Borg Appearances in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

While the Borg are perhaps most famously known from Star Trek: The Next Generation, their influence and presence also play a significant role in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series. Truth be told, the Borg appeared in Deep Space Nine, albeit their appearance and their interactions with the USS Enterprise are fundamentally more indirect than they are in other parts of the Star Trek universe.

The Battle of Wolf 359

The earliest indication of the Borg in Deep Space Nine is in the very first episode, titled Emissary. This episode features a key scene where a Borg cube engages in a fierce battle with a Federation fleet during the climactic Battle of Wolf 359. This event is pivotal as it highlights the immense threat the Borg pose to the Federation. While the USS Defiant escapes with Benjamin Sisko, his wife does not fare as well, adding a tragic dimension to the event.

Indirect References and Conjecture

The impact of the Borg when they appear in Deep Space Nine is more subtle. The series does not delve deeply into their roles or interactions. However, their influence and the looming threat they represent permeate the background narrative of the show. The USS Voyager series, which takes place concurrently with Deep Space Nine and involves significant encounters with the Borg, is mentioned. Additionally, the character Seven of Nine, who was once a Borg drone, plays a role in the broader narrative, indirectly linking the Borg to the Deep Space Nine story.

Rewards for the Federation and Romulans

In the penultimate episode of Deep Space Nine's first season, Conspiracy, a hive-like species that aims to overrun the Federation is briefly glimpsed. This alien manages to evade being fully destroyed by Picard and Riker, despite their efforts. In the subsequent episode, The Neutral Zone, both the Federation and the Romulan Empires discover abandoned outposts along the Neutral Zone that have been completely stripped of anything valuable, suggesting a past incursion by a highly advanced alien force. This could be the Borg, or it could be a prelude to a larger confrontation to come.

The Arrival of the Borg

Season 2, Episode 16, titled Q: Who Wants a Nice Quiet Lugnad?, introduces a more direct encounter with the Borg. When Q becomes frustrated with his inability to join the crew, he snaps his fingers and teleports the USS Enterprise to a planet near the Neutral Zone. There, the crew discovers an alien race with striking similarities to the Borg. While it’s not explicitly confirmed, this encounter strongly hints that the Borg had been reconnaissance in the area as early as the end of the first season. This reinforces the ongoing threat that the Borg represent, even if their direct presence is limited in Deep Space Nine.

Throughout Deep Space Nine, the Borg are a shadowy presence, referenced but not fully explored. Their influence is felt through indirect means and by their enduring threat. While the USS Defiant and Deep Space Nine do not engage in direct battles with the Borg, the memory of the Battle of Wolf 359, the hive-like species in Conspiracy, and the unidentified alien race in The Neutral Zone all contribute to the ongoing dread the Borg instill in the crew and the Federation as a whole.