Hmmm. What about, like, a person who works for the space equivalent of Blackwater or McKinsey? They're kind of a mercenary but also they could angle for a promotion.

(In the specific book I was reading that caused me to post this: the main character is a mercenary who has just left the military, is striking out on her own to gain wider experience, and hopes to be recruited by a super-elite force within the military. That's her path to promotion.)

I am enjoying imagining the space astrologer!