Monsoon — Peter L. Rice

In the year 6830, the galaxy is at war: The Merchant Races exploit the material wealth of every planet they colonize with complete disregard for the indigenous population. The Terran Overlord Government ruthlessly crushes any opposition to its total rule of known space. The Commonwealth and their allies, the Renegade Legions, oppose TOG's military success with unconventional warfare, hoping that the ends will justify their means.

The Merchant-held planet of Monsoon embodies this perpetual struggle between might and right. The fate of the native populations and those who seek to dominate or protect them is told in a series of linked short stories that explore life and death on an alien world.