The sound of a blaring alarm woke Nivka from my sleep, and she jumped up, slamming her head into the top bunk. "FUCKING SHIT!" She cursed as she got out of bed. She already had fresh clothes on, so she didn't need to worry about that. She rushed out of the barracks.

  -S! REPEAT, ENEMY FORCES INBOUND. ALL PERSONNEL TO YOUR DESIGNATED AREAS!" The message repeated, and she rushed to the mech bay.

  "33rd, 33rd..." She muttered, finding the bay with her mech in it. She flew up the back of the mech, then hopped into the cockpit. The machine rumbled to life a second later, and she stood up.

  She hastily exited the bay, and went full speed out of the hanger. She wasn't the first, and she split off from the others in front and behind her.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  She was equipped with AA missiles, so she was assigned to the left side of an artillery position. She headed there, avoiding and being avoided by everything underneath her. She did some quick checks, and all was well. Full shields, ammo, and good power draw.

  She saw her post ahead, and made to swing around to not lose momentum. She eventually ended up at the artillery, and she halted. She called out her readiness on coms, and she waited.

  She scanned the sky's, making sure nothing was actually coming at them, and thought about her situation.

  This wasn't the first drill (hopefully) that they had done. It was the 6th. Every night, a siren would blare, a message would play, and we all scrambled. Occasionally they would live fire into targets during and after, but that has been life for more then half a week.

  It was good training, just tiring. And better then waking during a real assault, ambush, etc. Those sucked hard.

  Soon enough, the all clear called, and we were ordered back. She walked her mech back to the hanger, and prepared for the day.

  Tomorrow would be their last day before they were shipped out to wherever they were going. It was nerve racking. But, hopefully she would get one or two people with her. She could hope.