As the city falls the marines give up even the pretense of obeying Urelis and escort civilian evacuees to an airlift to safety, but Braddock and his squad are caught in a rearguard action, cut off, and stranded. Rutherford parachutes down to assist, and together they fight their way to a pick-up point. As the marines return to the station, an exhausted Braddock asks his chatty colleague for a story, rejects hearing any of the new ones, and tells him to take his time.
The Marines surrender their allegiance to Urelis and evacuate civilians by airlift, leaving Braddock and his squad stranded and fighting for survival. Rutherford arrives to aid them, and they reach a safe point. Meanwhile, as the marines return to base, Braddock seeks comfort in a story from his comrade but rejects any new tales and asks him to take his time.