“Mmm. Is she still popular?”

“Not so much. Re-runs will go on forever, at least the classics like Dark of the Moon and The Iron Chain. She’s doing straight dramas now, and politics.” Sassinak grimaced, remembering Dupaynil’s revelations about her former idol. “I’ve been told she’s behind some subversive groups, has been for years.” Then she sighed, and said, “And I dragged you through Troop Deck without showing you much . . . well This is Environmental, that keeps us alive.”

“I saw the sign,” said Lunzie. She could hear the distant rhythmic throbbing of pumps. Sassinak patted a plump beige pipe with surprising affection.

“This was my first assignment out of the Academy. Installing a new environmental system on a cruiser.”