Watching a politic fight is like watching a puppet theatre. Only those wise enough can see beyond the puppets, who is holding them and for what reason. (A politician, Eastern Europe).

Betelgeuse VII has been a paradise for transgender people and rare sexual minorities for over fifty years. Now, the star is dying and will soon go supernova. Only four people know the truth: the ruling dictator Caligula XIII, its brother Delta, the former dictator Caligula XII and Etna, a transgender immigrated from the Pleiades. They try to divert state money, to finance terraforming of another planet around another star, at a safer distance. They lie, saying that money has been diverted to finance asteroid mining, but people are starting to see something else. They see no mining results, no rare earths brought to the planet and they notice lots of equipment being lifted to space, to unknown destinations. Caligula XIII was asked several times to make money spending public. The dictator knows very well that after its five Earth years of rule, it will be judged in a public trial and sentenced to death for what is going on. But before that, everyone knows that corruption and money laundry can affect the economy, which is still booming. Nobody wants a recession. More and more voices ask for Caligula XII, who is in charge with asteroid mining, to answer for all accusations.

In an attempt to solve this problem, the two dictators went to the forbidden building. There, the first dictator, Caligula II, held many plasticized papers, showing that the star is dying. The ruling dictator holds there a neutrino telescope, which shows what is happening inside the star. Nobody must know this. Betelgeuse fused all carbon in its core and now it is contracting, waiting to start fusing neon. If people will find out this, panic will follow. Panic will come with an economy meltdown, so there will not be enough money to terraform a new planet. Dead end.

People also asked for public access to the forbidden building, but Caligula XIII denied this, without any comments.

**********

Finally, Caligula XII accepted to make an audition to the dictator. All will be made public. The day and the hour not known yet.

The ruling dictator, Caligula XIII, worked the first hours as usual, from its iron throne. There are many problems in this state that need to be watched. There are economical and environment problems that need an advice from a specialist, but the dictator has the power to accept, modify or cancel such things. On the other hand, there are problems about justice. Since Betelgeuse VII is a paradise for rare sexual minorities, many people like pedophiles or rapists seek refuge here. They have to be punished according to the law, but many of them say they are discriminated and ask for an audience to the dictator. Some kneel and beg for mercy, while others use an aggressive tone. The dictator usually ask for an advice from some humanitarian groups, but the decision and responsibility are always its own.

Caligula XIII is a former woman, now a hermaphrodite transgender. On the throne, it wears a long yellow dress. But today, it came with a really provocative outfit. With a red, short and seductive blouse and a short dress, so short that when you sit in front of the throne you might see beneath, with long purple gloves and laced thigh boots, partially exposing its pantyhosed feet, the dictator also wears many bracelets and long earrings. It also painted its hair in a bright red color, clearly visible below the heavy iron crown. She also smokes in a sensual way, clearly enjoying each cigarette. Already, the news comment that the dictator appears today in an unusually sexy outfit.

Suddenly, noise can be heard:

"Let me pass! I was once on that throne! Out of my way!"

The dictator was judging the case of a pedophile caught in a town, who is kneeling and crying for mercy. Suddenly, the noise becomes more intense.

"What is going on?" asks the dictator.

"Let me in! I order you!" can be heard from outside the throne room.

"Who is there? Let it pass here!"

While everyone is watching, the former dictator, Caligula XII, appears in the throne room.

"You, pedophile, you know what the law says. You have two options. Get out of Betelgeuse now or get to the prison island. Your choice. Dismissed!" says the dictator.

The former dictator was a man, now is a female transgender. It also came in a provocative outfit, with a short, skinny white party dress, with very long nails, a too intense make-up, long blonde hair filled with silver wires, a huge necklace and shiny pantyhose, with high-heel transparent shoes. In one hand, it holds a white, shiny purse, while in the other hand it has a very long holder with a cigarette in its top. The make-up is also provocative, with a silvery lipstick and silvery inscriptions on its cheeks and forehead. It also has small, glued horns, with a ring attached to each.

"Finally, we meet", says the ruling dictator.

"Finally, I never imagined it is so hard to get an audience at you. No surprise people don't love you any longer".

"Maybe you heard how many accusations are against you".

The former dictator takes an inhale from its long holder, blows the smoke with an angry face, hits the ground three times with a shoe and says:

"How about the accusations against you? Where is my money?"

"What money? The one you spent on this outfit?"

"No, sister! The money you should provide us for asteroid mining".

"I gave you a hundred times the amount you requested".

"As for now, I received almost nothing. My people want their salaries. Do you know what that is?"

The dictator rises from its throne and comes two steps forward.

"I gave you more then enough".

"Well, it is either that you spent it yourself or that there is too much corruption around you. I received nothing. And about all the accusations, they are fake. I waited for money to come. And I did all that for you, so you won't lose credibility. I know how hard is to be a dictator".

"I heard you passed the trial without any problems".

"Yes, I did".

"For now... But still, I don't believe you. Where did all that money go?"

"Ask me? Ask you!"

"No, I ask you", says the ruling dictator, moving forward, until it is face to face with the former dictator. "I ask you how is this possible. With your experience. I trusted you, but never expected to lose money like this. You find who took it".

The former dictator takes a new inhale and blows the smoke in the face of the reigning dictator. Then smiles.

"You think this will bring you away from justice?" asks Caligula XIII.

"I survived the trial. But will you?"

"I will. Cause you are going to pay for all this. Stop it now, you bring our state to civil war".

Caligula XII laughs, saying: "All this only excites me! You have the power to imprison me, but in five years I will be free".

The ruling dictator takes the former's holder and takes a big drag of smoke, then blow the smoke in its eyes. Then, answers:

"I never imagined that such a bitch can hide beneath your skin. It is a shame for those who voted you. You disappoint them all".

"No, dear. It is you who disappoints the whole planet. Are you going to give me my funds or not?"

"All I am going to give you is a kick in your ass".

Caligula XIII pushes with one foot on Caligula XII's shoe. But, the former dictator doesn't move back. It moves a hand to the ruling dictator's dress and softly massages its crotch.

"Stop that, you are in public, damn it!"

"What do you know? It's the little Mobidick who wants to get out of its cage!"

"Don't try to change the subject!" says the ruling dictator, taking its hand away.

Away, but the little massage did it. The erection is visible, as a small bulge in front of its tight skirt. But also, as the ruling dictator forces a bit, it rips one of the long fake nails Caligula XII was wearing.

"You will pay for this!" shouts the former dictator.

"I will pay nothing. Do you want another nail to be ripped?" answers the ruling dictator, blowing another cloud of smoke in the former's face. "Or maybe you want something more".

Saying this, it moves its hands to the former's forehead, where it tries to remove the horns. It all goes easy.

"Do you have some glue?" asks the ruling dictator, with the horns in its hand. "I think I want to wear those".

The former dictator takes a small bottle from its purse. The ruling dictator glues the little horns on its forehead, very close to the iron crown.

Then, the former dictator hits the ruling one with a punch in the face.

"The horns are not for free", it answers.

"Sure they are not", says Caligula XIII. "And what do you want in exchange? The crown?"

"Your head".

"Too hard to get", answers the ruling dictator, taking the holder and breaking it. "Enjoy your smoke, darling".

"However, I do have one last question", says the former dictator.

"Go ahead".

"How much are the boots you're wearing? Are they made from the money you should pay for asteroid mining project?"

"No, sis. They are not more expensive then those transparent shoes you wear".

"Take them off! It is a sign of disrespect for the people, bitch!"

"If you take your shoes off too".

"I will do that", answers the ruling dictator. "But not for you, for the people watching us, who voted and supported us".

Both dictators take off their footwear, remaining in bare pantyhose on the floor.

"Now, I ask you one last time", says Caligula XII. "Are you going to pay my people?"

"No! It is a clear no because I already paid you enough. I need to make some investigations before, to see where did all that money go".

"Well, then, I have the responsibility for my people. For the people that are in my charge. I need to pay them somehow. I think about the families they have, about their children and about what they will eat themselves tomorrow. We will wait until midnight. If no money arrives to us, we will seek autonomy!"

"What are you up to, crazy creature?"

The word autonomy sounds like an echo ring through the room. Outside, where people watch the audition on TV, people remain shocked, watching this, unknowing what to think about.

"I take the moon. There, I will have an autonomous state. And there, people will have what they never had on the planet".

"But that is a violation of the constitution. I am forced to stop you!"

"No, it is no violation. The constitution only applies to the surface of the planet. The outer space, the Betelgeuse star system, is not direct territory of the state, in a form of dependency".

"I see... And you try to make your own state".

"No. I am trying to give my people a job. All what was not allowed on the planet, will be on the moon. The use of hormones, surgery, body implants. All of this".

"You know it is forbidden by the constitution to do this before..."

"I know, the five Earth years request... and the minimum age of twenty Earth years", cuts Caligula XII short. "But, in many places, transgender people have access to all this at a much younger age, even as little children".

"That is a violation of the constitution. Don't force my hand, I will order to have you executed!" shouts the ruling dictator.

"The moon is outside your jurisdiction", answers the former dictator. "Things are simple. Give me the money or we will declare autonomy!"

While saying this, the former dictator steps out of the throne room. Caligula XIII moves back to the throne and looks around.

"What should we do?" it asks the advisers, nervously lighting a cigarette.

Nobody answers. Everyone is shocked by this. So, the dictator says:

"I think I need some time to judge this correctly. We shall resume auditions as usual. In the main time, I will also think of a solution. It is not wise to take fast actions. I will say my word at the end of the day".

Things go exactly like this. Audiences follow, just like nothing happen. However, it is clear that the dictator is affected by this. Well, as things go this way, Caligula XII moves to the base, takes its spaceship and flies to the moon. All happens very fast.

Finally, at the end of the day, after the last audience, Caligula XIII says:

"I made-up my mind. We will allocate for the asteroid mining project the same amount of money it had been sent. All that money will be cut right now from the budget and sent right in the following minute. Let's remember that Caligula XII was a good dictator and it passed the trial without any problems. We will rectify the budget in the following months, if anything bad happens. However, I expect the former dictator to calm down and stop autonomy claims. Also, I want the press to start an investigation about where did all that money go. If someone took them, I want justice to be made. And if that money really did go to the asteroid mining project, I will ask Caligula XII to give the money back".

The dictator rises from the throne, then return and says:

"One more thing. I am not afraid by those autonomy claims. There is nothing that it can do. And if it does, there are many ways to make it stop. In that case, we should cancel the asteroid mining project at once".

The dictator returns home. This time, it walks all the way to home in bare pantyhosed feet, tired and thinking about what happened and what will happen. Once it enters the room, it eats something and leans on a coach, watching the sunset. Betelgeuse, the giant red sun that brings light and heat to us all, will not last more. Soon, it will explode.

People will talk for many days about this. The press will invite many politic analysts and will discuss every single word or gesture that happened. As long as people don't realize that both decided to do this, as long as people don't figure out that it was all a puppet theatre work, it is all very good. Only if they don't figure it out...

Leaning on its bed, the dictator watches the auroras. Gas ejected by Betelgeuse impacts the magnetic field of the planet. Thinking about the whole day, about how it all went, the dictator whispers for itself:

"Well played, sis! Well played! Just hope we will gain enough money for the project before our deaths and before the sun will explode".

**********

At the moon base, Caligula XII is with Delta and Etna. They wait. Then, they notice it. Money has been received. They got the credits, 92% in BC and 8% in CC. They know that the dictator, down on the planet, is risking its life for them, for the future. However, all this money is by far not enough for what they have in mind. Terraforming a planet is far too expensive, especially when you try to do it very fast.

At midnight, capital city hour, Caligula XII makes a public appearance, with the declaration of autonomy for the moon. In the newly formed autonomous region Betelgeuse S, things forbidden on the planet will be allowed. Surgery, implants and commerce with hormones will be allowed to anyone. Porn will be allowed in certain areas, in all its aspects, from public sex zones to public masturbation areas and brothels and gambling. Any outfit will be allowed.

The declaration of autonomy is a very strong invitation for business. Transgender hospitals are invited to move here. It will be a place where anything will be possible. Taxes will be set to 40% something a hundred times higher then the 0.4% as they are on the planet. This is in fact the real gamble. If this works, within five Earth years there will be enough money to ensure terraforming of the new planet.

The fact is that Caligula XII has another ace in its sleeve. A strong commercial campaign will help people from all over the galaxy to come here. This is in fact the real game that will be played. Dirty money. They are far better then clean money, since they can be used on the black market to purchase cheaper stuff. All this, as long as on the planet, Caligula XIII will hold on to the immense pressure from the people.

TO BE CONTINUED