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 reptilian in appearance, and have a specialized "heat gland" which is primarily used for torture/interrogation of prisoners. This gland gives them the ability to project searing waves of heat through their hands or faces. Some Scarrans also appear to possess the ability to make people tell the truth in a fashion linked to their heat-projecting ability, and it is either biological or technological in nature, but is never clearly defined in the series. (Note that the Scarran/Sebacean hyrbrid Scorpius was immune to this ability). Scarrans are, on average, taller and bigger than Humans and Sebaceans, and they possess natural armoring, which gives them resistance to most small-arms fire. They also outnumber Peacekeepers 10 to 1 in overall population.

Scarran fleets are based around massive dreadnoughts. Scarran dreadnoughts mount considerable firepower and at points have taken on fleets. Scarran dreadnoughts can also carry enough troops to subdue small planets, and are much larger than Sebacean Command Carriers.

Scarran society is divided into fairly rigid castes, with an Emperor as their leader. High-ranking Scarrans look somewhat more humanoid, possessing normally proportioned heads--the faces of the actors are in the same place as the faces of the Scarrans they portray. Lower caste Scarrans have an elongated head, and are sometimes referred to as "long-faced". The actors who portray them wear animatronic heads above their own heads, which are disguised as part of the Scarran's neck, with artificial shoulders next to the top of the actor's head. The upper class is (on average) more intelligent. All of the Scarrans seem to have a high vocabulary and speak in very efficient and short phrases.

The Scarrans use the Kalish as techs and bureacrats. They are also allies with the Charrid race and often use them as shock troops to augment their military forces. Scarran security is monitored by Kalish and enforced by Charrids.

One of the primary means of Scarran advancement is by the use of Crystherium utilia. Similar to Earth's bird of paradise flowers, the plant increases Scarran brain mass when eaten. This allows "short-faced" Scarrans to increase their knowledge base and evolve past their reptilian 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 and fortify those planets.

They established the secret base of their empire on the planetoid Katrazi, which disguises its presence by mimicking the orbit of one of the moons of Trulask. Katratzi, which can grow the crystherium, is guarded by outposts on the Scarran border that inspect all incoming ships for contraband and parasites.

The hostilities between the Scarrans and Sebaceans breaks out into open conflict when Scorpius leads a pre-emptive strike on a Scarran battle-group.

Throughout the duration of the war the Scarrans are victorious for the most part, conquering many systems under Peacekeeper control. However, the war is later brought to a halt with no victor when John Crichton utilises a wormhole weapon with the potential to destroy the galaxy in order to frighten both sides into signing a peace treaty.