The I.A.V. Dortmunder was an Iskellian Technology Solutions Tohoku-class cruiser that served the Union of Allied Planets in 2517. While on patrol in the Rim, the Dortmunder came upon a derelict Vanderdecken-class heavy cargo carrier. The wreckage of the ship was the target of an illegal salvage operation perpetrated by the crew of the Firefly Class transport ship Serenity. The crew, contracted by an individual named Badger, had been hired to steal cases of foodstuffs that had survived in airtight sections.