Hayes

Starbase Commander Hayes is the leading officer aboard the Human Starbase orbital space platform around Earth in the Sol planetary system during the time of the second Doctrinal Conflict, and is one of The Captain's first allies in his rebellion against the Hierarchy of Battle Thralls. Hayes was transferred to the Starbase ten years after the Ur-Quan erected the slave shield around Earth.

During the Ur-Quan Slave War, Hayes had served on board several Alliance ships, including a Shofixti Scout (as an observer) and an Earthling Cruiser, flying several combat and deep-space patrol missions along the Coreward Front. He is one of the survivors of the legendary battle in Draco, where the Ilwrath and Earthlings clashed. Hayes was chosen by the Hierarchy to lead the third shift of Humans to serve aboard the Earth Starbase. During his time there, the Doctrinal Conflict began anew, and Hayes found himself working in emergency conditions to keep the crew of the Starbase alive after resupply shipments stopped and the Starbase's life support systems began to fail. It is at this time that The Captain arrives from Unzervalt and contacts Hayes. The Captain, upon learning from Hayes of the Alliance's defeat, offers his help in restocking the Starbase and beginning a New Alliance of Free Stars to rebel against the Ur-Quan. Though Hayes' first priority after the War was maintaining the survival of the Human race, the increasing weakness of Ur-Quan oversight, the appearance of The Flagship and its new technology, and the leadership of The Captain give Hayes hope, and he throws his lot in with the fledgling New Alliance to overthrow the Ur-Quan menace.

Commander Hayes is not only a military man, but also an intellectual and knows a good bit of information about most alien races, recent history, the art of war, and current events. He studied at the Star Control Academy where he was exposed to Chenjesu scholarship in the field of galactic history. His knowledge is of great assistance to The Captain, as is his willingness to have his crew provide facilities for The Flagship and the fleet of the New Alliance.

However, some of the information he gives differs from other accredited sources:

• He names Jeffry L. Rand's ship the Far Voyager, while the SC2 manual names it Miwok, though it is not certain which source is correct.
• The Insult took place in 2119 according to him, while the manual places the event in 2126. More likely, though, Hayes is right, because 2126 seems too late in comparison to when other events in the War happened.
• According to Hayes, the Precursors lived about 200,000 years ago; information from the Slylandro and the manual extend their reign to at least 250,000 years ago.
• Hayes names the Yehat royal family "Veep-Zeep", while every other source refers to them as the Veep-Neeps.

Haves was (at least partially) modeled after Fred Ford¹

Notes and references

¹From a June 2010 posting on the SCDB by Fred Ford:

As I read the comic I was reminded that Paul used my as a model for Commander Hayes; however, I fear I more resemble Gruber than Hayes these days and I definitely require more radioactives than I once did to get my deep space radar functioning in the morning.