Hmmm...what about having a sort of 'Assassination of Arch-Duke Ferdinand' situation, only with it being orchestrated from within? Perhaps, after a long struggle, a state is finally managing to secede from its former overlords when (to the UNEXPECTED SHOCK and HORROR of all!!!) the representative from the ruling nation is assassinated mid-talks/between negotiations. Blame is shifted off onto an extremist militant known within the Azurei culture, but the true culprits are the governing elite that fear a severe loss of face should the lesser state complete its diplomatic detachment with the aid of those other nations that helped fight for its freedom in the first place...?[i] (excuse the run-on sentence back there)[/i] It's shifty, but that's the best I could come up with on short notice - maybe we can work it out over time?

Aside from that, a Sci-Fi setting seems pretty interesting - low Sci-Fi tech with a varied desert backdrop sounds pretty interesting, and could make for some nice complications if the team ever goes into hiding (how do you hide in a desert? et-cetera).