IRW Rhliailu was a D'deridex-class Romulan warbird in service in the 24th century, under the command of Admiral Lhian Mendak.
Shortly following its launch, it was discovered that the Rhliailu's disruptor couplings were misaligned, causing overheating in the disruptor chamber if not kept at extremely low temperatures, but also resulting in maximized power output. This "flaw" led to several victories for the Rhliailu during the Dominion War, including at Brasîto. However, it could not be duplicated in other vessels.
During the course of the war, the Rhliailu put in to Starbase 375 for repairs. There, Starfleet engineers noted its unique disruptor alignment. It was this information that allowed the USS da Vinci to determine, during their investigation in 2380, that the Rhliailu had been responsible for the destruction of the moon of Klorgat IV.
Once Mendak's actions had been discovered, he and his crew committed ritual suicide, leaving the Rhliailu adrift in the Vorni system. (ST novel: Articles of the Federation)
