In the late 2250s, while under the command of Captain Diego Reyes, the Dauntless had numerous encounters with the IKS Chech'Iw, commanded by future Klingon Chancellor, General Gorkon. An engagement at Xarant badly damaged the ship and cost the lives of eighteen crew members, including the executive officer Commander Rajiv Mehta. In 2259, after three months of extensive repairs at Starbase 7, the Dauntless took on her new first officer, Commander Hallie Gannon. (VAN novel: Precipice, VAN - Declassified novella: The Ruins of Noble Men, Star Trek Magazine Issue 162: "Blast Off!")