Battle of Wolf 359

In late 2366 a single Borg cube crossed into Federation space, destroyed the colony on Jouret IV and headed for Earth. During a confrontation with the USS Enterprise-D, the Borg abducted Captain Jean-Luc Picard and assimilated him, turning him into Locutus, a spokesman meant to ease humanity's absorption into the Collective. Commander William Riker took command of the Enterprise.

In early 2367 Starfleet assembled a fleet of forty starships at Wolf 359 to stop the cube before it reached Earth. Thanks to Picard's knowledge of Starfleet tactics, the Borg crushed the defenders: thirty-nine ships were destroyed and about eleven thousand people were killed. Among the dead was the wife of Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Sisko, who escaped the USS Saratoga with his young son.

The Enterprise reached Earth orbit in time and rescued Picard. By tapping into the link between Locutus and the Collective, Data planted a command that put the Borg to sleep, causing the cube to destroy itself. Picard recovered, but the trauma stayed with him and with Starfleet, which began preparing new ships and tactics for the Borg's return.