Kira Li was on the street by her early teens, hooking up with the Neon Angels (an all-female street gang) at age fifteen. The Neon Angels had a short-lived stay on the top after hijacking a shipment of experimental, military-grade performance enhancers. Unfortunately, Corporate security forces were sent to recover the stolen chemicals, and raided the Neon Angel's base. The Angels made a stand, suffering heavy casualties, while the survivors (including Kira) were arrested. Kira's stay in prison was short-lived as her incarceration contract was purchased by the Internal Operations division of Corporate security.

Kira woke up in a seedy motel room with over five years worth of missing memories. While her memories were not distinct, she simply 'knew things'. In fact, she knew enough to set herself up as a professional 'troubleshooter', i.e. she gets things (items or people) in exchange for money (she currently has valid private investigator and bounty hunter licenses).

Kira was living in a one-room apartment on the edge of the New Asia slums before she met Asarar Cypher, and her 'office' was whatever bar or nightclub that she could arrange to meet clients in advance.