The senior tech-priest fills the chief-engineer role, but belongs to a distinct Mechanicum tradition rather than an ordinary naval branch. A principal Navigator uses a specialised third eye to guide the ship through the Warp, a realm filled with hostile entities. The chief Astropath supplies long-range psychic communications and may sometimes exchange messages even while the vessel is in the Warp. These specialists make movement and command possible, while showing how dependent the fleet is on scarce groups with knowledge that ordinary officers and crew do not possess.
Chapter · 50:12-52:47
Tech-priests, Navigators, and Astropaths enable the fleet
Imperial starships depend on separate specialist communities for engineering, Warp travel, and long-distance communications.