Sartan was a member of the Imperial Navy's officer corps, holding the Galactic Empire's Imperial Navy military rank of Fleet Admiral. As the commanding officer of the Seventh Fleet, he served until approximately 2 BBY in the year. Arihnda Pryce, the Imperial Governor of the Lothal sector, became aware of Sartan's impending replacement and suggested Admiral Thrawn for the role after his victory on the Outer Rim planet Batonn against insurgents. Sartan was superseded by Thrawn, who was promoted to Grand Admiral and granted leadership of the Seventh Fleet.
Timothy Zahn's 2017 novel, Thrawn, included the initial reference to Sartan.