R Neube's "Studies in the Field": A human plays protector on an alien world

While the story has colorful detail of a very alive alien world, & of the human adventure there, I seem to have read just too many stories of the ilk. Found it a little boring.

Story summary.

Narrator is a human born on Mars, a "professor of xenopology" at the "University of Deimos", currently on a "field trip" to the alien world named "Therov IV". He went there with 3 graduate students, but all students were killed by a local predator; only Professor survives.

The world has two sentient species - "doughboys" live like aboriginals of may be eighteenth century earth, "Raken" are at the level Europeans were when they began exploring the seas. Wherever Raken meet "doughboys", later get butchered.

Narrator has been living with a tribe of "doughboys", & helping them out in little ways. When Rakens attack, he not only kills them, but goes after their cities & fleets destroying much - thus buying some more years of survival for "doughboys".

Fact sheet.

"Studies in the Field", short story, review
First published: Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2007.
Rating: B