Sate Pestage

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Star Wars character
Sate Pestage
Position	Grand Vizier
Homeworld	Naboo
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Height	1.75 meters
Affiliation	Galactic Republic, Galactic Empire, Imperial Senate
Portrayed by	Not applicable

Sate Pestage is a fictional character from the Star Wars universe.

Pestage was a long-time advisor of Palpatine and one of the few people who truly knew him. When Palpatine became Emperor, Pestage was appointed his Grand Vizier. His daily tasks ranged from managing Palpatine's schedule to tasting his food to see if it was poisoned. Sate Pestage was also a member of Emperor Palpatine's Inner Circle. The other members of the Inner Circle were Janus Greejatus, Sim Aloo, Ars Dangor and Kren Blista-Vanee. He was so influential, and trusted, that by the Battle of Hoth Pestage was made the Empire's Head of Government. The only two people more powerful in the Imperial hierarchy were the Emperor himself and Darth Vader.

After Palpatine was killed at the Battle of Endor, Pestage assumed control of Coruscant. He would allow the Rebel Alliance to take Coruscant without a fight if he could retain control of 10 worlds, and his friend Ysanne Isard 15. Isard betrayed him by revealing Pestage would allow Coruscant to be captured by the New Republic in return for immunity. His credibility gone, Pestage fled to his private holdings, the Cuitric Hegemony. Isard sent Admiral Delak Krennel to arrest him; Krennel killed Pestage, seized the hegemony, and declared himself a warlord.

This Pestage, however, was a (somewhat defective) clone created by Emperor's Hand Sarcev Quest. The real Pestage had fled to Byss when he left Coruscant and helped Palpatine return to life. It is unknown if he was killed when the Galaxy Gun destroyed the planet.

[edit] Trivia

The character (originally called Sate Molock) was meant to appear in the film The Empire Strikes Back. Pestage was to be in scene 286 as a "shimmering holographic image" who warns Darth Vader of the Emperor's foul mood. According to the film's shooting schedule, this scene was shot on June 18, 1979, but never made it into the movie's final cut. Kenner toys even produced a Star Destroyer playset featuring a toy hologram apparently intended to be Sate Pestage. An enclosed instruction sheet reads, "Darth talks to the Grand Vizier with the pretend viewing screen."

In a Q&A session, starwars.com stated Sate Pestage is among the robed Imperial dignitaries accompanying the Emperor in several scenes during Return of the Jedi, though neither the script nor the credits identify him.

Sate Pestage is mentioned in the novelization of Revenge of the Sith as one of Palpatine's advisors whom the Jedi suspected to be Darth Sidious, influencing the Supreme Chancellor. Mas Amedda and Sly Moore were also among the suspects.