Pale Boundaries by Scott W Cleveland

Terson Reilly, a refugee from a rough frontier world, knew things would be different when he settled on Nivia. But he wasn’t prepared for the draconian environmental laws, harsh population control measures or the prejudice against outsiders-and they didn’t expect what he was willing to do to defend himself. Terson finds love when he meets Virene, an independent young woman chafing under the strict social controls herself. The couple do their best to conform, but their rebellious streak leads them beyond the colony’s boundaries where an attempt to rescue the crew of a crashed spacecraft unwittingly sets in motion events that threaten to expose not only Nivia’s dark secret, but that of a powerful criminal organization as well.