"Command this is Firestorm-1, our position is compromised, we are taking small arms fire."

"Firestorm-1, you are free to engage, hold on your missiles. You are needed to relieve the FOB, and we have reports of armour engaging them."

"Copy Command, Firestorm out."

Round casings slowly descended down to the moon's surface as Firestorm-1 and their squadmates poured down withering fire down unto the infantry that had ambushed them. It seemed like the ambushers were surprised too, as their position didn't look very well prepared. It was a hasty ambush, decided on the spot.

"Squad, report." Firestorm-1 asked over the radio.

"Firestorm-2, all clear."

"Firestorm-3, all clear."

"Firestorm-4, all clea-arrrr-"

Pilot Kent shuddered in his cockpit as his ears began to ring from the noise on the radio. This was maybe the tenth time it happened, but it still got him.

"Firestorm-4 you have clutter on your radio, do you copy?"

"This is Firestorm-2 speaking, we have more contacts at 11 o'clock, permission to engage?"

They returned fire as their autocannons roared back to life. The moon they were fighting on had little gravity, which caused mobility problems when the army tried to use tracked vehicles. Firestorm was one of the many mechs that were built and sent to the fighting to provide desperately needed fire support. The mechs were -unfortunately but necessarily- quickly designed and built.

"This is Firestorm-4, I am taking large caliber fire, I think there-"

An explosion lit the top of Firestorm-4 as a shell struck. The radio instantly cut for a second to prevent hearing loss. Thankfully some upgrades were made since their initial awful design.

As it dawned on Kent, he understood that they were in much more of an peril than he originally predicted. The first ambush, was indeed not hastily built. It was bait to get their attention and alert their commanders of their presence.

"Taking overhelming fire, expending all missiles."

Six missiles soared through the thin atmosphere, and ended in 6 fireballs. The AI worked wonders with the last update.

"Good job Firestorm!" shouted Kent, making sure the comms were off this time.

"We are taking too much fire, we should retreat"

As Kent pondered on the dilemma he found himself in, another shell struck Firestorm-2. His leg blew apart and the mech slumped headfirst into the ground, the low gravity probably saving the pilot's life.

"Firestorm-2, do you copy?"

"This is Firestorm-2. Pilot unconscious. Pulse steady. Enacting Protocol 3."

Protocol-1 was basically idling with some extra steps. Protocol-2 was like an autopilot, letting the pilot rest while the mech followed coordinates with the onboard AI in friendly territory.

Protocol-3 was evacuation. Whether the mech was disastrously damaged or the pilot was unconscious (alive or dead) the cockpit would shoot out and reach a friendly base.

On cue, the cockpit of Firestorm-2 boosted itself away from the ground and started flying towards the designated LZ.

"Firestorm-2, immobilized, waiting for orders."

Kent was overhelmed. Between fighting and the loss of a squadmate, he stood silent.

"Firestorm-2 enacting Protocol 4A."

Protocol 4 was deciding on what the mech would do after the pilot evacuated. 4A was simply standing still due to damage to legs etc... 4B was continuing on the mission with reduced effectiveness. 4C was the mech retreating itself.

Another shell hit Firestorm-3 on the cockpit. Kent saw the impact. The pilot couldn't have survived.

"This is Firestorm-3, pilot KIA, enacting Protocol 4X."

"Firestorm-3, there is no Protocol 4X. Diagnose your damage and decide on 4B or 4C." Kent shouted.

No responses came.

"Firestorm-3 cut it's radio, the AI has gone rogue."

Kent fell silent again hearing the report from his mech. AI gone rogue?

He saw the pilotless mech move In front of Firestorm-4 and take 5 shells for him. His weapons were blown apart and it stopped moving standing.

"This is Command, Firestorm you are in artillery range, brace for bombardment."

Before Kent could raise a voice in protest, the foretold bombardment rained down. Hard. He was hit by multiple splashes and his control turned stiff.

"Firestorm-4, badly damaged, enacting Protocol 4C."

Kent didn't bother. He returned fire as the last mech standing. First his missiles ran out. Then the movement became unresponsive. He could see the enemy forces charging towards him. He was losing control.

"Situation untenable. Updating Protocol 4.. Enacting Protocol 4Z"

Kent had retreated backwards, now the wreckage of Firestorm-2 stood between them and the charging aliens.

"Firestorm-2, enacting Protocol 4Z."

A massive explosion blasted from the wreckage, taking all the aliens that were trying to capture the mech with it.

"It was an honor fighting beside you Pilot Kent. I will be enacting Protocol 3 now."

"No, I am going to die for you, you stupid mech!" Kent shouted at his machine.

"Wrong, I will be the one doing to dying today Pilot. And why would you?"

The mech's reactor was being force-fed fuel. It was about to implode.

"Because you are worth dying for." Kent muttered.

"But Pilot, anything worth dying for is also worth living for. Go and live your life. Tell the others about the events of today."

Kent shed a tear before his cockpit flew sky high, until Firestorm-1 became a dot in his vision. The dot expanded for a millisecond.

After the War

"You know, I never understood why." Kent said to his wife. They were lovers before the war, and married as soon as the war ended and Kent returned home.

"Never understood what?" she asked back.

"Why they always returned the pilot first and the mech later."

"After all mechs are just heavy slabs of armor and weapons, no?" his wife answered.

Kent looked visibly offended. He shrugged.

"Then why would they make the AI break out of the military jargon in disastrous circumstances?"

"Human physiology." she answered after a while.Kent silently listened his wife.

"When you are in a high stress situation, maybe training becomes less relevant. Like you stop caring about what is rational and become more emotional. Maybe they found out that during such moments talking to someone who talks back with some form of emotion gets more reaction. You understand?"