The Patriotic Wars — John F. Carr

War World: The Patriotic Wars is a new War World collection of stories featuring the tearing apart of the end of the CoDominium, the Soviet/United States world government that has kept the peace on Earth and throughout human-occupied space for the past century. Now, the alliance is collapsing as the Bronson cabal attempts to take over the Grand Senate and the CoDominium itself. Some even claim the Saurons have a secret role in the breakup of the CoDominium and are behind the growing Patriotic Wars on the Earth.

Haven, one of the CoDominium's poorest and most distant colonies, is one of the first to feel the pinch as its fragile government begins to disintegrate, when the CoDominium authorities recall part of the 77^th CoDominium Marines back to Earth. Tensions increase as local warlords and gangs begin to make their grab for power. Those communities farthest from the Shangri-La Valley are most at risk; it's now up to them to protect themselves from roving bands of blood-thirsty nomads and power-hungry thugs. Some see the CoDominium's decline as an opportunity, while those on the edge of survival see it as a betrayal. The one thing they all understand is that Haven is now alone and on her own -- completely!