As I read the rules for Defend, on a partial success, they protect their target from harm and also choose from the list:
• add a Team to the pool
• take Influence over someone you protect
• clear a condition
but they and also expose themselves to cost, retribution, or judgment.
Is that correct?
Close, you mixed up the rules for defending agains an NPC and a PC. The first portion if if you defend someone from an NPC threat, which on a 7-9, you must either expose yourself to danger or escalate the situation. The cost, retribution, or judgement only happens if you try and defend someone from a PC and roll a 7-9 and you don’t chose from the list on a hit, instead giving them a -2 to their roll.
Ah yes, you’re right, the cost is different for NPC and PC threats