Following the Klingon-Gorn War (2386 - 2403), the Gorn were integrated into the Klingon Empire. They were allowed to continue ruling their own space, so long as they remained loyal to the Empire. Most Gorn faithfully continued to serve the Klingons, with many joining the ranks of the Klingon Defense Force.[citation needed]
By stardate 83195.9, the Gorn had an active presence in the Federation-controlled Lackey system. Their activity was discovered by the USS Valor while the Valor was on a mapping survey of the Paulson Nebula. When the Valor attempted to retrieve some dilithium from one of the asteroids in the system, the Gorn made claim to all the dilithium and attacked them. Shortly after, the USS Leviathan, which had been sent to the Lackey system on a completely unrelated mission, came to the aid of the Valor and the Gorn were driven off.
The Gorn had also gained control of a decalithium refinery among the fragmented remains of Lackey III, but their ships in the vicinity were no match for the Leviathan. Though CaptainStefan Marz of the Valor believed the Gorn had infiltrated the Paulson Nebula as well, the Gorn were merely the vanguard for a Klingon force stationed on a listening post within the nebula.[2]