40 ships 1 cube | 39 ships destroyed, 11,000 killed or assimilated Unknown | |
Vice Admiral J.P. Hanson Locutus of Borg (assimilated Captain Jean-Luc Picard) | ||
The Battle of Wolf 359 is a fictional space battle in the Star Trek universe between the United Federation of Planets and the Borg Collective in the year 2367. The aftermath is depicted in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" and the battle in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pilot, "Emissary." The battle occurs at the star Wolf 359, a real star system located 7.78 light years from Earth's solar system, and constitutes a total loss for the Federation, after the single attacking Borg ship obliterates the opposing fleet and proceeds to Earth without significant damage.
Contents
Depiction
In "The Best of Both Worlds," 40 Starfleet starships under the command of Admiral J. P. Hanson (George Murdock) gather near Wolf 359 to intercept a Borg cube ship traveling to Earth. The Borg, having assimilated Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his knowledge of Starfleet tactics and technology into its collective consciousness, obliterate the Starfleet force: according to dialog in "The Drumhead," 39 ships are destroyed, with the loss of over 11,000 lives. Survivors include Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his son, Jake (Cirroc Lofton), as well as an unknown number of Starfleet and Klingon captives assimilated by the Borg until the cube was destroyed. Following its victory, the Borg ship continues on its course to Earth, where the crew of the Enterprise-D rescue Picard and stop the cube.
The player's character in the interactive movie/video game Star Trek: Borg replaces a crewman aboard the character's father's ship during the events leading to the Battle of Wolf 359, and changes history to prevent the ship from being destroyed there.
Character impact
After his rescue, Picard experiences intense guilt because of the thousands whom the Borg killed or injured by using his knowledge while he had been assimilated by the Borg. His struggle to cope with his captivity and assimilation is a central element of the episode "Family." Picard's desire for vengeance against the Borg is also an element of the film Star Trek: First Contact.
Benjamin Sisko serves as executive officer aboard the USS Saratoga at the Battle of Wolf 359. His wife, Jennifer (Felecia M. Bell), is killed during the battle, and Sisko carries the emotional weight of her death until the end of "Emissary."