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Originally a Miranda II class ship, constructed at Alpha Centauri Federation Shipyards, from 2338-41. Originally a charting and science exploration vessel working in the region of the 'upward' galactic rim, charting stars in the sparse regions at the edge of the galaxy.
In 2356, after her third five year mission, Captain S'Karis returned to home base at Alpha Centauri, and the ship was massively refit over a two year period. She was then assigned a new Captain, Miri's World Captain Gwenith Courage, and given the mission of scientific outreach and contact management with various races within the massive space that had been explored and holds member races of the UFP, but had not been fully developed.
For nine years, from 2358 through 2367, she was involved in this work, and was recalled in the wake of the Borg attacks at Wolf 359 and Terra.
Her new mission, under a new commander, Captain Nikola Wzbowsi, was deep space scout and survey, beyond the UFP frontiers. She moved to the edges of Federation space for two years and maintained a Borg-watch, until she was relieved, with the construction of Deep Space 18.
The Oriental was then brought home for a new refit, lasting a year. In 2370, she was assigned to Core worlds courier and defensive service, and it was in this capacity that she fought the Borg Cube at Terra in 2373. She lost all but 12 personnel, before the Borg assimilation matrix took a portion of her command and engineering crews. A Federation officer, Ensign Howell Bridger, transported onto the ship, and took control of her in time to rescue over 280 crewmen from the dying USS Independence, saving many of the 351 persons who survived that ships'engagement with the Borg.
Bridger was relieved of that command by Cmdr. Data of the USS Enterprise. The ship was taken to Planitia Utopia, for study of the Borg infestation, where LCmdr. Brax and newly promoted Adm. Guise engaged in their researches and effort to bend the Borg assimilation matrix to the will of the UFP. In early 2374, the ship was deigned ready for field testing, and a contingent of 135 crew from the USS Knight were added to the five man recertification team, to test the ship in a tour of the Core Worlds and through some planned, low intensity war games.
Interestingly enough, 26 of the crew from the Knight, had served on the USS Independence, and were rescued by the Oriental. Most of the Security and Medical contingent on the Knight is made up of members of staff from the USS Independence.