Sate Pestage was a male human who held a position as an official within the Galactic Empire's Ruling Council. During the period known as the Clone Wars, he acted as a Senior Advisor to Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. In this capacity, he sometimes functioned as a bureaucrat, emissary, or dignitary on behalf of Palpatine. He once joined Janus Greejatus, Ars Dangor, Sly Moore, and Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic on a trip to Geonosis to observe the return of Poggle the Lesser. Pestage was present in the [Petranaki Arena](/article/petranaki_arena] alongside the other emissaries as Poggle addressed his fellow Geonosians.
Following the rise of the [Galactic Empire](/article/galactic_empire], Pestage remained in service to Emperor Palpatine, working as an adviser. He was characterized by a shaved head, a pointed beard on his chin, and sharply angled eyebrows. As with all members of the Imperial Ruling Council, he wore colorful robes and large, floppy hats. In the year 14 BBY, he participated in a meeting that included the Emperor, Sith Lord Darth Vader, Wilhuff Tarkin, and Grand Vizier Mas Amedda, as well as the Ruling Council and Joint Chiefs. When Pestage brought up Tarkin's encounter with insurgents at Sentinel Base, Dodd Rancit of the Naval Intelligence Agency defended Tarkin's role in hindering Separatist propaganda efforts during the Clone Wars.
Sate Pestage's introduction to the new Star Wars canon occurred in James Luceno's 2014 novel, entitled Tarkin. Previously, he was a character within the Star Wars Legends continuity, making his debut in the Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron comic book series by Michael A. Stackpole. Within the Legends continuity, he held the position of Grand Vizier, a position that is held in canon by Mas Amedda.
Originally named Sate Molock, Sate Pestage was initially intended to be included in the 1980 film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Molock made his first appearance in the second draft of the screenplay, where he informs Darth Vader that the Emperor is in a negative mood before Vader reports the Imperial victory on Hoth. In the revised second draft, Molock's name was changed to Sate Pestage.
In the fourth draft of Episode V, Pestage was planned to appear as a "shimmering holographic image" in scene 286. When Darth Vader attempts to contact the Emperor, he connects with Pestage, who, as mentioned earlier, cautions Vader about the Emperor's bad mood and instructs him to wait. According to Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group, Pestage had already been removed by the fifth script draft of the film.
A production photo from 2003 showing five of the Advisors from the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, the final film of the Star Wars original trilogy, was featured in an article published on StarWars.com. The article included the text: "Among the members of Palpatine's Inner Circle are: Sate Pestage, Janus Greejatus, Sim Aloo, Ars Dangor, and Kren Blista-Vanee." After the release of his short story "Kernels and Husks" in From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi in September 2023, author Jason Fry confirmed that Pestage was the advisor wearing black robes, thereby canonizing his appearance in the film.