Perspicacity by  Kalimyre       
Novella, Jack/Daniel. First time, Angst.  Season Five.  Spoilers: Rite of Passage, The Light, minor for others up to season 5
Rating: R
Warnings: Probably sappy in places.  Some language.
Notes: Thanks to the Heartsisters for welcoming me into the group and offering such generous encouragement.  You guys are the best!  Special thanks to Darcy who cheered me on non-stop no matter how busy she was.
Jack is given a gift of great value.

Perspicacity by  Kalimyre

“Jack, we have to help them.”

  Jack peered through his field binoculars, flat on his belly in the grass, perched at the top of a low rise.  “We’re outnumbered,” he said without looking at Daniel.

  “By one.”

  “Daniel...”

  “They’re not expecting company, sir,” Carter added.  “And we’re behind them.  I think we could do it.”

  Jack sighed, rolled onto his back, and then slid down the hill until he was covered enough to sit up.  “I know we could,” he said.  He raised a hand to Daniel, freezing him with a look.  “But that doesn’t mean we should.”

  “Jack—”

  “They are searching for hosts,” Teal’c said, peering down the hill without the aid of binoculars.  Four Jaffa and what appeared to be a Goa’uld, judging by the hand device he wore and the lack of forehead marking, were culling people from a milling crowd of natives.  The Jaffa held their staff weapons up and ready, but had so far met with no resistance.  A small line of the young and beautiful had already been selected, and they stood in front of the crowd, still and silent.

  “Yes, and we can stop them,” Daniel pressed.

  “And what happens when their boss comes by wondering where the hell his new hosts are?”

  Daniel frowned at Jack and turned back to watching the selection process.  “There’s something strange about those people,” he muttered to himself. 

  Carter slid up beside him, lying flat and peeking through a thick clump of grass.  “They don’t seem that worried, do they?”

  Daniel nodded.  “Yes, there’s no panic, no attempts at escape.  And we’re close enough to hear the Jaffa yelling at them, but do you notice none of the natives are speaking?  How often do you see a completely silent crowd?”

  “Perhaps they are too intimidated to offer resistance,” Teal’c said.  Below, another young woman was drawn from the crowd.  People touched her as she went by, hands brushing against her shoulders and hair, brief squeezes on her arms.  She nodded to them, acknowledging the contact, and stood where she was directed without any sign of fear.  The other selected ones touched her as she joined their group, one man brushing his fingertips over her face.  She smiled at him and returned the gesture.

  “Weird,” Jack muttered.  “It’s like they want to be chosen.”

  “No,” Daniel said slowly.  “Nobody is stepping forward, or trying to attract the Jaffas’ attention.  They’re just waiting.  It’s more like they simply don’t care.”

  “Maybe there’s more going on here than we know about,” Carter suggested. 

  Jack snorted.  “Isn’t there always?”

  “So what are we going to do?” Daniel asked, twisting to look at Jack over his shoulder.

  “Keep your head down.”  Jack brought his binoculars back to his face and surveyed the situation again.  Five unfriendlies, a whole assload of spooky, quiet, apathetic natives, and four on his side.  High ground, element of surprise, and close enough range to make hitting any of the bystanders unlikely.  They even had enough zats with them to take crossfire casualties out of the equation.  So yeah, they could take them.  Still didn’t answer the question of whether they should.

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