Star Trek: 10 Starfleet Decisions With The Most Devastating Consequences
5. The Seventh Fleet Engages The Jem'Hadar In The Tyra System
This is an example of Starfleet facing its very own Kobayashi Maru, as there truly was no way to win this decision. Had Starfleet done nothing to attempt to stop the Jem'hadar advance in the Alpha Quadrant, then the War would have been far shorter, but many more worlds would have fallen to the aggressors, mostly probably including Earth, Vulcan, and the other key planets as well.
The Seventh Fleet was ordered to engage the Jem'Hadar in the Tyra System and to do their best to stop them. While the rest of the fleet waited anxiously for news of the fleet, dozens of other, smaller engagements took place. The USS Defiant saw three months of bloody slaughter between the loss of Deep Space Nine and their arrival at Starbase 375. One last happy moment - the reuniting of Commanders Dax and Worf - was all too short-lived before Doctor Bashir brought the devastating news to Captain Sisko.
Out of 112 ships that were sent to the Tyra System, only 14 made it back to Federation territory. This defeat dwarfed the loss at Wolf 359, truly highlighting the strength of the Gamma Quadrant foes. Though Starfleet truly didn't have another option other than to engage the Jem'hadar here, the decision to act led to thousands of lost lives.