As a fugitive scientist, Hayes smuggled herself off Saumlaki Station aboard a merchant ship and hid at the criminal hive of Deadman's Port for a few years. She made do by selling tech upgrades for A Lot of Money until a number of unscrupulous criminal groups took note of her talents and harried her with requests to plant tracking devices inside the brains of debtors and other individuals considered the property of local crime lords. Hayes refused and became hunted, forced to live off of refuse around the city's starport.
Despite her best efforts to hide, she was discovered by one of the criminal organizations she had spurned. During this time Sinai's Raiders came to the port in order to resupply thier flagship. Commander Trueroyalty and Captain Acepoostain rescued Hayes from armed thugs who were preparing to execute her in plain view of everyone at the starport.