Gorkon underwent its shakedown cruise in 2376, shortly after the end of the Dominion War, under the command of Captain Klag. Its first mission involved settling the attempted revolt against a Klingon governor on planet taD. (TNG novel: Diplomatic Implausibility) Shortly thereafter, the ship was ordered to assist the USS Enterprise-E to locate several missing Federation dignitaries, leading them to Narendra III where they were forced into battle against fellow Klingons under the control of the Malkus Artifacts (TNG - The Brave and the Bold, Book Two novella: The Final Artifact)