Everything we know about what happened to the USS Enterprise-E

In the end 1994 Star Trek: Generations the proven USS Enterprise-D crash-landed on Veridian III after a run-in with a rogue Klingon ship. The ship was damaged beyond repair and the crew left, completely unsentimental about the destruction of the ship. They were just glad to be alive. In the 1996 sequel, Star Trek: First Contact, the same crew was assembled aboard the all-new USS Enterprise-E, a Sovereign-class ship that was slightly smaller but faster and much better armed. The crew remained on the Enterprise-E during the events of 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis, the fourth and final film starring the characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The Enterprise-E was also badly damaged at the end of “Star Trek: Nemesis,” though it looked like it might be repaired this time around. After the events of “Nemesis”, the ship just continued its mission with Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart). It would have to go on without Riker and Troi (Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis), who got married and moved to the USS Titan. Worf (Michael Dorn) also became an ambassador and Data (Brent Spiner) died.

The Enterprise-E would not be mentioned in any (canonical) Star Trek sources until an episode of Star Trek: Picard 21 years later. In the episode “Võx” (April 13, 2023), it will be revealed that Jord has been collecting old Enterprise-Ds as a side hustle and putting it together in your space garage. Geordi (LeVar Burton) suggests they use D for the mission since E has become unusable for some unspecified reason. Everyone looks at Worf, who quickly contributes, “It was no my fault.”

Interestingly, that's the only information viewers get about the Enterprise-E's fate. We know that Worf had something to do with its destruction or disappearance. But what really happened to the Enterprise-E? We may have some clues we can glean from an episode of “Star Trek: Prodigy” and a confirmation from one of the show's writers.

Antagonist of “Star Trek: Prodigy” season one was a sinister, Palpatine-like slave owner called The Divine (John Noble) whose scheme was incredibly complex. His planet was visited by Starfleet, who offered them a peaceful place in the ever-growing galactic community. However, this offer threw his planet into a violent civil war that killed most of the population. In revenge, the Diviner traveled back in time, found an ultra-fast Federation ship called the USS Protostar, and hid an insidious computer virus on board.

The virus is spread through ship-to-ship communications and infects the ship's weapon systems, causing them to target other Starfleet ships. At the end of Prodigy's first season, the show's characters take the Protostar back to Federation space, almost too late to know that the Diviner virus is on board. Several Federation ships gather around the Protostar and the virus begins to spread. Starfleet ships begin attacking each other. Many explosions begin.

At a time when Trekkies seemed like the Enterprise-E was struggling. This fits within the Star Trek timeline, as Nemesis takes place in 2379 and Prodigy takes place around 2384. According to Una McComb's non-canon Star Trek: Picard tie-in novel The Last Best Hope Picard left the Enterprise-E in 2381 and gave command to Worf, although these events are not confirmed in any on-screen canon.

However, a fan theory (Inverted pattern), believes that Worf was not the commander of the Enterprise-E, but for the recently rebuilt USS Defiantwhich is also seen in the “Prodigy's” agonizing interstellar fleet fire of the zips. Worf previously commanded the Defiant in “Deep Space Nine,” so it was logical to assume that he would also command the “Prodigy.”

The Defiant is seen firing at the Enterprise-E, causing quite a bit of damage. If Worf was the commander of the Defiant and his ship, under the influence of the Diviner's virus, destroyed the Enterprise-E that day, then Worf would have every reason to defend himself in “Star Trek: Picard.” It was no his fault.

Of course, as “Deep Space Nine” fans know, the Defiant was destroyed way back in 2375 and replaced by a Defiant-class ship called the USS São Paulo, but it doesn't take much imagination to see the new ship. being renamed the Defiant in honor of the old ship. Indeed, the new Defiant was seen in “Star Trek: Picard.” kept in the starship museumso it makes sense that the Defiant should be adjacent to the events of Star Trek: Prodigy.

In A Facebook group called “Star Trek S*** posting”, fan theorized that Worf was aboard the Defiant and that it blew up the Enterprise-E. Star Trek: Prodigy co-writer Aaron J. Waltke was a member of the group, and he responded (jokingly) that “It's canon.” Inverse reached out to Waltke for further clarification, and he wrote back with the following comment:

“There are a few things we know to be true regarding Worf and his fate Enterprise-E. First, Picard was no longer the captain of the team Company During the Romulan evacuation (as described in 'Star Trek: Picard'). Secondly, Challenging was present in the Gamma Serpentis battle with the Living Construct (on the 'Prodigy') where it lost control and destroyed other Starfleet ships. A fleet of Sovereign-class ships were damaged or destroyed there, including USS Sovereign and a suspicious looking ship Enterprise-E“.

Some non-canon sources suggest that the Enterprise-E continues after the events of “Prodigy”, specifically List of Instagram posts titled “The Picard Logs”. These logs indicate that the Enterprise-E was still on a mission in 2386 and that Worf was in command at the time. No details were offered, other than Worf returning from this mission, the Enterprise-E did not.

However, these Instagram posts don't fit as well into the established Trek canon as the “Prodigy” connection.

It's just a theory, but it's a good one.