I don't own them? Thanks for ruining my day!

"If I could start again a million miles away…." the man trailed off and stared into the darkness.

The half moon cast a shadow over his face as he turned from the warmth of the fire. The memory of his story made the young woman sitting across from him move farther away from the fire too, but it wasn't the icy cold of the desert night that sent shivers down her spine.

She thought briefly of running away, but she didn't know where she was much less how to find her way home. The stars above were shrouded by the accursed darkness. In the distance she heard a long bloodcurdling howl echoing down a nearby canyon, wolves. The world, it seemed, was against her.

She sighed and began to study the man before her. He was tall and muscular. She shivered again; those hands could snap her neck like a twig. His face was hard as stone, though his eyes showed her no reason to be afraid. Tomorrow they would make their exodus from the desert and make their way to the city. She turned over on the hard ground tying to find a comfortable spot to stretch out, but she never took her eyes off of the man. She still wasn't sure if she trusted him.

----------

"Samantha? Samantha wake up."

Sam rolled over onto her back and stretched. She could smell breakfast cooking on the fire, eggs.

She sighed, three weeks of eating nothing but eggs had turned her against them. She would be glad to finally add some variety to her diet once they safely arrived in the city at nightfall.

"Here eat something; we still have a lot of ground to cover before we reach the capital."

Sam reluctantly took the plate he offered her.

"I'm sorry about this. I would like to keep you but…" He trailed away.

Sam looked up to study the man's face.

She was his slave, and had been for the past three months after a mission went awry. He was a good master but he needed the money so he was selling her to the highest bidder.

Sam cringed as she thought about who that bidder might be. Most likely one of the system lords that frequented the slave markets of this world.

"Let's go."

Sam slung the packs over her shoulders and took up her place walking behind her master.

By the time they reached the walled city she was ready to collapse from exhaustion and hunger.

Her master turned to look at her once more.

"I'm sorry. I hope that your new master is as kind to you as I was." He reached up and removed his slave collar from her neck, then he took the packs from her, and without so much as a goodbye he disappeared out of the slave pens.

----------

Sam didn't recognize the name of the system lord that she now belonged to. He was probably just a lackey for one of the big bads.

She sat in the holding cell and fiddled absently with the jewel in her new slave collar, wonder what purpose it served, when the door opened. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized the Goa'uld standing before her.

Quickly she looked down to hid her expression, but as she was led out into the bright sunlight she couldn't help but feel a sense of hope and dread.