A/N: Here's another Chapter! Hope you enjoy...BTW, I need some suggestions for Sanghelli names for my upcoming Halo:Defection story. If I like them, I'll use them and give you credit for them. I need at least four or five names.

Chapter 14

The Hunter

Munro, Murphy and the Chief stepped off the lift into the cargo bay they had passed through on the way in. With military professionalism the three commandos swept the area quickly. The Chief and Murphy were on the lower level while Munro swept the upper ledge. Then he heard the sound of footsteps.

"Who's there?" he asked

"Alex? What's wrong?" asked Telsia

"I thought I heard something." Munro replied

Then he heard the voice. "I am the Hunter...you are my prey..."

Munro whipped around, rifle up.

There was a Hirogen standing right behind him.

"I am no one's prey." Munro said defiantly

"I have been tracking you since you entered our hunting grounds. Your performance has been exemplary you shall be a challenging prey." the Hunter said then disappeared in a manner not unlike Munro's active camouflage system.

On the floor below, Murphy and the Chief both had their weapons aimed at the Hunter as he cloaked and kept them up as they searched for him. "No sign of him on thermal." said the Chief

"I'll take care of him. You and Telsia get to the rendezvous." replied Munro

"We won't leave you behind." said Murphy

"Don't worry, I'll be right behind you." Munro replied

He nodded to the Chief who tapped Murphy on the shoulder both of them left the cargo bay and got back to the rendezvous. Munro was left alone in the cargo bay with the invisible Hunter.

"Come out come out wherever you are..." Munro said, weapon raised and scanning.

A flicker of motion caught his attention and his rifle swung in that direction. A burst of fire impacted the Hunter's shields, revealing his position. A longer burst forced him to take cover as his shield drained.

"Your skull will make an excellent trophy for my wall!" yelled the Hunter who quickly fired back using some kind of gattling gun.

Munro took cover behind some boxes. Then leaned around a corner and fired another longer burst of ten rounds. The rounds impacted the Hunter's shields forcing him to take cover again. Munro tossed a flashbang, then moved in quickly and disarmed the Hunter.

With the Hunter's own weapon, Munro held him at gunpoint. "The hunt...is over...you have become the prey." said Munro

"You are the victor." replied the Hunter.

In a flash Munro flipped the gatling gun over and presented it, grip-first to the Hunter. "Nice weapon." He said, then pulled his fist back and punched the Hunter in the face.

The Hunter was out cold.

Munro quickly moved to the door but it was locked. Then he heard Klingon voices on the other side.

"What's going on in there?...Open this door...who's in there?...You! cut this door down." one said

Then Munro saw sparks coming from the door. He quickly crouched behind a crate not far from the door and reloaded his weapon. Then he pulled out a flashbang and waited until the door exploded outward. He tossed the grenade which exploded in the middle of about a half-dozen Klingons and disoriented them. Then Munro rose up and with quick controlled bursts put each of them down. He then moved down the corridor, putting down another half-dozen enemies with short controlled bursts.

He reached the smaller cargo bay he had passed through when he first entered the base. From the other end came a flurry of scavenger rifle fire. He quickly pulled back around the corner and reloaded his weapon. Then, in a lull in the firing he sprinted to a crate roughly half-way through the bay. He tossed a photon grenade to the other end, heard a yell then a pair of Klingons were vaporized. Munro moved up again and took down two more Klingons in the next corridor.

He moved to the door to the bridge.

It opened.

Time seemed to slow as a Klingon with a dagger tried to stab him overhead.

His training kicked in.

He swung the battle rifle's stock into the Klingon's head. The knife dropped from the Klingons hand and Munro put a burst of fire into the Klingon while he was dazed.

The Klingon dropped like a rock.

In minutes Munro was back at the rendezvous.

Foster and the Chief nodded and Foster spoke. "All right that's everyone. Activate the pattern enhancers, I've got the isodesium." he said

Munro, Murphy and the Chief knelt and activated the pattern enhancers.

As soon as they activated, six Borg drones beamed in.

At once weapons raised and fired. Three drones went down almost immediately. One drone swung a large arm at the Chief who blocked it and held it there, then pushed the drone away and backed off. Another drone walked up behind Foster, who was firing a compression rifle at a third drone. That drone had adapted to the frequency and was unharmed. Munro saw the drone behind Foster and tried to get a shot off. But before he could pull the trigger Foster, the isodesium and two drones were beamed out.

"Where did they come from?" asked Telsia

With resignation, Munro tapped his combadge. "Munro to Voyager...four to beam back." he said quietly.

Commander Tuvok stood in the transporter room. The operator saw that one was wounded and reported this to Tuvok. "Sir, one of them is wounded, it's Odell." he said

"Beam the wounded directly to sickbay." replied Tuvok

Three people appeared on the transporter pad. They stepped down and approached Tuvok. "Where is Lt. Foster? Would you mind explaining exactly what happened?" asked Tuvok

"We don't know where they came from sir, but six Borg drones beamed in when we activated the pattern enhancers." Munro replied

"They took Foster and the isodesium." Telsia said

"Could you not have prevented the Borg from taking the isodesium?" Tuvok asked

"Sir, none of us had a clear shot past Lt. Foster. Three of the drones went down immediately, but the last ones adapted to the phaser rifles of the team. They were in and out before we could react." said the Chief

"Mrs. Murphy you are dismissed." said Tuvok.

"Mr. Munro, prepare a full report. I will summon you both when we determine what action to take." said Tuvok.

As Tuvok walked out, Munro turned to the Chief. "You know I didn't have a clear shot." he said

"I know Munro, it's not your fault. But at least we know my weapons are effective against them." replied the Chief

"I guess you're right...I should go make out that report." Munro said quietly, then left the transporter room.

To tell the truth, the Chief was slightly shaken as well. He had never had a mission fail at the very end like this one had. Not only did they lose the isodesium, but Foster had been captured and was possibly being assimilated right now.