Is some of the Bolo novels/short story compilations a bolo is powered down and scrapped but since the armor is what it is the tank is simply abandoned. Then occassionally something causes a reboot of the higher brain functions of the AI and these scrapped tanks will endeavor to fulfill their missiion to protect humanity. In one story an irradiated bolo had been ordered to power down and a concrete sarcophagus was built around it. 90 years latter the deng invade the colonial gov sends out an alert which was detected by automatic systems on the bolo which then triggered a reboot of active AI functions and a world that thought they were defenseless suddenly had a defender. Translating this to SF- pcs scout ship enters orbit of an inhabitable world and triggers automated Systems that wake a bolo/ogre/ starmist sized tank which employs is main gun for orbital defense (an ability in latter mark bolos). This damages the scout ship and forces it to land for repairs. Not only do the pcs have to effect repairs but they will need to figure out how to deal with the artifacts of war left on this world where the inhabitants have killed each other off (mostly- could be barbaric remnantz of the former combatants. Could also be some sathar or pirates also shot down who would view the PCs ship as a means of escape.
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