Freda held Sysko's hand tightly as she stood in the flight room. The crew had been advised to give them privacy for her first shift. She could feel the dragon, ready to burst forth from within, but her human mind resisted the call of the beast inside her. She wanted to let it out, to let it free, and experience this other side of herself that had been sleeping dormant all her life. But she was afraid.

“What if something goes wrong?” she asked Sysko.

“Everything is going to be okay,” he said, reassuringly. “You are going to be wonderful.”

“How do I do it?” she asked.

“Just focus on your dragon and invite her to come out.”

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she looked at the high domed ceiling of the flight room. Freda gritted her teeth and let go of Sysko's hand, walking out into the center of the large circular room. She closed her eyes and focused on the fully matured, star-spangled beast inside her. The dragon was beautiful and magnificent, strong and wise. She could hear the call of the beast in her mind, ready to emerge into her new life. The fear coiled at the base of her spine, but she couldn't let go enough to bring the beast out. She was afraid of the pain of the shift. She didn't want to feel it. The dragon grew impatient, growling and pacing behind her eyes. Violet ran up beside her and rubbed Freda’s leg with her head.

“Are you okay, Mommy?”

“I'm fine, Violet.

“Let's leave Mommy alone right now, Violet, she has something very important to do,” Sysko said, picking up the little creature in his strong arms.

“What is Mommy doing?” she asked.

“She's going to shift into a dragon for the first time. But I think she's afraid.”

“Don't be afraid, Mommy, you're the bravest person I know,” Violet said. “And the strongest and the smartest and the most beautiful. Not to mention the most kind.”

Freda turned and kissed her little daughter/robot pet on the head and thanked her for her kind words.

“And you are the sweetest, smartest, most helpful robot daughter that has ever existed in the galaxy,” Freda said sincerely, scratching Violet under the chin.

Violet purred and smiled, wagging her ears back and forth on top of her head.

“You can do it, Mommy. I believe in you.”

Letting out a deep breath, Freda squared her shoulders as Sysko went back to stand at the edge of the room with Violet. Freda focused on her inner dragon, inviting it to come out to claim her place in existence. With a huge rush of energy, she felt the dragon launch itself up from its hind legs, and its powerful wings burst out from inside her. The shift happened so quickly, she barely realized it until her massive dragon body landed on all fours on the flight room floor. She gasped, sucking air into her massive lungs and looked around. She turned and found Sysko and Violet standing at the edge of the room watching her.

She smiled at them, showing her huge dragon teeth, and she pumped her wings for the first time. Feeling the power and the strength in her body, she jumped into the air and took flight. Soaring through the flight room, she felt the air under her wings hold her aloft as she reached the domed ceiling that looked out onto space. She glided in circles around the flight room to the sound of Violet cheering and Sysko telling her how proud he was of her.

Their words filled her heart as she landed on the floor and willed her human form to emerge once again. In an instant, she was back in her human body, standing breathless and amazed in the center of the flight room. Sysko and Violet ran to her, and he gathered her in his arms as Violet rubbed her head against her leg.

“You did it, my beloved,” Sysko said kissing her cheeks and her lips and her forehead before he pulled her into another embrace.

“Mommy is a dragon! Mommy is a Dragon!” Violet exclaimed, telescoping her neck up and down.

Freda knelt and kissed Violet on the head. “You are such a helpful girl,” Freda said, patting Violet on the head.

She had so much genuine affection for Violet that it's really felt as if she was her child. The creature had a true personality that could not be attributed to anything but life. Violet was a great creation that marked a turning point for all the living creatures in the galaxy who stood against the cyborgs.

She reconstructed her nanotech outfit and picked up Violet, standing with Sysko in the flight room. They were a strange little family, but that's what they were. It was the greatest feeling she'd ever had.

Several days later Freda got word from her mother inviting them to Thanksgiving dinner. She had so much news to share with her family that she couldn't wait to see them. She and Sysko took the speeder down to the planet and hovered above the suburban house outside of Charleston. She’d worn a pleated skirt, a hunter green cardigan, and a pair of knee-high boots. Sysko had chosen human slacks and a holiday print sweater. They held hands as they emerged from the speeder and into the autumn air.

Leaves blew in the breeze as they walked up the drive. The neighbors gathered around to see the spectacle of the alien, the scientist, and the robot as they approached the suburban home. Just as she was about to knock, the door swung open and her mother burst out from inside.

“Freda, Sysko, it's so good to see you.”

Mia hugged Freda and then pulled back when she noticed Violet.

“And what is this? Is it some kind of robot toy?”

“I'll explain everything inside,” Freda said.

“It's good to see you again Admiral Sysko,” Isaac said, shaking Sysko's hand.

The family gathered in the living room and Freda sat down on the couch and set Violet on the floor.

“Mother, Father,” she said. “I want you to meet Violet, your new granddaughter.”

Her mother and father looked at each other then at Violet and then at Freda.

“Our granddaughter?” her mother asked, confused.

“This is my grandma and grandpa?” Violet asked, excitedly as she hopped over to Freda's parents.

The couple looked down at the robot in amazement as she rubbed her head on their legs.

“I didn't know I had a grandmother and grandfather,” Violet said.

“Violet is the culmination of my dissertation project, plus a few extra inputs from Draxos technology,” Freda explained.

“This robot is alive,” Isaac said. “Like those androids from Star Wars.”

“I am alive,” Violet said. “Freda is my mother and Sysko is my father.”

“It's good to meet you, Violet,” her mother said. “I didn't know I had an android for granddaughter. I'm so happy to meet you.”

Mia patted Violet on the head and she purred. Her father was reluctant at first but finally pet Violet as well. Her mom picked Violet up and Violet snuggled into her lap, getting lots of grandma snuggles from Mia.

“I've made a roast turkey with all the fixings,” Mia said.

“It's a perfect Thanksgiving meal,” Freda said, knowing it might be her last.

They gathered around the table with Violet in a booster seat with a bowl full of oil, while everyone else feasted on the Thanksgiving dinner.

“I think you've grown a few inches,” Lottie said. “And not just in height.”

“It's true,” Freda said. “The transformation didn't only affect my dragon form.”

“Well, you look beautiful,” Mia said, dishing up another helping of sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top.

The family was happy and humble, even though they now had two million dollars in the bank. The only thing that had really changed was a new living room set. They’d purchased a used car for Lottie. Her college education would be paid for and their retirement was insured, but they were still the same, down to earth, loving family she’d always known.

“We will be leaving for Draxos soon with the first half-dozen females who have been identified with dragonoid genes.”

“I wish I were going,” Lottie said.

“You have high school to finish. And then college,” Isaac said.

“I don't want to go to college,” Lottie said. “I want to be a bride of Draxos.”

“All in due time,” Sysko said. “When you turn eighteen we can test your blood, before then, we will not accept any testing.”

“I don't understand why you're so strict about the rules,” Lottie said.

“There are billions of females on the planet,” Sysko said. “We don't need to test children.”

“I'm not a child,” Lottie said.

Freda smirked and her mom gave her a look. So, Freda didn't say anything.

“A retired admiral is coming to take my place in the fleet while we travel back to Draxos. My sister recently gave birth to her first clutch of hatchlings, and I want to introduce her to Freda.

“You will have new nieces and nephews when you return to Draxos,” Mia said. “That's so nice.”

“A clutch of six eggs is extraordinary in these times. But she and her mates have decided not to find out what the sexes are, even though my sister took a vaccine that could very well have cured her of the plague.”

“Her...mates?” Isaac asked. “Plural?”

“My sister has five life mates. All five thralled at the tournament. It's is extremely rare and hasn't happened since before the plague, but they have become a tightly knit family. To be honest, my sister needs that many mates to look after her,” Sysko said with a chuckle.

“Why would one girl need so many mates?” Mia asked.

“My sister is a hero, but she's also extraordinarily obsessed with her work. She needs that many males to take care of her and make sure she remembers to eat.”

“Oh, then she's a lot like our Freda,” Isaac said.

“But Freda only needs one man,” Sysko said, puffing out his chest.

Freda patted Sysko's hand and gazed up into his handsome face.

“I am the luckiest girl in the world to have found him.”

“You are a lucky girl,” Mia said with a sigh. “I'm so happy for you. And so is your father.”

“And so is Lottie,” Isaac said.

Lottie frowned and crossed her arms with a humph.

“I guess I'm happy for you too,” Lottie said. “How does it feel to be a dragon?”

“It’s like a missing part of me has emerged and I can finally be myself for the first time.”

“I want to feel that too,” Lottie said with a pout.

“Maybe someday you will Lottie. Maybe someday you will,” Sysko said.