The Kobayashi Maru II was assigned a deep-space patrol in 2270 when the vessel received a priority 1 distress call from a freighter, the Zachary Taylor on stardate 5995.7. When Captain Hale ordered the Kobayashi Maru into range of the distress call, the image of the Zachary Taylor on the viewscreen faded, and it was revealed that the Kobayashi Maru was actually moving into weapons range of a D7-class Klingon Empire battle cruiser.