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.
As the city falls, the Marines abandon all pretense of following Urelis' orders and evacuate civilians by airlift. However, Braddock and his squad are left behind in a desperate fight for survival. Rutherford arrives on the scene to assist them, and they manage to reach a safe point. Meanwhile, as the marines return to their base, Braddock seeks solace in a story from his fellow soldier, but rejects any new tales and asks him to take his time.