Married for more than 56 years to his wife Judith, Auberjonois is also survived by two children. While best known for his on-screen roles in Deep Space Nine, Benson, Boston Legal and others, Auberjonois was also prolific photographer, frequently sharing images from his life and travels on social media, when not attending one of the many fan conventions he would participate in throughout each calendar year. Either way, the Bajorans have found a way to mostly forgive him, and his presence aboard the space station continues to keep the peace, and always protect the little man.Before his time aboard station Deep Space 9, Rene Auberjonois starred as the devious Colonel West in the director’s cut of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and then returned to the franchise in 2002 to guest star in “Oasis” in the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise. His inaction caused the suffering and deaths of many under the fascist dictatorship, but this is something he has to live with every day, admitting the guilt he feels. On one hand, he did a lot to protect the Bajorans from the full wrath of the Cardassians, but his unwillingness to actively support and help them can equally be seen as a compliance - or more importantly, as guilt through association. Judging Odo's innocence is not for the audiences to work out. It’s difficult to navigate the complex political narrative of DS9 at the best of times, but Odo’s involvement and innocence during the Cardassian occupation is one of the best examples of the program asking the hard questions, and portraying the impossible situations the characters are faced with. He didn’t care about their war, or who was right or wrong, but he did care about their complete disregard for justice and truth. However, the longer his employment lasted and the more atrocities he saw the Cardassians commit, the more disillusioned he became. Odo was fairly neutral, his main motivation being the pursuit of justice. The Bajorans saw this and respected this, understanding and thankful in a sense that someone like him was protecting them from the full force of their captors. Odo treated the Bajorans fairly, despite their enslavement, and managed to stop the mindless execution of innocents. Odo was more like an impartial mediator, refusing to help the Cardassians root out the resistance from those in his ‘care.’ Instead, he was there to settle disputes that would have otherwise resulted in a big pile of Bajoran bodies. He was honest and refused to engage in any of the brutality that surrounded him, his main priority being justice. His job was to keep the peace, not just to follow orders blindly. Odo's role as head of security was very different from that of a warrior, or hired gun. While this may seem the case, his situation was a little more complicated, and is a great example of the complexity of war Star Trek so masterfully portrays. He remained head of security, which on paper makes him something of a fascist collaborator. With the Bajorans now in control of the station, with the much-needed aid of the Federation, it seemed strange then that Odo would still be employed. This lasted until the Cardassian occupation of Bajor ended, and the station was abandoned. They occupied the station for just over 20 years, and during this time, Odo was employed as head of security. At this time, the Cardassians were occupying the planet, and they used Bajoran slaves to build that station. The titular space station in DS9 space station was once a Cardassian mining and refining station that orbited the Bajoran home world, Bajor. Odo is a prime example of the complex political minefield DS9 was trying to navigate. The galaxy is riddled with various treaties, politics, and agreements, and is often teetering on the edge of war. While this was always present, even during The Original Series, things ramped up with the introduction of Deep Space 9. Star Trek has received praise over the years not only for their deeply philosophical narratives, but also their various political plots and subplots. RELATED: Star Trek: Debunking The Red Shirt Myth
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