Quad Down

"Incoming!"
The mortar round hit with earth jarring impact. Jelial dropped to the deck as the explosion tore across the beach. The landing would be easy they said. 'Unopposed' had been the word that command had used.
"Unopposed my ass." snarled Jelial.
"Specialist! Get to Quad Bravo!"
"Yes Sergeant!"
Jelial was on his feet again scrambling towards the massive quadrupedal mechanized weapons platforms. It's main gun chattered away, the autocannon sending rounds downrange at the unseen targets in the mist. He brought out his technical kit and plugged it into the jack on the leg of Bravo Quad.
"Hey Gabby."
"Jelial, get out of my head." snarled the ex-con.
"Sergeant said you've got issues."
"Yeah no shit. People are trying to blow me up!" snarled the Quad's disembodied pilot.
"A little more help would be appreciated." Jelial growled as another mortar round struck the ground nearby.
"Left leg, actuator is having issues." Gabby said.
Jelial followed the routing to the actuator software. There it was, corrupt coding. He applied a patch right then and there.
"How's that then?"
"Brilliant, now get clear."
"Roger that I—"
"Scatch that, get under!" Gabby shouted.
Jelial didn't need to be told twice, he dove under the Quad's torso as it lowered down and sealed him in an armored tomb. Something heavy hit then and for a moment he wondered if he'd be crushed beneath the weight of the Quad. The mortar strike was over as soon as it began.
"Gabby, can you hear me?"
"Y—yeah, I'm here." Gabby said heavily.
"You alright?"
"Everything hurts...Jelial, help."
"Plugging in now."
He dove into Gabby's hardware and swore, the upper structure was shot to pieces. Software was still functioning. Wetware...he swore again.
"Gabby?"
"It hurts..." she murmured, the rock-hard ex-con sounded like a frightened little girl.
"Your brain box is damaged."
"Am—am I dying again?"
He bit his lip but nodded. "Yes."
"Shit...shit not again." she was panicking now. "It hurts."
"I can end it." he offered gently.
There was silence then, but a moment later, Gabby spoke again.
"Yeah, yeah that'd be nice...can you stay with me?"
"Yes, I'll be right here." he began to shut down Gabby's brain for the second—and last—time in her life. "Subroutines coming down now."
"Hey Jelial...you know why I'm here?"
"Because you're a criminal." he answered simply as he continued shutting down her system.
Gabby's mind laughed despite the pain she must be experiencing. "I stabbed a man for a fucking cigarette, and when he was down...I kept stabbing. Guard shot me right there." she murmured as more of her systems failed and Jelial continued the shut down process.
"You saved my life."
"Yeah, yeah I did...guess that makes me a good person."
Jelial took a deep breath. "Goodbye Gabby."
"See you." she said as he killed the last system keeping her brain functioning.
The Quad shut down around him and Jelial took over remote control, entering in a basic combat pattern. With a roar, the Quad rose back to its feet and began firing once more.
"Specialist! Report?"
"Pilot down, remote control established Sergeant."
"Well get us some damned suppressive fire on that ridge line then!"
"Roger that sir!"