Yuuno Scrya, The Scarlet Scarab.

[Emerald Oracle]

So, as a result of recent discussions in the general ideas thread I thought to post a thread for the idea itself.

Yuuno Scrya is magi-tech Indiana Jones, poking his nose into places containing weird and powerful relics of uncertain origin and tremendous destructive potential. He's also a gifted mage who never pursues a Device after he hands his over to Nanoha.

The idea is that on one of his many archeological expeditions Yuuno comes across one of the traps that the alien species known as the Reach like to set up. These traps are designed to appear to the natives of a planet as ancient ruins of indeterminate age and are baited with one of the Reach's trademark Scarabs, devices that are a fusion of technology and biology and take unwitting hosts to create an infiltration tool and weapon capable of subduing a planet.

Upon discovering the Scarab within this particular ruin though Yuuno is not immediately transformed into its meat puppet as he normally would be. The Reach, and by extension their Scarabs, have almost no experience with magic as an actual thing that exists, and so Mid-Childa and its magic-based development throws the regular conquest plan right out the window.

Will Yuuno break free from the Scarab? Will The Reach launch an invasion of Mid-Childa? and who will notice something is not quite right with the Infinite Librarian?

This thread is for discussion of the idea and for posting snippets for those so inspired.

 

[MastaofBitches]

I suppose the first question that needs to be asked, is when in the series, would it be best for this to take place.

 

[Hoki]

I suggest in between Vivid-Force. After all, It'd be easy to write Yuuno going out for an archaeological dig as part of his duties as a scholar, while the others are still not involved with whatever shit that happened in Force, and the Vivid storyline would have been over by then.

 

[jaredstar]

as i recall some versions of the reach like to make it so that said host becomes a hero of his/her people so maybe before things go to crap on the scarab side of things yunno could take the fight to the Huckebein

 

[MastaofBitches]

But that's still The Scarab controlling the body, against the host's wishes, and would be a major warning flag to the TSAB that something's up.

 

[Emerald Oracle]

I'm way more informed on the DC end than the Nanoha one so I'll leave that decision to those better equipped.

Well, to what degree are we going to have the Scarab be intact? completely, partially, halfsies, what? There's ways to swing it depending on what we decide. For the purposes of a story that doesn't immediately end with Yuuno being used as a murder-puppet we should probably go with some level of damage, maybe a bit less than the comic Scarab was but more than the YJ one? To the point that the Scarab knows what it's supposed to do, is more or less wiilling to do so, but has free will and can be convinced it shouldn't over time.

 

[MastaofBitches]

I've only seen A's(and I'm going no further than that) so I can't really comment on that either. But the YJ Scarab couldn;t forcefully control Jaime's body, and had to have him give control over Manually, and even then, he could take it back easily. That in mind, it kinda takes away some potential drama, and the possibility of The Scarab using Yuuno influence, to trick Mid-Chilida into inviting The Reach.

 

[Emerald Oracle]

hm, well neither Jaime had the Scarab straight up take over, at least until the Reach fixed the YJ one, the difference in damage i was speaking of was that the YJ Scarab knows what it's for from day one, but in the Comics it's more damaged than that and mostly functions as a broken supercomputer, plus the whole mad on for Green Lanterns.

Now that you mention it, considering it's an infiltrator it isn't likely to go murder-puppet quite as fast as I assumed, and it probably would make a better story for the Scarab to be less damaged, or maybe even undamaged. We could then follow the battle in Yuuno's mind while the Scarab has issues posing as him because it can't access his Linker Core so it can't just straight up sublimate him if it wants to pass in Mid-Childa.

 

[MastaofBitches]

Are we thinking of different YJ? I was referring to the cartoon, where The Scarab is apparently unaware, as opposed to what it was like in the comic version.

That's actually what I originally had in mind when I suggested the idea. With Yuuno as an unwilling double agent, fighting a losing battle to regain his body from an enemy nobody is even aware of, and could easily be as big a threat as any they've previously fought. He's the only one who can do anything, and he's failing. With The Scarab, and whichever Reach member is controlling it doing their best to break down his resistance, while The Scarab observes the way the mages treat their devices, as opposed to the way it's treated by The Reach.

 

[Emerald Oracle]

For some reason my head canon of the Cartoon Scarab was, it knows what's what it just isn't telling Jaime. I mean it didn't seem surprised by any of the Reach stuff and seemed a lot more bloodthirsty than in the comics. I'll admit thought that maybe colored by the fact that for the first couple years in Canon the Scarab was unintelligible to the audience and it's been awhile since I read it. I may thus be somewhat confused between what actually happens and what my own memories say, I'll need to go back over it.

As far as your idea though, that overall seems pretty good! The only issue I see is that the only time the Reach has direct control of a Scarab is when they're actively invading a planet, otherwise the Scarabs act as independent infiltrators. The reason Earth, and by extension Mid-Childa, have a shot is that the Reach as a whole don't invade immediately after the Scarab becomes active, it takes awhile after it becomes active for them to react, a time in which the Reach expect the Scarab to be inserting itself into local power structures and such.

I like the idea that Yuuno is fighting in his mind to get control of his body and the Scarab is fighting destroy his resistance and at the same time both are learning about one another.

The first arc of the story will probably be similar to Blue Beetle was, i.e. Yuuno and the Scarab hashing out their relationship and figuring out how they're dealing with one another while dealing with Yuuno's life and general weird happenings. It will be a bit more violent than Khaji-Dha and Jaime were though methinks. Then, just when they've maybe reached a working relationship BAM! in come the Reach. Who would doubtless find fertile markets in Mid-Childa as well as ample ways to disguise their tech as Lost Logia.

 

[MastaofBitches]

For some reason my head canon of the Cartoon Scarab was, it knows what's what it just isn't telling Jaime. I mean it didn't seem surprised by any of the Reach stuff and seemed a lot more bloodthirsty than in the comics. I'll admit thought that maybe colored by the fact that for the first couple years in Canon the Scarab was unintelligible to the audience and it's been awhile since I read it. I may thus be somewhat confused between what actually happens and what my own memories say, I'll need to go back over it.

As good an excuse as any to rewatch a good show. I just figured it didn't know, because it had been on earth for who-knows-how-many years, and nothing ever happened, even when it's original host used it.

Plus, it didn't seem to know what "On Mode" meant, since it adopts Impulses "Mode = Bad" policy.

As far as your idea though, that overall seems pretty good! The only issue I see is that the only time the Reach has direct control of a Scarab is when they're actively invading a planet, otherwise the Scarabs act as independent infiltrators. The reason Earth, and by extension Mid-Childa, have a shot is that the Reach as a whole don't invade immediately after the Scarab becomes active, it takes awhile after it becomes active for them to react, a time in which the Reach expect the Scarab to be inserting itself into local power structures and such.

That's the only time we see them directly controlling a Scarab, but I doubt that's the only time they can control a Scarab.

I like the idea that Yuuno is fighting in his mind to get control of his body and the Scarab is fighting destroy his resistance and at the same time both are learning about one another.

Yeah, I admit, I quite like those kinds of plots. Mostly because they usually lead up to the "Protagonist" coming within an inch of losing, only for their friends to show up, or their memories of them, to show up and reinvigorate them.

The first arc of the story will probably be similar to Blue Beetle was, i.e. Yuuno and the Scarab hashing out their relationship and figuring out how they're dealing with one another while dealing with Yuuno's life and general weird happenings. It will be a bit more violent than Khaji-Dha and Jaime were though methinks. Then, just when they've maybe reached a working relationship BAM! in come the Reach. Who would doubtless find fertile markets in Mid-Childa as well as ample ways to disguise their tech as Lost Logia.

The only real problem I see, is that without people knowing that The Reach are evil, The Reach are very likely to get away with their plans.

Also:

 

[MastaofBitches]

You know, I had a thought about how to include the materials in this. It would be majorly AU, but that's a given. Anyway, what I was thinking, is possibly having them be from a Bad End future, similarly to Impulse. Due to years of undercover sabotage of the TSAB by the Scarab Infiltrator, when The Reach invaded Mid-Chilida, The Aces, and most of the other heavy hitters are killed. Years later, the pitiful remnants of the TSAB attempt to turn strike back at The Reach by cloning The Aces.

It works, to a degree, but by then, it's too little, too late. As a final, last ditch effort they manage to send The Materials into the past, with the intention of stopping, if not the invasion itself, the sabotage that lead to the deaths of their most powerful fighters.

 

[lhklan]

Or, instead of JUST having the TSAB create the clone, why not make it the Gears of Destiny timeline? A combination of gratitude for Nanoha gang, the Reach threatening to destroy the planet they worked so hard to rebuild make the Materials, UD and the Florians sisters teams up with the TSAB. But by then it's too late, and they decided to dug up the old time machine that they used during the GoD game to go back to the past once more.

 

[MastaofBitches]

I've never even heard of "Gears of Destiny" and if it was in the anime, then I've clearly forgotten.

But that sounds better than what I wrote.

 

[Nanya]

I've never even heard of "Gears of Destiny" and if it was in the anime, then I've clearly forgotten.

But that sounds better than what I wrote.

PSP fighting game.

Playable characters
Nanoha
Fate
Hayate
Vita
Signum
Shamal
Zafira
Chrono
Reinforce Eins
Yuuno
Lieze Twins
Kyrie
Amitie
Touma
Vivio
Einhart
Stern
Levi
Dearche
Yuri
Precia
Linith

 

[MastaofBitches]

Ah, alrighty then. The only problem I see with using Gears of Time, is that there would be two versions of The Materials running around, wouldn't there?

 

[Emerald Oracle]

Well, what narrative purpose are we having by them coming in? and where in the timeline are they coming in? I have no problem including them, they're interesting characters, I'd just like to know when and why, and I personally have little knowledge of their actual canon characteristics.

As far as 'knowing the reach are evil' thing goes, I figure that it'd be just Yuuno to start. The first arc of the overall story is him and the Scarab getting a working relationship and the Scarab realizing, oh hey I can be a PERSON instead of a weapon of mass destruction for the Reach. The Scarab still does unpleasant stuff and this arc may involve Yuuno losing credibility if he's revealed as the Scarlet Scarab. When the Reach arrive at the start of Arc 2, Yuuno and the Scarab are on the same page and know that these strange visitors are Bad News but have difficulty convincing the TSAB for whatever reason. Maybe their warnings combined with the Reach's cultural unfamiliarity with magic are enough to stop/slow the Reach to begin with but it's looking like a long term bad situation and Yuuno and the Scarab need to figure something more long term out.


Also Nice Pic MoB!

 

[MastaofBitches]

Well, originally, they were going to be an extra layer of conflict, for what would have been a rather slow beginning. Sort of like a fusion of Impulse and the Terminator, going back in time to either eliminate Yuuno, or return control of his body, to him. Also, I don't think we're still on the same page here.

 

[Emerald Oracle]

Alright, I was thinking about this the other day, and while I haven't exactly figured out any of the whys and wherefores (I still don't know much Nanoha), here's a possible intro/beginning snippet to get people's brain boxes sparking.

Long ago, deep within the Second Space Sector, there existed an ancient culture known as the Reach. They grasped for the stars, creating an interstellar empire based on trade and capitalism that could spread their influence across a multitude of planets without attracting negative attention from their more enlightened contemporaries. After all, if a planet invited them in, it wasn't an invasion now was it? It surely wasn't the Reach's fault if those same planets ended up bound in financial servitude, that was just age and 'good business sense' winning out over youth and skill. The primary means that the Reach used to spread their influence were the Scarabs.

Bioengineered lifeforms native to the Reach's space sector, the Scarabs were capable of forming a symbiotic link with a host sentient, fusing with them to create a powerful combatant and infiltrator to serve the Reach. Most of the time these Scarabs were placed in Reach constructed artificial ruins, a setting that would attract the interest of the academically inclined, but not the martially skilled. The Scarab would bond with its host and go forth to begin the Reach's work upon the target world. Usually this worked without a hitch, most world's targeted by the Reach had no way to defend against them, what defense would an ancient Egyptian have against an atomic bomb? Sometimes though, sometimes things didn't go according to plan.

Unadministered World 2814

Yuuno Scrya was having a good day. He was back in the field for the first time in months. It wasn't that the Infinite Library wasn't a blessing, but it felt good to get back to archeology, it was what he was trained for after all! It felt especially good to be doing so here. It was the sort of site that most could only dream of, he was excavating a new set of ruins completely distinct from any of the historical architecture. There was no record of how this temple had come to be in the local dialects, it was as though it were the remnant of a forgotten people. There was no way to know what he might learn here, the secrets and history he might discover, and that thrill of knowledge unknown and forgotten was burning in his bones again.

 

[MastaofBitches]

Ah, poor poor Yuuno. You just have the worst luck.

 

[Emerald Oracle]

Unfortunately, without really pinning down where in Nanoha this happens I didn't want to go any further. Also, considering that the Scarab in question is Red... and that theoretically that means its from the Mirror Universe... Clearly these Reach are Communists! Regular reach are died in the wool nasty Capitalist imperials, clearly their Mirror Universe counterparts that created the Scarlet Scarabs are benificent and truly symbiotic! Filled with tools of creation and uplift that strive to bring sentient life across the universe to the exalted tech level of the Reach (or possibly the Grasp if we're going with Mirror Universe names).

OR, if we don't want to deal with Mirror Universe shenanigans (it would be unnecessarily complex) we could just have the color change be a result of whatever Magic was done to the Scarab to make it not immediately implant one of the natives and call the Reach.

So, any thoughts anyone?

 

[MastaofBitches]

Or just make it a Red Scarab because aesthetics. There's a Blue, a Green and a Black Scarab after all.

 

[Emerald Oracle]

So, Bumping the thread, because I posted the idea over in the SB DCU Ideas thread. I'm not sure on the etiquette about cross-board shenanigans, but I thought I'd mention it to see if we could get it going again.

 

[MastaofBitches]

By SB, I take it you mean SpaceBattles? I don't think there is cross-board etiquette. I mean, I can't see how it would work personally, outside of everyone migrating from one thread to another.

 

[Emerald Oracle]

Eh, I know that in some places they don't like linking to other boards or something, so I didn't know what the situation was. Also, yes, I meant spacebattles. Though I don't know if migration is a thing that happened since this thread is pretty dead.