Tales of the Mimetic Badarses - Run from Paradise

Title: Tales of the Mimetic Badarses - Run from Paradise
Series: Battletech/Mechwarrior
Originally Published: April 2014, Classic Battletech Forums

Run From Paradise represents a major turning point in the Mimetic Badarses series, both from a writing perspective and an in-world one. From the latter, there's a definite shift to being on the offensive, fighting back and turning the conflict around to being on our heroes' terms for once. From a writing perspective, it's a major story arc change, moving in a new direction with an expanded and new supporting cast.

...naturally, this means there are a lot of character introductions, because it's me and it's what I do. Fortunately, the bulk of this chapter is action, something that has been in short supply of late, especially of the BattleMech variety. Plus some really lovely scenery and a massive technological construct who's fate may yet surprise you.

Tales of the Mimetic Badarses - Must Go Home

Title: Tales of the Mimetic Badarses - Must Go Home
Series: Battletech/Mechwarrior
Originally Published: January 2014, Classic Battletech Forums

Picking up almost directly after Fallout, Must Go Home originally grew out of that fic. Much of its first half had been intended as a second half for the rapidly-ballooning Fallout, only to be spun off into its own fic as things changed. The net result is that this chapter becomes one where a lot happens in big chunks. We move into a new story arc, we develop new goals, and character relationships and roles dramatically change, which in turn results in a very big fic.

So the chapter that grew out of a fic ballooning did, itself, balloon. Ironic.

However, for all that, the chapter covers a lot of important ground, both in terms of introducing content as well as moving the story further towards its eventual goal. It also serves as a way to show the changing fortunes of war, by returning to a location that had been featured earlier in the series, albeit under very different circumstances.

Tales of the Mimetic Badarses - Fallout

Title: Tales of the Mimetic Badarses - Fallout
Series: Battletech/Mechwarrior
Originally Published: December 2013, Classic Battletech Forums

Intended to be the end of one story arc and the beginning of the next, Fallout wound up being more of the former then the latter. Picking up directly after On The Edge Of The World, it served to wrap up that arc, as well as to develop the new shape of the characters and their relationships after the last few chapters. Finally, the chapter serves to also re-introduce a character who had been intended for a bigger part all along, but had wound up being squeezed out along the way. This happens a lot.

Following on the trend of the last few chapters, there is an acute lack of BattleMech action. Clearly I need to make up for this shortfall, and hope to do such in coming chapters. It does, however, provide a nicely circular route back to the situation at the start of Chasing Shadows, so that must count for something.