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the government purchased the entire site, lock stock and barrel, and converted it into the Federation's home base for military operations in space. Extremely isolated, painfully hot and inhospitable, Las Cruces made for an ideal location for a military base. Unless you were one of the military personnel sweating through each day, of course.
    The Combat Raven’s fuselage was still cooling and ticking as the door swung open. The sweltering air blasted Gabriel as he emerged and squinted into the setting sun. He stood at the top of the steps, overlooking the massive complex of gleaming white buildings.  
    A blacked-out Land Rover Constellation utility vehicle pulled up, gravel spitting from its wide rear tires. The rear door opened and a very tall, gaunt NAFN officer in combat grays unfolded himself from the vehicle. He approached the foot of the steps and saluted. "Commander Gabriel, welcome to North American Federation Naval Aerospace Station Las Cruces!"
    Gabriel grimaced into the sun and shaded his eyes with one hand, ostensibly returning the salute. "Thank you, uh…” he said, then paused as his retinal implant zoomed to search for a rank insignia or any indication of who his greeter was. His neuretics’ facial recognition program zipped through his military database file with no joy. “And you are?"
    The officer lowered his hand. "Sorry Commander. Senior Chief Petty Officer Anderson Mayton, sir. In our, umm, line of work here, we don't wear rank insignia. Even here.” He took a couple of steps up, boots clanking on the steel treads, and extended his hand. "I'm your Special Forces liaison here prior to your launch tomorrow afternoon.”
    Gabriel descended the steps and took Mayton’s hand. "Thanks Chief, it's been a few years since I've been here." Mayton towered above him, something Gabriel at six foot four wasn’t accustomed to.
    “I’d be happy to show you around, lots of changes with the new B-112 suborbital bombers coming online last year. Whole new runway, state of the art weapons loading system, and you should see the stealth systems on the…”
    “Long flight, Chief,” Gabriel interrupted.  
    “Right, sir, sorry. Maybe tomorrow morning? Your launch isn’t until fourteen-hundred hours,” Mayton replied.
    Gabriel appreciated Mayton’s enthusiasm, maybe overenthusiasm. Always nice to see a man who enjoys his job , he thought. Just not right now . “Possibly, we’ll see. Right now I just need to grab some chow and crash.”
    “Absolutely, Commander. Did you arrive with escorts?”
    “Two attachés,” Gabriel replied. “They’ll be staying on the Raven until after the launch, then returning to Toronto.”
    “Very good sir. Any bags?"
    Gabriel jerked his thumb back over his shoulder towards Renay Gesselli, who had just exited the aircraft. "Just one. Good luck trying to handle her."
    Mayton was taken aback for a brief second, then caught himself. "Uh, yes sir, of course. Right this way, out of the heat, and we'll get you over to the barracks to meet your team."
    The two men walked over to the Constellation, leaving a bewildered and sweating Gesselli standing at the top of the aircraft steps to struggle with two large carry bags.

    The Constellation wound its way between generic-looking white buildings, leaving a plume of reddish dust in its wake. Inside the oversized truck, Gabriel, Gesselli, and Mayton sat in air-conditioned comfort on leather couches. Gabriel and Mayton were on one side of a small table; Gesselli and her gear faced them across the table, her nose buried in her flexscreen. Gabriel stared out the tinted window at the base and thought back to his last visit here. Fall of 2171, a week after the riots and takeover of the government offices on Eden. He had a team then, a close-knit group of men and women he trusted with his life. Now, he was on his way to meet a new team, and memories of friends long past haunted him.
    Mayton nudged Gabriel with his elbow. “Commander, were the new