Captain Picard himself appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's pilot, "The Emissary," as if to give his blessing to Star Trek's newest show. Commander Sisko, however, was less than impressed. "The Emissary" opens with a flashback to the Battle of Wolf 359 and Picard's brief time as Locutus of Borg. The episode reveals that Sisko was present at Wolf 359 during the battle, serving on the USS Saratoga. Sisko's wife, Jennifer (Felecia M. Bell), was killed in the battle, and he was forced to leave her behind as he escaped the Saratoga with his son, Jake (Cirroc Lofton).
Star Trek Never Resolved Sisko’s Anger At Captain Picard Over The Borg
Sisko Harbored A Lot Of Anger About Picard's Role In The Battle Of Wolf 359
Even years later, Commander Sisko still blamed Captain Picard for Jennifer's death, remembering the Enterprise captain as Locutus. From Sisko's perspective, it was Picard's face that appeared on the Saratoga's viewscreen proclaiming that "Resistance is futile" and raining death down on a fleet of starships. Star Trek: The Next Generation showed the events leading up to the Battle of Wolf 359 from Picard's perspective, as well as that of the Enterprise-D crew. The whole experience was incredibly traumatic for Jean-Luc, but Sisko's anger is understandable, too.
When Sisko first meets Picard, he tells him that he was at the Battle of Wolf 359. After an awkward pause, Picard continues outlining Sisko's mission aboard DS9. In one of "The Emissary's" final scenes, Picard departs the space station after shaking Sisko's hand, and they appear to be on better terms. Still, the two never discuss the Borg, the devastating battle, or Picard's role in it. This would have been a fascinating conversation to watch, but Picard and Sisko never met again onscreen.
Sisko & Picard Both Moved On From Their Borg Trauma, But Never Saw Each Other Again
It Took Picard Decades To Move On From His Experience As Locutus
Much of Jean-Luc Picard's story since the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation has involved the residual trauma from his experience as Locutus. While TNG moved on fairly quickly, the experience depicted in "The Best of Both Worlds" clearly stuck with Picard for the rest of his life. Star Trek: First Contact dealt directly with Picard's fear and hatred of the Borg, but the Enterprise captain did not put his feelings to rest until Star Trek: Picard season 3. With help from his Enterprise-D crew, Picard finally brought an end to (most of) the Borg and put that part of his life behind him.
After Benjamin Sisko's experience at the Battle of Wolf 359 and the loss of his wife, he nearly resigned from Starfleet altogether. Sisko eventually ended up on the former Cardassian space station Terok Nor, in orbit around Bajor. After the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole, Sisko found new purpose in his destiny as the Emissary of the Prophets. He began to come to terms with his wife's death and eventually found a kind of peace as the Commander of DS9. Sisko had no more encounters with the Borg, and he found a family among the crew of the space station.
Picard Season 3 Had Another Captain Face Jean-Luc Over His Borg Trauma
Captain Shaw's Speech Is A Highlight Of Picard's Excellent Third Season
Benjamin Sisko was not the only Starfleet captain with traumatic memories of Picard from the Battle of Wolf 359. Star Trek: Picard season 3 introduced Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) of the USS Titan, who had been an ensign aboard the USS Constance during the battle. Sitting in a holodeck simulation of the bar at 10 Forward Avenue, Captain Shaw delivers a devastating speech directly to Picard, likely saying many of the things Sisko once wanted to say. Shaw recounts his experience, emphasizing that Picard was "on that Borg cube, setting the world on fire" during the battle.
Todd Stashwick sells Captain Shaw's trauma, as decades later, he still finds himself lost in a vivid memory, struggling to separate Locutus from Picard. Shaw ends his speech with the biting pronouncement that Locutus was "the only Borg so deadly they gave him a goddamn name." Picard, of course, has his own traumatic memories from that day, and Shaw's speech clearly gets to him. In the end, Jean-Luc saves his son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), from a similar fate, finally confronting his past, something we never really got to see Captain Sisko do in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
