The Dixie Lady was attached to the Starfleet Intelligence mission Operation: Dixie. In 2280, the Dixie Lady departed with the Dixie Queen and the Dixie Princess on a planned five-year intelligence gathering operation deep within the Klingon Empire. After learning the fate of the Dixie Princess, the crew of the Dixie Lady sent a message to Starbase 12 in 2285. Only a portion of that message was received due to Klingon jamming. The vessel was declared lost soon afterward. (FASA RPG module: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update)