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But we need to rationalise that in-universe. We look at these events and suspend disbelief, that is to say, we act as though these events actually happened and make observations from that.

True enough.

...but it's also possible that it was simply the concentrated fire that did it. A few more ships during the earlier stages of the battle and it's conceveable that it could have been destroyed short of Earth without the E-E's help.

Then why did Picard direct the combined fire of the fleet to one specific location on the cube - a location which he was told was insignificant?

Mikey wrote:

...but it's also possible that it was simply the concentrated fire that did it. A few more ships during the earlier stages of the battle and it's conceveable that it could have been destroyed short of Earth without the E-E's help.

Then why did Picard direct the combined fire of the fleet to one specific location on the cube - a location which he was told was insignificant?

Maybe he knew something they didn't. Here's an example: you see a trail of powder on the floor, like on an old sailing ship. Someone unfamiliar with it might dismiss it as nothing. Someone more familiar with the stuff would relize it's gunpowder. Maybe Picard knew something about the cube that the others didn't and used it to set off the proverbial keg of gunpowder.

Seven once said that the different species make different quality drones.

I would have disliked the whole Borg fleet coming and then being destroyed with new super weapons.

Maybe he knew something they didn't. Here's an example: you see a trail of powder on the floor, like on an old sailing ship. Someone unfamiliar with it might dismiss it as nothing. Someone more familiar with the stuff would relize it's gunpowder. Maybe Picard knew something about the cube that the others didn't and used it to set off the proverbial keg of gunpowder.

Exactly my point. Without that "insider info," only sending one cube would have been a fine tactical decision.

I would have disliked the whole Borg fleet coming and then being destroyed with new super weapons.

Me too. Would have been very anticlimactic.

I would have disliked the whole Borg fleet coming and then being destroyed with new super weapons.

Indeed, it would have been incredibly stupid. Almost as stupid as sending just one ship to take over the enemies capital planet.

How was it stupid? It ALMOST worked. For minimal expense they could have taken the main world of the Federation.

They got unlucky not stupid.

Teaos wrote:How was it stupid? It ALMOST worked. For minimal expense they could have taken the main world of the Federation.

Donald Rumsfeld used similar logic in 2003. Just because you think one ship will be enough doesn't mean that's all you send - Rumsfeld thought a single division would be enough to win the war. He was wrong - and the result was an unescorted supply convoy getting captured in Najaf, continuous attacks on the 3rd Division's lines of communication, and the insurgency that continues to this day. In military operations, what initially appears to be cost effective often turns out to be the exact opposite. Sending multiple ships would have allowed them to split Starfleet's response, increasing the likely hood of all ships getting to Earth, provided a reserve in case a ship was destroyed and provided additional assimilation facilities for when they got to Earth.

While a decent example its not the same. The size of the army sent to Iraq was never big enough to do what had to be done.

The cube would have won if it was not for Picards insider information. It had minimal damage and was minutes or and hour away at most from having Earth.

Teaos wrote:The cube would have won if it was not for Picards insider information. It had minimal damage and was minutes or and hour away at most from having Earth.

It had lost its shields and suffered severe damage to its outer hull. I'm not convinced personally that Picard knew anything about the cube's condition. He was simply ordering concentrated fire on a random section of the cube to try and puch a deep enough hole that it would break apart, and hoping everyone would think he was aiming at something vital.

Why would he need to lie about that? Just say hit that spot no need to say its important.

Overall the Cube was destroying the fleet and still funtioning well. It would have won.

First he might have felt the queen, second he wanted to kill her, third he gave the fleet a single target point to work together on with the E-E punching a hole and the fleet following in line afterwards.

Teaos wrote:Why would he need to lie about that? Just say hit that spot no need to say its important.

He didn't say it was important, he just said "trust me" and implied that he knew something no-one else did. He could easilly have been bluffing.

But why bluff? Hitting one spot hard makes sense. All he had to say is "Consintrate fire on this spot!"