The ship was placed under the command of Commander Valak who was assigned on a mission by Praetor Darok to investigate what the Romulan Star Empire believed to have been a secret Federation base at Hermeticus II. The Syrinx's life would end at this point when it was towed to a separate spot by the Ambimorphs who destroyed it as well as the USS Independence. This would also be the end of this class of vessels as an Ambimorph, disguised as Lord Kazanak, explained that the ship suffered from design problems and steered production away from these fearsome vessels. (TNG novel: The Romulan Prize)