Opening: Ed Noxx custody and the discovery of the plot behind the charges.

Set in the wall of Ed’s cell is a small red sphere, a surveillance camera. It flashed at the beginning, but since a few hours, it began to talk. It is very well mannered as it introduced itself: this is Io, a non-human, bodiless creature trapped in the prison because of illness and exhaustion. Io seems to bear a great interest toward Ed. So it speaks more. And more. That or after three years of incarceration in complete isolation, Ed became crazy and dreams that something, even a red sphere in a wall, talks to him. He doesn’t know if Io does exist or if this is a trick of his mind to break his loneliness. In doubt, Ed answers to the creature. And Io is really curious. Its species is a traveling one and enjoys meeting new civilisations, studying them in secret. The creature wants to know everything about Ed, and as they have all the time for them, why not begin by the beginning: How such a sweet boy ended up in such an awful place. The problem was that Ed had no idea. Yet it all started well. Finishing his degree major of his class in one of the best university for politics, he would be able to finally live his dream: join the best permanent space-station – a wealthy flaming world – the beautiful city-station Ixion where, as advertised, it was big enough for every ambitions. So Ed was about to begin his professional life with his wonderful bride-to-be, Messaline, two faithful classmates, Nerion and Orfeo, and his childhood friend, Solal. When suddenly, Hell decides to pay him a visit. Wrongfully charged of being an accomplice in a terror attack that killed hundreds of children, he is condemned to spend the rest of his life in IF, the worst prison in the galaxy.

Io is enthralled by the story, more so by Ed. The creature is the last of her species, thus is looking for a successor, a son. It offers Ed a proposal he cannot refuse: he has to accept whatever knowledge it can impart, and in return of this colossal physical and intellectual strain that won’t serve him at all on Ixion, Io promises that at the end of the training, Ed’s mind will be so sharp that he’ll understand who is behind the accusations and why his life has been destroyed. Ed agrees because even a late truth is all he has got left. The following years, Io teaches him sciences, combat arts, history, astronomy, metaphysics and the three alchemical pillars: panacea, transmutation of metals and longevity. At the beginning of his twentieth year of their clandestine relationship, Io is dying. Feeling its creation well trained for its revenge, Io spends its last resources to free Ed.

Act I: the setting of the revenge and the first rehearsal.

When Ed says goodbye to his beloved mentor and escapes the place from where no one can, he’s not the same man anymore. Twenty years of introspection, reasoning, understanding, work for the mind and body turned him in a dreadful weapon. Io kept its word, and analysing again and again his memories allowed him to understand how he was charged and whom had reasons to destroy his bright future. Treason, already noticeable in some small actions which Ed understood later, came from the closest to him: his friends.

Since then, these ones enjoyed the possibilities Ed let in his absence. Orfeo, who married Messaline, and Nerion are prominent figures in the politics of Ixion and Solal is head of security. Even the judge who led the investigation, Magnus, saw his career take an unexpected turn and brings now justice in the highest circles of the city-station itself.

However, Ed has a plan. He had twenty years and a formidable technical advisor to see to each details. Enjoying his mentor’s connections and his knowledge in Alchemy, he has unlimited resources. He then brings together a team, choosing meticulously each member in order to create a powerful weapon. He meets Jatalan, a genius smuggler with really personal ethics, Kajal, a brilliant political advisor accused of treason, and his right-hand woman, Myna, an outstanding telecommunication network tech. Once his assorted team finally united – times being tense between the city-stations claiming their independence and terrorist groups wanting to be united with planets – Ed prepare his arrival on Ixion. His time in prison changed him so much that he is now unrecognisable. Taking the occasion of a professional trip for Orfeo and Solal, Ed begins stage one of his revenge. It is the most important, considering that it determines the success of the following operations. Ed finds Solal in a shabby bar and introduces himself as Hisham Kesari, a fellow inmate of Ed. Solal doesn’t recognise him and a whole life of guilt drown in alcohol makes him really talkative. Shamefully, he details all the plot. Nerion, brilliant son of a prestigious family and only hope to bring back their name to its former power, is consumed by ambition and jealousy. He thinks Ed, being from a poorer family, stole his position. He wants him expelled from the university and tries to do so by forwarding emails from one of his drug dealers. Nerion is helped by Orfeo who is deeply in love with Messaline and only dreams to stole her from Ed’s arms, and by Solal’s weakness of character, who would do anything to be part of the group. However, things go out of hand. The dealer is also the head of the biggest terrorist group. So, when the false message fells into Magnus’ hands, he charges Ed immediately, and not for drug dealing, but terrorism. Nerion succeeds in convincing his accomplices to remain quiet. In a few months of a hasty prosecution, Ed is sentenced. After these revelations that confirm what he already knew, Ed sets off Solal’s guilt, knowing it would drive him to his end. Solal leaves the bar and kills himself.

Act II: On the art of getting revenge. The web.

Convinced by this first vengeful step, Ed makes a grand entrance on Ixion. He introduces himself as a wealthy weapon merchant. He catches the favors of the powerful men, making them think he can be a financial partner easy to manipulate in spending extravagantly his fortune. He plays this high society with charm and charisma, telling fabulous stories. He enters the intimacy of his targets’ families. Secretly, Ed massively invest in the funds of the biggest bank of the station, the one holding the debts of all the fortunes of Ixion, including Orfeo’s and Nerion’s. Ed’s team works on digging Ixion society’s valuable information and dirty secrets, counting on one day traitor, always traitor. And Ed is right. Nerion and Orfeo have a taste for conspiracy. Nerion has his eyes on the governor’s chair and, to achieve his goal, relies on Orfeo’s dirty network, who also has a special bond with the Great Priestess. She is secluded since her childhood in an ivory tower, being the symbol of Ixion’s people, object of adoration and love of potential electors. He manipulates her in order to get these voices for Nerion’s election. Their plan works and Nerion gets the governor’s title. But once here, he still wants more. He wants full power and turn the republic in a dictatorship. He serves the excuses of the terrorist threat to set the martial law in place. Magnus, on his part, stays true to his rightful reputation but begins to understand he made a mistake in marrying his wife, Claudia. Together they have a daughter who stays too often with her terrible mother. Indeed, apart from being a multiple drug addict, she secretly attends parties that mix orgies and human sacrifices.

Act III: The fall of the Greats.

Ed has got the hand; however risqué the game is. He can be recognised anytime. Moreover, his wrath his questioned as he gets closer to the priestess. At first, he meets with her to know more about Orfeo’s fraud but doing so, he softens towards the young woman, whose sole existence is to be owned by Ixion’s folk. Sickened by the depth of the city’s corruption, Jatalan tries to stop Ed too. He senses that with Nerion and his connections’ fall, Ixion won’t recover and collateral damages will be everywhere. But Ed’s desire for revenge wins, and collateral damage happens. When he chooses to air a video of Claudia’s parties at a charity event secretly shot by Jatalan, an unprecedented scandal bursts within the city-station walls. Magnus’ daughter, so tired of the hell her mother puts her in, jumps out of a window. Nerion, enjoying the chaos of the “Claudia Magnus” affair, orchestrates a false terrorist attack, destroying a part of the richest districts. The Parliament votes for the martial law and gives Nerion full powers. Ed is brought short by the extent of his former friend’s malevolence. He has to act sooner than planned and reveals Orfeo’s part in the fake election and the priestess’ manipulation. In consequences, Orfeo is quickly accused of high treason and put behind bars. Messaline’s world collapses. She was the only one to have recognised Ed, but preferred to ignore the reasons of his presence and to keep his secret. She tries to get closer to him, but Ed’s pain and resentment are so great that he cannot forgive her cowardice in giving up so early to prove his innocence. She leaves Ixion ruined, letting her husband prepare alone a lost prosecution.

After having revealed himself to Orfeo, Ed’s gives up the idea to kill Nerion. The death of Magnus’ daughter made him softened his last blow. He settles for a last financial coup, taking all his funds from Ixion central bank, which collapses. Nerion, who lived higher than his income, lending money to his partners in order to assure himself their support, has to ask them the money back. They get angry, so much so that one of them decides to kill him, just a few moments before Nerion succeeds to flee the city-station.

Contemplating the fall of the jewel that was once his dream, Ed frees the priestess and leaves Ixion with his crew.

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