnoughts mount massive firepower and at points have taken on fleets. Scarran dreadnoughts can also carry enough troops to subdue small planets.

Scarran society is divided into fairly rigid castes. High-ranking Scarrans look somewhat more humanoid, posessing normally proportioned heads. Lower caste Scarrans have an elongated head, and are sometimes referred to as "long-faced". The upper class is (on average) more intelligent. Scarrans do keep slaves, the Kalish being a prime example. The Charrid race supplies the Scarran military with mercenaries.

One of the primary means of Scarran advancement is by the use of crystherium utilia. Similar to flowers found on Earth, the plant increases Scarran brain mass when eaten. This allows "short-faced" Scarrans to increase their knowledge base and evolve past their reptillian roots. Crystherium requires the nurture of a mother plant to prosper. The Scarrans do their best to protect the mother plant, even installing elaborate shield systems for protection. The flower only grows on a very rare selection of worlds. Naturally, the Scarrans have done their utmost to colonize those planets.

They established the secret base of their empire on the planet Katratzi, which disguises its presence by mimicing the orbit of one of the moons of Trulask. Katratzi, a planet which can grow the crystherium, is guarded by an outpost that inspects all incoming ships for contraband and parasites. Scarran security is monitored by Kalish and enforced by Charids.

((Spoiler)) The cold war between the Scarrans and Sebaceans broke out into open conflict when Scorpius led an attack on some Scarran dreadnoughts. However, the war was later ended with no victor when John Crichton threatened both sides with a wormhole weapon.