Fiction:

With the city's expansion, new trade routes have emerged—many running through Tythas City's newly established spaceport in the surface district New Tythas. A mysterious third-party group, a crime syndicate by any other name, sees an opportunity to smuggle illicit goods, control key supply chains, and influence city officials. They use bribes, intimidation, and even subtle blackmail to insert themselves into the reconstruction process. They’re offering Sunrider an unspoken truce: in exchange for turning a blind eye to some of their operations, they will handle security issues in Tythas City efficiently—meaning some of the less cooperative citizens inside Tythas City might start disappearing. Quid pro quo.

Hard choice:

This competition will include a Hard Choice, designed to challenge your character’s morals and as an additional challenge for you as a writer. The Hard Choices are:

• Refuse the offer and fight them: But this means open war in the streets, a surge in crime, and potential assassinations targeting members’ family and allies in the future.
• Make the deal, but on our terms: Negotiate with the syndicate to operate under strict conditions—while secretly using them to eliminate political enemies and maintain control.
• Betray the Syndicate: Pretend to work with them, then set them up for a massive failure once they’ve weakened Sunrider’s detractors.

Competition details:

• The only story limitation in this competition is that you must choose one of the Hard Choices detailed above and write the story with that in mind
• Entries must meet a minimum of 500 words for participation.
• Entries will be graded according to the Fiction Grading Rubric 3.0
• Placing entries may be canonized in House Fiction, after Summit and author approval.