The Oraidhe was assigned to take care of a civil war on 11 Lacerti in 2369, followed by half a year of patrol duty on the edge of Federation space. Then it spent six months getting home, only to be sent to join the USS Enterprise-D and the USS Marignano at the Great Rift. There the entire crew's neural energies were "eaten" by the intellivore. The Enterprise-D towed the vessel to Starbase 44, where it was recommissioned with a new name and given a new crew. (TNG novel: Intellivore)