- For the mirror universe counterpart, see Battle of Wolf 359 (mirror).
| CONFLICT | |
| Battle of Wolf 359 (Part of Borg Incursion of 2366-2367) | |
 USS Bellerophon, Saratoga, and Yamaguchi engage Locutus's cube | |
| Belligerents: | United Federation of Planets vs. Borg Collective |
| Date(s): | stardate 44002.3 (2367) |
| Location(s): | Wolf 359 system |
| Scale: | Federation: 40 starships Borg: 1 Borg cube (Cube 632) |
| Result: | Decisive Borg victory |
| Casualties: | Federation: 39 starships destroyed, 11,230 killed Borg: Light damage to Borg cube |
The Battle of Wolf 359 took place in 2367 in the Wolf 359 system, roughly eight light years from Earth, between the forces of the United Federation of Planets and the Borg Collective. The Battle of Wolf 359 was the Federation's disastrous first fleet action against the Borg.
It was part of the Borg Incursion of 2366-2367. It is recorded as one of the most destructive battles in Federation history prior to the
Dominion War. It was identified by the Time Lord known as the Doctor as a fixed point in time.
Prelude to Wolf 359
The remains of New Providence Colony
In 2366, on stardate 43989.1, the USS Enterprise-D arrived at Jouret IV after contact with the New Providence colony was lost twelve hours earlier. The colony was found to have been completely destroyed, literally scooped from the planet's surface.
Admiral J.P. Hanson and Lieutenant Commander Shelby of Starfleet Tactical arrived to investigate the disappearance. An away team determined that the colony was wiped away by weapons similar to those found on the Borg cube encountered by the Enterprise in System J-25. While investigating a planet within that system, scans, performed by the crew of the Enterprise, revealed evidence of a previous advanced civilization on the planet, but also massive surface scarring notably similar to that detected on several Federation and Romulan outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone in 2364, which had removed all machine elements on the planet, suggesting a previous Borg incursion in the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet immediately began preparations for a possible Borg invasion. Admiral Hanson returned to Starbase 324 to discuss strategy with Starfleet Command. Starfleet imposed a fleet-wide standing yellow alert, and warned all Federation and allied outposts. That evening at 1900 hours, the USS Lalo departed Zeta Alpha II on a freight run to Sentinel Minor IV. At 2212 hours, Starbase 157 received a signal from the Lalo reporting contact with a cubical object. The signal was cut off mid-transmission, and no response was received to further hails.
"...We have engaged the Borg."
Upon receiving this information from Admiral Hanson, the USS Enterprise set a course for the Lalo's last known location. With Starfleet reinforcements at least six days away, the Enterprise was on her own. En route to the coordinates, contact was made with the unknown vessel: a Borg cube. News was relayed to Admiral Hanson, who had begun to assemble a fleet to combat the invasion. The Borg demanded that the Enterprise captain, Jean-Luc Picard, beam himself aboard their vessel for an unspecified purpose. After a brief exchange of fire, the Enterprise retreated into the Paulson Nebula, with the Borg vessel close behind. Hiding in the dust cloud, the Enterprise and her crew prepared for the inevitable conflict. Attempting to force the starship out, the Borg launched magnetometric-guided charges into the nebula, causing minor damage to the Enterprise. Picard ordered the ship out of hiding, and in the ensuing attack, Picard was captured by the Borg, who then left at high warp, en route to Sector 001 and the core of the Federation.
Enterprise opens fire
The cube maintained its course, with the Enterprise in hot pursuit. William T. Riker, as acting Captain, planned to force the cube out of warp in order to attack it using the Enterprise's deflector dish. An away team led by Lieutenant Commander Shelby was sent over to the vessel, and succeeded in taking the Borg cube out of warp. In the process, it was discovered that Captain Picard had been assimilated by the Collective – he had been transformed into a Borg drone with the designation Locutus of Borg. Having temporarily disabled the cube, the Enterprise launched its deflector weapon. The cube easily shrugged off the Enterprise's assault with the unwilling aid of Picard's knowledge, and resumed its course to the Sol system. The Enterprise was forced to stay behind, having suffered extensive damage to its deflector array and warp core. In the meantime, Admiral Hanson and Starfleet Command had hastily assembled a fleet of forty starships, with more on the way. The Klingon Empire was in the process of dispatching warships of its own to assist in the defense, and the possibility of requesting Romulan support was even considered.
The battle
The battle begins
The starships USS Yamaguchi, USS Bellerophon and USS Saratoga are engaging the Borg cube
In 2367, around stardate 44002.3, the cube entered the Wolf 359 system. Locutus hailed the assembled fleet, ordering them to disarm and escort the cube to the Sol system. Immediately thereafter, the fleet engaged the Borg.
The Excelsior-class USS Melbourne was among the first ships destroyed, with its saucer section partially vaporized while approaching.
During the fighting the USS Saratoga, trapped in the cube's tractor beam, was covertly boarded by Borg drones intent on killing or assimilating senior officers. However, a starship crew sent from 2409 by Q (Junior) defeated the drones, ensuring that the vessel's first officer Benjamin Sisko escaped the ship. The Miranda-class USS Saratoga was quickly neutralized thereafter. When the Ambassador-class USS Yamaguchi and the Nebula-class USS Bellerophon rushed to rescue their trapped sister ships, they, too, were destroyed, along with numerous other starships entering the combat zone.
Locutus watches the battle
Locutus, using the assimilated tactical knowledge of Picard, directed the battle from the Borg side. After bare minutes of combat, the fleet was faced with utter defeat. Admiral Hanson attempted to rally the remaining ships to launch a last-ditch assault, but his ship was destroyed shortly thereafter. His final words were to Captain Riker of the Enterprise, whom he contacted briefly during the course of the battle. Communications were cut off in the midst of this transmission, and no further transmissions were received.
Ultimately, 39 starships were lost with a total loss of nearly 11,000 lives. Many people were assimilated. Only one starship managed to escape the disaster.
The wreckage of Admiral Hanson's fleet after the battle
At least one civilian transport craft was caught in the battle. The ship was heavily damaged and had to evacuate its crew and passengers via their escape pods. The mother of one Starfleet officer was onboard. The rest of the craft's passengers were most likely assimilated, though it is unknown if Locutus' ship had done this, or if they were assimilated at a later date.
Aftermath
The Borg cube is destroyed
Following the battle, the cube resumed course towards Earth, completely undamaged. The Enterprise, having finally completed repairs, raced to catch up to the Borg. In preparation for a Borg invasion of Earth, a state of emergency was declared on the planet. Using the recaptured Locutus and his link to the collective mind of the Borg, the Enterprise crew however managed to plant subversive commands to deactivate and destroy the Borg ship in Earth orbit.
Although the outcome of the invasion could have been much worse, the result of the battle was nothing short of disaster. The loss of such a large number of starships left the Federation unprepared for any new sustained conflict. Commander Shelby took command of a special task force to rebuild Starfleet, but it would take up to a year before the fleet returned to previous deployment levels. Debris from the battle remained in the system through 2368. A memorial was set-up and active as of 2409. Rachel Aprile's tactics that she used against the Borg at the Battle of Wolf 359 convinced Starfleet to assign her to Starfleet Academy to oversee the Kobayashi Maru scenario.
Sisko created a holographic program of the Battle of Wolf 359 aboard Deep Space 9 in an attempt to discover if a Starfleet victory was possible.
Starships at Wolf 359
A fleet of 40 Federation starships was mobilized for the assault. In all, 39 starships were lost, at a cost of nearly 11,000 lives.
Legacy
Saratoga attacks the Borg cube
Initiated around 2367, the development of the heavily armed Defiant-class was a direct result of the battle. However, as the Borg scare abated somewhat, the development process was slowed down, until it was decided to commission the prototype vessel USS Defiant to counter the Dominion threat in 2371. Battle survivor, Commander Benjamin Sisko was part of the development team. The Defiant was however called upon to fulfill its original design intent, during a subsequent Borg incursion in 2373, when it battled a Borg cube in the Battle of Sector 001.
The USS Melbourne is destroyed early in the battle
In 2367, Admiral Norah Satie used the battle as a means to question Captain Jean-Luc Picard's integrity during an inquiry board on Romulan subversion. She implied that Picard's relations with the Borg led to the battle, and hence he was untrustworthy.
In 2369, Picard again was painfully confronted with the consequences of Locutus' actions, as he met Commander Sisko for a briefing while the latter took command of Deep Space 9. Sisko was, on that occasion, only barely able to contain his disdain for Picard, whom he blamed for the death of his wife, she having been lost in the battle.
In 2370, Benjamin Sisko missed the painful fourth year anniversary by one day. It was the cause of his inability to sleep.
In 2371, Vice Admiral Toddman commented to Sisko that the Battle of the Omarion Nebula between the Dominion and a Tal Shiar/Obsidian Order fleet sounded "like Wolf 359 all over again". Sisko admitted that he had had the same thought. Like the Starfleet ships at Wolf 359, very few Cardassian or Romulan ships survived.
In 2372, Joseph Sisko remarked to his son Benjamin that the threat of a Dominion invasion of Earth had frightened the population of the planet to a degree not seen since the Borg scare.
In 2373, Commander Chakotay encountered Borg drones assimilated at Wolf 359 during the battle but who were later on liberated thanks to a malfunction.
In 2374, the Alpha Hirogen, Karr, in control of the USS Voyager, wanted to create a simulation of the Battle of Wolf 359, as it was one of the "notorious battles" of the Federation.
In 2378, when Picard found himself in a similar predicament aboard the Scimitar, he was again painfully reminded of his Borg experience when Shinzon taunted him with the remark, "What do your Borg friends say? Resistance is futile."
Parallel universes
Captain Riker of a quantum reality where the Borg had decimated the Federation
In one quantum reality, Picard was killed during the Borg incident and Riker succeeded him as captain of the Enterprise-D with Worf as his first officer.
In another quantum reality, the Borg had completely decimated the Federation by 2370. A battered Enterprise-D which was likewise under the command of Captain Riker was one of the few remaining Starfleet ships left. The Riker of this reality was desperate not to return to his universe after they had escaped it through the quantum fissure. They attempted to stop Worf from sealing the fissure. Their Enterprise-D was destroyed due to warp core containment field failure when another Enterprise-D attempted to disable it.
In a parallel universe, Jake Sisko died aboard the USS Saratoga during the battle, an event which destroyed his father Benjamin Sisko's Starfleet career, his marriage to Jake's mother Jennifer Sisko and almost Benjamin's will to live.