7.

"Dear Mr. & Mrs. Hebert,

It has come to our knowledge through anonymous sources that your daughter is, with great certainty, in possession of parahuman abilities. This has been tentatively confirmed by the PRT sub-division WEDGDG. In most cases, we do not contact individuals with said abilities – past interactions with independent heroes, rogues, and villains have proven that communicating through their assumed identities is more favorable and safe for all parties involved.

Regarding children and even minors, the precedent is quite different. A trigger event, if you're unaware, is the event where a parahuman obtains their powers. This occurrence often involves extreme trauma through physical or mental means. Most parahuman children are afterwards extremely unstable and often with powerful or hard-to-control powers. You may understand our concern, both for the wellbeing of triggered children and the safety of inhabitants in the vicinity.

We hope you understand our reasons on contacting you. We have not divulged any information of your daughter or your family to anywhere except secure PRT databases, and every record of contact can and will be erased from the system. There are no juridical actions taken, unless deemed necessary.

That said, there will be a visit from a PRT psychologist, and if needed, child services, the following week on Monday, at 19:00. Attendance by both parents is mandatory by law. We in the PRT take the safety of Americans, and especially children, very seriously, and while we do not enjoy considering the possibility of abuse, it still is, in the end, a possibility we cannot ignore.

Traveling out of the state will be considered an illegal act and will be punished according to federal law. Recompense can and will be given, if the paperwork required is presented.

Hopefully this matter can be solved as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Emily Piggot
Director of PRT-ENE

Armsmaster
Leader of Brocton Bay Protectorate"

Danny's voice had started shaking with fury while reading the letter out loud. He slowly lowered his glasses on the kitchen table, as if afraid he would break them. Taylor was looking him, meek and a bit frightened. Annette could feel his anger, pulsing through the Force, and for once she was glad her husband was no Force user.

"Who do they think they are?" said Danny, practically growling. "They- they spy on us, on our Taylor, and then they just decide we're some kind of child-abusers? That we caused 'extreme trauma' to her?"

"I've always trusted in the government, but this has gone too far," he continued. "Those executives and directors always think ends justify the means, don't they? They'll do fucking anything-"

"Danny."

"to just get what they want, and-"

"Danny," interrupted Annette, this time more firmly. "You're scaring Taylor."

Her husband turned to their child. If Annette could feel his anger, no doubt Taylor could too. It was roiling and boiling and seeped negativity, and little Taylor was scared, not because of the emotion itself – she felt it daily around Brockton Bay – but because it come from her dad, who was angry sometimes but never this angry. Danny seemed to realize that, and leaned towards his daughter trying to comfort her, but she flinched backwards, grabbing a hold of her mother. Danny winced, realizing his fury, but his emotional spectrum had little positive change, his anger only slightly lessening.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," he tried, extending a hand at her. "I didn't mean to blow up like that. I'm sorry."

Taylor slowly took his hand, face scrunched up, almost in tears. "No I'm sorry, daddy," she said. "It's all my fault. I wasn't thinking, and I didn't mean to show the grandpa, and I'm so sorry, and-"

Danny pulled the little girl in a hug. "It's not your fault. There's nothing you did wrong, honey, in any way. I'm just- very worried."

"But- but- I wasn't s'pposed to let anyone know," sniffled Taylor.

"And you didn't," answered her father quickly. "It was the snooping old man who saw you, didn't he? You didn't know he was there. I swear, I'll have some chosen words about privacy with that geezer."

She wiped her eyes. "Really? I- I didn't do anything bad?"

"Of course not."

Annette could feel the anger dissipating from Danny, and they squeezed each other hard. She herself didn't join in, deep in thought, but sent along some comfort and acceptance through the bond she and Taylor shared.

In some sense, she understood the reason the government had contacted them. Terra was slowly descending into chaos and anarchy with conflict blossoming through the Dark Side around the whole planet. For the side of law to reach out and try to gain as much information and advantages as possible was no stupid move, if slightly unethical. She'd seen much worse – most Outer Rim planets had little in the way of laws, not to mention ethics. One could even say that the Jedi themselves had been immoral, taking young children away from their parents.

Annette understood, but didn't like it. Her daughter was no parahuman. She was a user of the Force, not of some distasteful 'superpower'. It would bring her great pleasure to just leave the system behind forever, ready to not deal with curious governments. Alas, Taylor would not take such a permanent trip well, and danger lurked in every corner of her own galaxy for all Force-sensitives.

"It's getting pretty late," said Danny, prying the clingy girl off his chest. "Maybe you should go to sleep."

"Okay," murmured Taylor, head down. "G'night, mommy. G'night, daddy. I'm sorry."

Annette stood up and wrapped her arms around both of them. "Don't be, little owl. Blame can't be placed on the innocent, and you are nothing but. Sleep well. We'll talk more tomorrow."

Good-nights exchanged, Danny took the little girl with him, talking softly at her. He was still angry, of that was no doubt – even his wife was slightly mad, as much as it bothered for her to admit it. She did not like the idea that the governance would intrude on their life, possibly even forcibly taking her daughter under their control. If that would happen, kriff staying underground and undetected – she'd go in lightsaber blazing if needed.

Thankfully, it would not happen. Their equivalent of a mind healer would find no sign of abuse, for there was none, and that would be that. If they would not relent, she could simply tell them the truth – her daughter was not one of them. She was, and would be, much more, but the PRT would not know that.

This occurrence did prove one thing for Annette; she shouldn't get too lax with Terrans. While they were technologically awfully primitive, they still possessed cunning and intelligence, and would not hesitate to use it – with their unsavory powers they could even do more. Annette shivered. The more time she spent on the planet, the more she wanted to take her daughter and whisk her away back to her home galaxy. But she couldn't do that to Danny – Taylor was as much his as hers. And she had grown to like the man. The only proper action would be to raise the level of her child's training. Maybe it was time to move on to lightsaber combat.

The aforementioned man returned to the kitchen, little Taylor dropped off. His mouth was a thin line, and his emotions were tinged with worry, anger, and fear. Annette looked at him reproachfully.

"You need to learn to control your emotions better," she said. "I'm quite sure the neighbor's dog could sense your distress."

Danny let out a bitter laugh. "You would know, wouldn't you? You seem keen on seeing it in others, rather than feeling it yourself."

Annette raised an eyebrow. Her husband sighed, shoulders slumping. "That was uncalled for."

"Maybe in tone, but not in content," she acquiesced. "There is no emotion, only peace. Being calm is a major part of how I live. It's not wrong to point that out."

"But you still do have strong emotions – you love Taylor, no matter what your Code says," retorted Danny. "Very much. Anyone could see that. And I do think you like me. So I apologize."

"You have been tolerable throughout the years," she said, a glint in her eye, accepting his apology and ignoring the comment about love. "Hard to understand, really – you were an ill-mannered man when we first met."

Danny scratched his head, a sheepish smile on his face. "I'm going to have to agree on that one. Parenthood has mellowed me out." He took out some glasses. "Anything to drink?"

"Just water, please."

He poured a half-glass of liquor for himself, and filled up the other one with tap water. Passing Annette her drink, he sat down, features turning somber. Both took a sip, and a small silence fell. He then looked out of the window to the city filled with lights, and sighed.

"What are we going to about this?" he asked, eyes fixed on the glow.

Annette put down her glass. "We will comply."

"That's it?" questioned Danny. When she sent him a look, he continued. "I gathered that declining wouldn't be a choice, but- can't you use your Force magic to do something?"

She looked at him, apologetic. "The Force will show us a way. It won't be the way itself, as much I would like it to be."

"You sound like a cult leader when you speak like that," joked Danny. When she didn't deign to comment, only rolling her eyes, he continued on a dimmer tone. "Annette, I- can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

Danny hesitated briefly before pushing on. "Have you ever regretted teaching Taylor your powers? Because you know people might pick up on her, uh, talents, and mistake her for a parahuman. Sometimes I feel that- that it will make her a target." he paused for a second, seeing if he got a response. Annette was simply listening, and he moved on. "I've seen what you can do. And if our little Taylor could do such, well…

"I'm just worried. Little Taylor is so young, she shouldn't…" Danny trailed off, ending his sentence with a sip from the liquor.

They fell into a silence, Danny waiting for an answer and Annette thinking of one. She had many logical reasons for her decision on training Taylor; she wanted to preserve the legacy of the Jedi, she wanted Taylor to have means to defend herself and others, she wanted someone to share the Force with – Annette could go on forever.

But they weren't real reasons. Most of them were selfish, meant for Annette herself. It would've been much safer for her and her daughter if she'd kept her Jedi status a secret. Because of her actions, her child would be threatened; by parahuman's in Terra, and the Empire in her own galaxy. If her abilities would come out, well. Taylor would not have an easy time in life.

And yet: "I don't regret it," she said finally.

"Why?"

"I just- I don't know."

"…Okay."

Danny finished his glass.

-o-