Sate Pestage / Legends Sate Pestage ( ) was a longtime Human male advisor and right - hand man to Palpatine , and one of the few people who truly knew him . Serving Palpatine from his days as a senator on Naboo to his ascension to Emperor , Pestage rose alongside him , becoming an advisor to Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor , and then Grand Vizier of the Galactic Empire . During the time of the Galactic Republic , Pestage did much of Palpatine ' s covert work , from espionage to murder . As Grand Vizier , he controlled the day - to - day operations of the Empire by the time of the Battle of Hoth . He also served as Palpatine ' s assistant , managing his schedule , screening his calls , and overseeing his personal affairs . After Palpatine ' s death at the Battle of Endor , and as the highest surviving member of the Imperial Court , Pestage assumed control of Coruscant and the Empire as the Interim - Emperor . However , the other Imperial Advisor s turned on him , as did members of the military and Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard . To save his life , Pestage made a deal with the New Republic to turn over Coruscant in exchange for immunity and planetary holdings . Isard closed on him , though , and Pestage was executed by Admiral Delak Krennel . However , the vizier was also said to have gone to Byss and died there ; it was believed that one of these two Pestages was a clone . Biography . Early life . Pestage was born in the city of Daplona on Ciutric IV , and eventually moved to Coruscant , a planet he came to call home and whose " every nook and cranny " he claimed to know . The obscurity of Pestage ' s origins , as well as his closeness to Palpatine , fueled rumors in the late Imperial era that he and the Emperor were related , with some saying that Pestage was one of Palpatine ' s first clones , produced during his early rise to power , others that he was Palpatine ' s son by some forgotten wedding of convenience , who aged normally while the Emperor kept himself rejuvenated . Despite these unfounded rumors , it was known that Pestage had a large family of his own residing in the Ciutric Hegemony , and there was no evidence of any genetic connection between the two men . Pestage and Palpatine first met in a small plaza beside the Parnelli Art Museum on Naboo in 52 BBY , when Palpatine was still an Ambassador and a Sith apprentice to Darth Plagueis . It was for the latter , under his guise of Hego Damask , Magister of Damask Holdings , that Pestage worked at the time , carrying out covert and illicit assignments , and he had chosen Pestage to arrange for the assassination of senator Vidar Kim , so that Palpatine could succeed him . The power Palpatine offered Pestage was enough to bring him to the Ambassador ' s side . In spite of this , he was unaware that they were Sith Lords until he witnessed the both of them destroying a group of Maladian assassins . Assistant to the Senator . After the plaza meeting , Sate Pestage had became Palpatine ' s right - hand man ever since the latter first came to Coruscant as the Senator for Naboo . Pestage first entered the public eye some years before the Battle of Naboo , while serving alongside Kinman Doriana , with whom he became close friends , as one of Senator Palpatine ' s aides . During the term of King Ars Veruna , Pestage was responsible for covering up the illegal activities the Senator engaged in on his homeworld . One such mission occurred in 36 BBY , when a Gungan named Kroke Modbom was arrested by the Royal Naboo Security Forces . Pestage came to Naboo on behalf of Palpatine to take custody of Kroke , claiming the Gungan was guilty of murder and treason . While there , Pestage was introduced to a lieutenant in the Security Forces named Quarsh Panaka . Later that day , while pursuing a suspect , Panaka discovered a secret network of tunnels filled with several decomposing bodies and , according to the suspect , records of corruption in the government . Pestage arrived at the site soon after , having heard Panaka ' s comm call for help , and retrieved a lockbox filled with evidence . When Panaka ' s suspect attempted to escape , Pestage interceded and shot him to prevent him from talking to the authorities . Panaka suspected Pestage of being involved in the murders of the bodies he had found and wanted to place him under arrest , even though Pestage had diplomatic immunity . However , Panaka ' s superior allowed the whole matter to be covered up , and Pestage returned to Coruscant the next day . Pestage accompanied Senator Palpatine to events from social affairs to Senate meetings in the Rotunda , in the latter of which he was sometimes assigned to carry messages between Palpatine and the Sergeant at Arms . Shortly before the Battle of Naboo , Pestage joined Palpatine in a meeting with several other senators at the Coruscant Opera , during which they discussed the shortcomings of Chancellor Finis Valorum . Since Palpatine did not wish his opinions on the Chancellor to be overheard , Pestage thoroughly checked the noise - canceling containment field of the box , an act that impressed Passel Argente . When Palpatine wished to meet with Eru Matalis , the leader of the terrorist organization Nebula Front , Pestage unearthed information on him for the senator , and was present when the two men met . Shortly after an assassination attempt on Chancellor Valorum , Palpatine assigned Pestage to carry out another of his under - the - table activities . After dropping off Palpatine at the Galactic Senate Medcenter , Pestage took his skycar to the apartment of a female senator who was offworld at the time . Using Palpatine ' s credentials and the bypass codes the senator had provided , Pestage infiltrated the empty apartment , which lay directly across from that of Senator Orn Free Taa . With a surveillance droid , Pestage remotely broke into Taa ' s apartment and sliced into his computer . He then planted incriminating information on Valorum , making sure to cover his tracks and make it seem to Taa as if he had discovered the evidence himself . This information would prove to be vital in leading to the Vote of No Confidence that removed Valorum from the chancery . During Darth Maul ' s hunt for Lorn Pavan , Pestage and his fellow agent , Kinman Doriana , were assigned to discreetly create an opening for Maul to enter the space station above Coruscant without being noticed . At one time , the late King Ars Veruna ' s chief of the NSF , Maris Magneta , allowed Pestage to secretly murder more than a dozen " pro - Gungan Naboo . " She was later relieved of her duty by Senator Palpatine to cover up the whole affair . Advisor to the Chancellor . Pestage ' s loyalty and usefulness to Palpatine caused the statesman to keep him on when he was elected Supreme Chancellor . As the Chancellor ' s personal advisor , Pestage had control over who held audience with Palpatine and managed the Senate ' s executive agenda . Pestage also served as Palpatine ' s public spokesman . In this position , he made official statements that ranged from denying allegations of crackdowns by the Republic government on podracing to refuting rumors that Palpatine was ill . Aware of Palpatine ' s double life as a Sith Lord , Pestage carried out the Chancellor ' s under - the - table dealings . When the Separatist Crisis arose , Pestage arranged several deals with Separatist factions . After Palpatine ' s assumption of emergency powers , Pestage was assigned to convince reluctant senators to support the Chancellor . Being adept at persuasion , he was very successful at this . During the Clone Wars , Pestage was present at many meetings of Palpatine ' s staff . Palpatine called him in when he met with Shayla Paige - Tarkin to discuss the situation at Praesitlyn , and Pestage was present when Palpatine called several senior members of the Jedi into his office to talk about the state of the war in its final weeks . As the manager of Palpatine ' s schedule , Pestage also sometimes waylaid senators from speaking with the Chancellor , claiming ignorance of the appointments they had made through his office . On one such occasion , he prevented the Loyalist Committee from keeping their meeting with Palpatine and offered to reschedule them . When the senators confronted Pestage on the matter later , Palpatine asked why he had not been told of their presence ; Pestage claimed that he had not wanted to overburden the Chancellor ' s already full schedule . Pestage made many enemies in this time , including his arch - nemesis Bail Organa , who saw him as a thug with no knowledge of legislative processes . In preparation for a Separatist attack , Pestage and fellow advisor Armand Isard helped conduct familiarization drills to get the Chancellor to safety if needed . When the Confederacy of Independent Systems finally struck Coruscant , Pestage was with Palpatine and Isard in the Chancellor ' s apartment at 500 Republica . Pestage attempted to convince Palpatine to move to a fortified bunker , though the Chancellor claimed it would be a show of weakness . It was not until General Grievous hit 500 Republica , and Pestage helped Palpatine to his feet after the attack , that the Chancellor relented and left for the bunker . During the hunt for Darth Sidious , Mace Windu suspected Pestage might actually have been Sidious , as he matched the profile they had formed from the few details they knew of the Sith Lord . The early Empire . When the Republic transitioned into the first Galactic Empire , Sate Pestage remained one of the newly appointed Emperor Palpatine ' s servants . In reward for his loyalty , Pestage was named Grand Vizier of the Empire . From the very beginning of his reign , Palpatine entrusted much of the daily running of the Empire to Pestage , overseeing the many ministries , departments , bureaus , and offices of the Imperial Bureaucracy . This , to some extent , made him the head of government , or " prime minister , " of the Empire . Nonetheless , he still reported to both the Emperor and his newly named Darth Vader as his superiors . One of Pestage ' s first acts in the new Empire was to announce to the Squib s that wrecks of starships in orbit were not public salvage . In the coming weeks , he worked with Palpatine to establish the nascent Empire , informing the Emperor when all officers with anti - Imperial sentiments were captured and executed , and relaying orders to send a brigade of the 501st Legion to New Plympto . Pestage also instituted the policies of the Empire ' s New Order , including the Human High Culture philosophy that led to the persecution of non - Human species . Approximately one month after the Declaration of a New Order , an anti - Imperial political rally broke out on the world of Alderaan . Pestage dispatched agitators there , their goal to turn the rally violent . Meanwhile , Bail Organa , Viceroy and senator of Alderaan , was providing shelter to Senator Fang Zar , who was wanted by the Imperial Security Bureau for questioning . Pestage took passage to Alderaan on the Star Destroyer " Exactor " , the personal vessel of Darth Vader . Upon arriving in orbit , Pestage commed Organa for permission to land his shuttle and to announce Vader ' s arrival . Zar , however , was soon spirited away by the Jedi Roan Shryne and his cohorts , who attempted to flee with the senator . When Pestage learned of this , he believed Organa to have assisted them , and ordered him to seal off the palace gates . Organa complied , and Zar was killed by Vader . Pestage later reported to Palpatine , telling him of Organa ' s willingness to let Zar escape and Vader ' s disquiet at the death of Zar . When Palpatine later made the first public announcement of Darth Vader ' s existence , he brought Pestage with him to the throne room to do so . Some time after this , within months of the Empire ' s rise , Pestage ordered Moff Marcellin Wessel to compile a on Order 66 for Palpatine . As part of the report , Pestage attached a list of justifications for the executions that would appear in the official records ; some of them accused the Jedi of the very war crimes they had been struggling to prevent . Pestage would later be responsible for orchestrating several massacres on the part of the Empire , ones that would in turn lead to the creation of the Rebel Alliance . In the years before the Battle of Yavin , requests from various Imperial departments were heard by Pestage ; when the Admiralty sought to build a new prison , the Grand Vizier ignored their requests , forcing the Empire to work with the Corporate Sector Authority in the creation of the prison Stars ' End . Grand Vizier of the Empire . As Grand Vizier , Pestage ' s duties , in addition to running the government , included preparing and managing Palpatine ' s schedule , directing his household , custodian of the Imperial Seal , and controlling overall access to the Emperor . Pestage was no less than Palpatine ' s personal assistant , constantly moving about on his master ' s wishes , finding an obscure file or carrying out some other errand . He was also Steward of the Imperial Personal Archives , a position that granted him access to Palpatine ' s secret communications and recordings . In reward for his loyalty , Palpatine granted Pestage stewardship of the Ciutric Hegemony , a group of wealthy worlds in the Outer Rim , which made the Grand Vizier extraordinarily rich . A " Victory " - class Star Destroyer was also re - christened " Pestage " sometime during the Galactic Civil War , possibly in honor of the Grand Vizier . A few weeks after the Battle of Yavin , Captain Vocis Kenit of the " Far Orbit " was overthrown by his crew , and his ship was turned into a Rebel privateering vessel . Palpatine assigned Pestage to investigate the mutiny . When Kenit returned to the Empire , he was placed before Pestage in a holopod , where the Grand Vizier informed him that he had been tried , found guilty , and sentenced to death . However , Pestage made him a deal ; his sentence would be suspended if he were to capture and destroy the " Far Orbit " . Around this time , Coh Veshiv , one of Pestage ' s fellow advisors , began making himself a nuisance to Palpatine by accidentally digging up top - secret files on covert military projects . Palpatine ordered Pestage to send him away , and the Grand Vizier dispatched Veshiv on a " fact - finding mission " . As a final insult , Pestage arranged for a CR90 corvette to be his transportation , a craft suited more for a senator than an advisor . Veshiv was eventually captured by the " Far Orbit " , and Kenit was left to report back to the Grand Vizier . Pestage again threatened Kenit with his fate should he fail in his mission . Palpatine soon took a personal interest in Kenit ' s situation . When the Star Galleon " Emperor ' s Will " was captured by the " Far Orbit " , Palpatine punished Pestage for being unable to find it , then turned his attention onto Kenit . The next time Kenit attempted to contact Pestage , he was put through to Palpatine , who promptly executed him . A few months later , Pestage requested an addendum to an Imperial Security Bureau report on underworld activities . Pestage needed more information on the mercenary group Aurodium Sword , as well as profiles and interrogation records on specific elements of the underworld . Commander Maximillian Seerdon of the ISB sent Pestage the report , unedited at his request . Pestage conferred with Palpatine , in convalescence at the time , and in his response to Seerdon offered the commander a retreat in the Deep Core , presumably on the luxury world of Byss . One year after the Battle of Yavin , Pestage informed the Imperial Department of Military Research that , with the failure of the dark trooper project , Palpatine was cutting all funding to battle droid development . Pestage took the opportunity to gloat , reminding the department that he had told them it would never work . Around 3 ABY , Pestage found an ally in Lady Brigta Hejaran , a noblewoman of the Tapani sector . As was Tapani custom , Hejaran spent time on Coruscant representing her family , and Pestage directed the Emperor ' s Dark Side Adepts to train her in the ways of an assassin . Hejaran became a servant of Pestage , acting under his direct control — a relation much like those the Emperor ' s Hand s had with Palpatine . She returned to her home sector , her family unaware of her new training or allegiance . Nor was this the only noblewoman Pestage had dealings with ; at one point he gifted a sapphire brooch to Rivoche Tarkin , niece of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin , with a holo of her family ' s crest embedded within . As Palpatine withdrew from matters of state more and more , focusing on the growing Rebellion and the discovery of Luke Skywalker , Pestage began to fill more of the roles that the Emperor left aside . During the New Year Fete Week of 3 ABY , Pestage and his fellow Advisors Alec Pradeux , Kren Blista - Vanee , and Bregius Golthan presided over the festivities in Palpatine ' s absence . By the time of the Battle of Hoth , Pestage was effectively running the Empire on a day to day basis — though he still worked closely with Palpatine — while the Emperor carried out his studies of the dark side . Ars Dangor had performed this role around the time of the Battle of Yavin , and it is unknown whether Pestage worked alongside him or had replaced him in this position . All major decisions made by ministers or advisors had to be passed by Pestage or one of Palpatine ' s other trusted servants . Pestage made few public appearances , but he did handle all transmissions to the Emperor . The Grand Vizier often made those who wished to speak to the Emperor wait , sometimes indefinitely . When Palpatine was busy , it was left to Pestage to communicate the Emperor ' s wishes . Many Imperials came to hate Pestage during these conversations . When Darth Vader contacted Palpatine after the Battle of Hoth at the Emperor ' s request , he was first put in contact with Pestage , who made Vader wait on the Emperor ' s convenience , as Palpatine was in a foul mood at the time . Though completely loyal to his master , Pestage was not absolutely confident that Palpatine would always rule , nor was he certain of his own ability to avoid the purges of high - ranking officials that occurred often in the Empire . Thus , Pestage secretly prepared a safehouse to use if Palpatine were to fall from power and the Grand Vizier needed a fall - back . To this end he commissioned the " Strike " - class cruiser " Eidolon " , purportedly a new class of warship , from Kuat Drive Yards . In truth , the " Eidolon " was hardly spaceworthy , as its funding had been siphoned away to Pestage ' s side project . The " Eidolon " itself vanished after it leapt to hyperspace on its maiden voyage from the Seswenna sector . Pestage embezzled the credits supposedly spent on the " Eidolon " , putting them instead into the purchase of weaponry , currency , and artwork , all of which he secured in his retreat — known as Eidolon Base — on Tatooine . When Captain Marl Semtin , who had been investigating the " Eidolon " , learned of this project , Pestage offered him a share in its stored wealth . In return , Pestage asked Marl to check on his procurement agent Lirin Banolt , who Pestage believed was stealing from him . Banolt , wanting his own share of wealth , then blackmailed Pestage and threatened to expose the existence of the base . The Vizier in turn had him executed . Pestage visited Palpatine on the Death Star II shortly before the Battle of Endor . He would literally be filling the Imperial throne on Coruscant when the Emperor died . However , Pestage would later prove to be one of the people responsible for ensuring Palpatine ' s revival , with his soul clawing out of Chaos . Emperor Pestage . As Pestage had been effectively running the Empire , many saw his ascension to the Imperial throne as a given . So it was that upon hearing of Palpatine ' s death at Endor , Sate Pestage took his place as leader of the Imperial state . Becoming the new Emperor , Pestage served as Palpatine ' s proxy and ruled as suzerain of the Empire . Pestage also kept his title of Grand Vizier until he was stripped of it by the other Imperial Advisors . Soon after Palpatine ' s death , the Emperor contacted Moff Boren Tascl of Cilpar , promising him a reward in exchange for the use of Cilpar as a safe world if the political climate on Coruscant grew dangerous . Emperor Pestage ' s goal in his new reign was to provide a continuity of government to keep the Empire from collapsing . His Empire secured a coup shortly after Endor , when the new CEO of Kuat Drive Yards — its former one having killed himself during the Battle of Endor — chose to side with Pestage despite the New Republic ' s hopes of turning her . To raise Imperial morale and spirituality , Pestage reversed Palpatine ' s ban on religion and , with the help of Palpatine ' s agent Lord Cronal , established the state - sanctioned Church of the Dark Side . Based on Coruscant , the Church was led by a group of darksiders known as the Prophets of the Dark Side , although in actuality these Prophets were merely imitators of the true ones . Pestage also changed the stance of the Empire ' s military after Endor ; rather than pursue Rebel forces , the Emperor put the military into a defensive role , fortifying key systems of the Empire to prevent further attacks . Pestage was not suited for leading the Empire , though , and when Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard came to him offering advice , he took it . Isard sought the throne for herself , though , and was secretly arranging for Pestage ' s downfall . The Ruling Circle , a group of Moffs , advisors , generals , and other power - brokers , also sought to remove Pestage , and Isard posed as a neutral party between the two factions . But though he attracted enemies , Pestage also found new allies in this time . Following Palpatine ' s death , some of the Royal Guard chose to return to Coruscant and serve Pestage . One of them was the future Imperial leader Carnor Jax , who , though allied with Pestage , truly only had loyalty to himself . Admiral Blitzer Harrsk , one of the first warlords to break away from the Empire , made overtures to Pestage ' s government , claiming loyalty and offering his services . Grand Moff Ardus Kaine of Oversector Outer also remained ostensibly loyal , while actually severing most of his ties with Pestage and his advisors . Grand Admiral Peccati Syn supported Pestage in truth , though in his case it stemmed from his devotion to the Prophets . When Ysanne Isard captured Mara Jade days after Endor , she informed Pestage of her plans to sway Jade to her side and learn if she held any state secrets . Pestage knew no more about the Emperor ' s Hand than Isard did , and so gave his approval to her plan . He was , however , wary that she had taken these steps without informing him first , and chided her for it . By this time , Pestage was no longer in Palpatine ' s throne , which was covered with a black shroud . He would later occupy another throne in the Imperial Sanctum . Before the Imperial Advisors moved against him , Pestage set out to find the Emperor ' s Hand Jeng Droga . When Palpatine ' s body had died at Endor , his spirit had crossed space to enter the body of Droga , and the energies from it had driven the man mad . When Pestage found Droga , he was able to remove Palpatine ' s spirit from the Hand , allowing the Emperor to eventually inhabit a new clone body and Droga to return to his usual level of sanity . While the remnants of the Empire turned on each other in the coming months in their respective bids for power , Pestage remained one of a select few to know that Palpatine had survived . Though Pestage held the position of Interim - Emperor , many Imperials sought a biological heir to Palpatine . Since Pestage had access to Palpatine ' s secret records , if the Emperor had had an heir , Pestage would be the only one who could find it . The Grand Vizier , following Palpatine ' s orders , refused , though he gave no public explanation . Pestage ' s actions stirred resentment amongst Palpatine ' s other advisors , who feared that he was making a power grab and joined forces to oust him from office . They impeached , censured , and stripped Pestage of his titles and properties , but due to sabotage of their plans by another Emperor ' s Hand , Sarcev Quest , they were unsuccessful in removing him . Later that year , Pestage ' s safehouse on Tatooine was captured by New Republic forces . With no escape options now , this left him all the more vulnerable to his enemies . Six months after Endor , the Rebellion , now the New Republic , had begun encroaching on Imperial territory in the Core and were making a series of victories over Imperial forces . Pestage feared that they would soon threaten Coruscant . In response , he recalled all ground forces from the Rebel leader Mon Mothma ' s homeworld of Chandrila , and dispatched seven Star Destroyers there to erect a total blockade and hold the planet hostage . These Destroyers would only remain in place so long as Pestage was in office ; when Isard forced him from the throne in the following months , Pestage ' s plans for Chandrila fell apart . Isard ' s plot . Ysanne Isard began making her move against Pestage approximately nine months after the Battle of Endor . Having maneuvered herself into position as a seemingly neutral intermediary between Pestage and the Ruling Circle , Isard now began to arrange for the Emperor ' s destruction . The New Republic had been scouting the Core world of Brentaal IV , where half the Circle held property and all had some stake in its wealth . Pestage realized that the New Republic was building up for an attack . Isard proposed to use Brentaal in the same manner that Palpatine had used the Death Star II , inviting an attack so the Empire could lay an ambush for the invading forces . She proposed to Pestage that he make his stand there , and leave the defense of the world to Admiral Lon Isoto . Pestage considered Isoto an idiot , but Isard claimed that the Circle supported him , and leaving him in place would reflect poorly on them . As Pestage did not want to directly attack the Circle , fearing it would break Imperial unity , he agreed to her proposal . Isard promised to have the elite 181st Imperial Fighter Wing on hand to defend the world , so the plan did not backfire on Pestage . The New Republic soon took Brentaal ' s moonbase , though , and Pestage was concerned that he had made a mistake with Isoto , commenting that he would give a Super Star Destroyer to the Republic if they took Isoto too . Isard assured him that it was all to plan , and that Isoto and his supposed supporters would soon lose further ground when the Republic took the battle to Brentaal itself . This concerned Pestage , but Isard again lauded the skill of the 181st , claiming that they would not lose Brentaal . The Republic , however , took the spaceport at Oradin . Pestage grew even more concerned with Isoto ' s incompetence , and asked Isard to convince the Circle to remove him . Isard , however , was playing the opposite game with the Circle , telling them that Pestage supported Isoto and she was unable to convince him . Isard ' s next phase of her plan was to circumvent Pestage ' s command , issue an evacuation order for Brentaal , and send a fleet to aid in it , which would be as good as admitting the world was lost . Pestage did not learn of this for twelve hours , but when he did , he was furious , and began to realize that she did not have his interests in mind . Isard was still able to sway Pestage into supporting the evacuation , and issued an order under his name requisitioning skyhooks to hold the displaced Brentaali . Pestage issued an additional order compensating those who would have their skyhooks taken away , not wanting to lose their support too . Though Isard reassured him that she would keep his enemies at bay , Pestage was no longer certain of his own safety . He considered for the first time defecting to the New Republic . Dealings with the New Republic . Isard ' s plan went as she had intended ; Brentaal IV was lost , and though Pestage made an announcement welcoming the evacuees and assuring them that those who had been responsible for losing the world had been dealt with , the members of the Circle had decided Pestage would lose the Empire . By eleven months after Endor , the situation had escalated still further . The Circle began openly speaking of leaving Pestage and joining warlords like Blitzer Harrsk and Treuten Teradoc . Some proposed pooling their resources to remove Pestage from the throne , insisting that they act immediately . Pestage overheard these rumblings , but he was unable to do anything about them . Eidolon Base was destroyed and , having realized the danger of Isard , he knew he could not have Imperial Intelligence take care of the dissenters . He realized that the time had come to speak with the New Republic . Pestage arranged for a meeting with Leia Organa on the world of Axxila . Accompanied by a pair of Royal Guards , a pair of military members , and at least one other Imperial , Pestage met with Organa and her guard , Wedge Antilles , in the sewers of Axxila . He then made a surprising offer to Leia : in exchange for sanctuary and membership in the New Republic , as well as some worlds for himself and his friends , he would leave Coruscant undefended . Pestage told Leia that Isard would not let him live long , and Leia agreed to the deal , pending the details that needed to be worked out . When Isard got word that Pestage had vanished , she began to worry , and realized that he must be dealing with the New Republic . Upon hearing that Leia had been kidnapped from Eiattu 6 — in actuality Leia ' s friend Winter doubling for her — Isard assumed that she had really been secreted away to meet with Pestage . Winter had in fact been kidnapped by the pirate Leonia Tavira , who was taking her to Axxila as well . When Isard learned that it had been Tavira , she dispatched the Star Destroyer " Reckoning " , commanded by Admiral Delak Krennel , to Axxila to capture Leia and Tavira . Pestage , meanwhile , was learning of the capture of Winter from an Imperial privateer named Kavil , who was working with Tavira . Though disgusted he had to deal with pirates , Pestage convinced Kavil to bring Winter to him , then informed Leia and Wedge that he would turn her over to them as a sign of good faith . Pestage and Organa proceeded to work out the details of their arrangement ; in the completed deal , Pestage was allowed to keep ten worlds , and four of his friends to keep fifteen . Leia promised to speak to the New Republic Provisional Council and finalize the deal when Winter was returned to her . Winter escaped , but Leia was not able to secure the support of the Council , and before matters could progress further , the " Reckoning " arrived in orbit and ordered the surrender of all traitors to the Empire . Pestage , trapped on the planet , made another deal with Leonia Tavira . With her help and her ship , he left the planet ' s surface and was taken to the " Reckoning " . In exchange , he promised Tavira that she would escape the planet and offered her the location of a cache of treasures — possibly Eidolon Base . Imperial defector Soontir Fel , meanwhile , was attempting to convince Krennel that he was serving as a double agent , and that Krennel ' s presence in the system was jeopardizing his mission . He claimed to be operating under an AT3 Directive , and when Krennel turned to Pestage to confirm it , Pestage did so , and Krennel ordered a withdrawal . Moments later , Tavira attempted to flee in her ship , and Pestage ordered that she be let go . Flight to Ciutric . When Pestage returned to Coruscant , he confronted Isard in his throne room . He claimed not to have known Fel had defected , shifting the blame onto her for not informing him , and when Isard accused him of meeting with Leia Organa , he implicitly denied it and reminded her that she had no proof . Isard was not to be thwarted , however . Within a month , she went before the Imperial Tribunal , an executive body of high - ranking Imperials , and accused Pestage of collaborating with the New Republic . She claimed to have proof of this from confidential sources , and reminded the Tribunal that Pestage had allowed Leia Organa to escape from Axxila , had lost Brentaal , and informed them that he planned to turn over Coruscant to the New Republic . The Tribunal agreed with her , charged Pestage with treason , and issued an order for his arrest . Some members of the Tribunal feared Isard enough to warn Pestage , though , and he prepared to take his personal yacht off the planet . Circumventing the Tribunal ' s order to ground all ships , the yacht went into a low orbit , where it rendezvoused with Leonia Tavira ' s vessel . Pestage gave the yacht to its captain , telling him to flee , and took transport with Tavira to his world of Ciutric IV . Tavira was not satisfied with Pestage ' s payment , though , having wanted his yacht , and unceremoniously dumped him on Ciutric . Pestage threatened her , but Tavira was not impressed ; furthermore , the local governor , Brothic , had heard of the warrant for Pestage ' s arrest , and took him into custody , promising him the best cell they had and attention to all his needs . A New Republic agent codenamed X14 was present upon Pestage ' s arrival , and informed the Republic that he had been placed under arrest . The New Republic Intelligence Service moved to contain the information , sending Brothic a message supposedly from the Empire that he should detain Pestage until further notice . The Provisional Council , meanwhile , was split on the issue ; on the one hand , Pestage was complicit in the actions and crimes of the Empire , and on the other hand , rescuing him would both save another life and send a message to the other Imperial leaders that they had the option of defecting . In the end , they agreed to send a mission to Ciutric to free Pestage consisting of commando teams and space units , including Rogue Squadron . With Pestage gone , the balance of power on Coruscant soon became uneasy . The Tribunal declared themselves the rulers of the Empire , with General Paltr Carvin at the Tribunal ' s head . Isard still sought power for herself , though , and when Tavira informed her that Pestage had gone to Ciutric , Isard dispatched her own operatives to take him dead or alive . The Tribunal ordered her people to hold back , though , and sent Delak Krennel in the " Reckoning " to retrieve Pestage . Isard in turn went to Krennel , promising him that if he gave her Pestage , she would make him Emperor . Escape and possible death . When the New Republic struck , the ground commando teams found Pestage ' s cell and freed him . They hurried Pestage to a shuttle , but when the " Reckoning " and the " Binder " , an Interdictor Star Destroyer , leapt into the system , the New Republic teams were forced to go to ground again . Pestage warned them that Krennel could call in reinforcements . He was also curious as to why they had rescued him when he could no longer give them Coruscant , and was astounded by their dedication to the New Republic ' s cause . Soontir Fel later came to see Pestage , telling Pestage that it was to remind himself that Pestage was a man like any other , for all the power he had once held . Fel tried to convince Pestage to see the New Republic ' s point of view , and Pestage reminded Fel that the Empire had made him who he was , but neither man was able to convince the other . Krennel ' s fighters eventually found their way near the Republic encampment , and during the ensuing firefight , the Mon Calamari pilot Ibtisam was killed . Upon returning from the battle , her Quarren lover Nrin Vakil attacked Pestage in anger , threatening to kill him until Fel pulled Nrin away . Pestage was disgusted that the New Republic associated with " animals " like Quarren , telling Wedge Antilles that he knew their treatment of non - Human species was mere propaganda . When Wedge protested , Pestage told him that the New Republic would change once they had power , and eventually turn into the Empire . Reinforcements for the New Republic forces finally arrived , and they prepared to make their departure . Wedge ' s friend Mirax Terrik would pilot her ship , the " Pulsar Skate " , away from Ciutric , hopefully convincing the Imperials that Pestage was aboard . Pestage would actually be on one of the commando shuttles , which would leave after the Interdictor had been driven off but before the ground troops that Krennel was preparing to land arrived at the encampment . Pestage had a problem with this plan , though ; it would require him to be in the same shuttle as Ibtisam ' s body , and he did not approve of being ferried along with a non - Human corpse . Wedge , in anger , forcefully grabbed Pestage and told him they would get different shuttles , as Pestage was unworthy of being in the same ship as her . Pestage , however , had decided he would take his chances with Krennel , and comlinked the New Republic plans to the admiral . The space battle , however , went as planned for the New Republic . As Krennel ' s forces approached on the ground , the commando teams prepared to launch , and Pestage was ordered to get to a shuttle . It was not until the shuttles had already lifted off that the soldiers realized Pestage was not aboard any of them . Knowing that he had made his choice and would now have to live with it , they left Ciutric . Either Pestage or his clone made his way to Byss , while the other rendezvoused with Krennel , who had landed with his soldiers . That Pestage promised the admiral wealth and a position as warlord in his new empire , but Krennel saw Pestage ' s offer as weakness , and decided that he would become his own master and take Pestage ' s holdings for himself . Grabbing the former Emperor by the throat , Admiral Krennel broke his neck , killing him . Krennel went on to murder every member of Pestage ' s family he could find , over a hundred people . Four years later , the New Republic attempted to bring Krennel to justice for the killing of Pestage and his family . Second death . The surviving Pestage voluntarily exiled himself to Palpatine ' s sanctuary world of Byss to avoid the wrath of the Imperial Advisors . Though none knew it at the time , this was where Palpatine had come back to life in one of his clone bodies and was intent on reestablishing his control over the Empire . In this time , Pestage conducted his own experiments with the dark side of the Force . When Sarcev Quest lost word from Pestage , he assumed the man had died in his experiments , but this was not the case . The Pestage who fled Coruscant would serve by the resurrected Palpatine ' s side , helping him gather his forces , and died on Byss in 11 ABY when the Galaxy Gun destroyed the planet . Personality and traits . Though Sate Pestage was ambitious , he rose to power by Palpatine ' s side through quiet wisdom rather than an overt desire to rule . He was , however , ruthless and hungry for power , and when Palpatine fell Pestage immediately seized his chance , even knowing that the Emperor had really survived . Once in power , however , Pestage showed that he was neither charismatic nor cunning , and was in fact a better follower than he was a leader . Even as Emperor , Pestage wished Palpatine would return to lead the Empire . His enemies called him " spineless " , and the perception among Imperial forces was that he was easily toyed with . Despite this ambition , Pestage was one of Palpatine ' s closest and most loyal servants , and was said to be one of the few people who truly knew him . He was entirely loyal and dedicated to his master , and Palpatine considered him to be the most trusted of his advisors and a good friend . Indeed , Pestage ' s defection to the New Republic did not mean he shared their ideals . He still believed in the principles of the Empire , considering those like Fel who had gone over to be " warped " , and thought that in time the New Republic would become the next Empire . Pestage also did not like non - Humans , believing them to be only animals , and their corpses to be " animal waste " . He was saddened that the Humans of the New Republic associated with them , and believed that the tolerance they claimed was propaganda . When Pestage was forced to deal with troublesome members of the Emperor ' s court , his preferred method was to make them simply disappear . Pestage was accomplished in the use of computers and the circumvention of security devices . He had a great knowledge of many subjects , from history to bureaucracy to etiquette . Pestage was said to have a " hatchet face , " a " scarecrow body , " a " cruel mouth , " and pointed features . He had thinning black hair in the days of the Republic , and had gone bald by Endor . In the days of the Republic Pestage often dressed in black ; as vizier he wore a jeweled cassock , and during his time as Emperor he was clad in a purple robe and cowl . He carried with him a personal force field for protection . He was also fairly adept with firearms ; when helping Palpatine save Hego Damask he was able to effortlessly kill several Maladian assassins with a Repeater rifle . Behind the scenes . Character origins . The character of Sate Pestage , originally called Sate Molock , was meant to appear in the film " " . Molock first appeared in the second draft of the screenplay , where he warns Darth Vader that the Emperor is in a bad mood before Vader reports the victory at Hoth . In the revised second draft , Molock was renamed Sate Pestage . In the fourth draft , Pestage was to be in scene 286 as a " shimmering holographic image . " When Darth Vader attempts to contact the Emperor , he reaches Pestage , who ( as before ) warns Vader of the Emperor ' s foul mood and bids him to wait . According to Pablo Hidalgo , Pestage had been cut by the fifth draft of the script . However , the film ' s shooting schedule says that the Pestage scene was shot on June 18 , 1979 , though it never made it into the movie ' s final cut . As the scene was filmed , an actor was evidently cast for Pestage , but it is not known who this was . Kenner ' s Darth Vader ' s Star Destroyer Action Playset features a toy hologram apparently intended to be Sate Pestage . An enclosed instruction sheet reads , " Lower the hologram and have Darth ( TM ) communicate with the Grand Vizier ( TM ) . " While the scene was ultimately cut from the film , it appears in " " and is mentioned in the " Dark Empire Sourcebook " , establishing it as part of " Star Wars " Legends . Continuity . Multiple deaths . Sate Pestage was apparently killed by Delak Krennel in the " " story arc of the " Rogue Squadron " comics . This occurred contrary to previously published material that stated Pestage had survived until at least the destruction of Byss . The retcon originally established by " The Emperor ' s Pawns " was that the Pestage killed by Krennel was an insane clone . However , this matter was confused by Pestage ' s entry in " The New Essential Guide to Characters " , which says that he was believed to have grown a clone of himself on Coruscant , but it is unknown whether he sent his clone to Byss or went himself . According to Abel G . Peña , the official Lucasfilm Ltd . explanation as of 2005 was that the Pestage killed by Krennel was a clone ; however , since then other sources have been released that confused the issue still further . " The New Essential Chronology " and " The Official Star Wars Fact File " both state that Krennel killed the original Pestage , with the " Fact File " explicitly calling the Pestage on Byss a clone , and the " Chronology " making no mention of him . " The Essential Atlas " , published most recently , also states that Pestage was killed on Ciutric IV . Timeline issues . The " Dark Empire Sourcebook " gives Pestage a different backstory : instead of being killed by Isard after half a year of rule , he was censured and impeached by the Imperial advisors several weeks after the Battle of Endor , and voluntarily went into retirement on Byss to avoid execution . Unlike the other account of Pestage , in this version he never took the throne , and simply remained vizier until his impeachment . " " uses " Dark Empire Sourcebook " version of events , but places the date of Pestage ' s removal from power close to six months after Endor . While most sources , including the text of the comics themselves , place the events of " " to " X - wing Rogue Squadron : Mandatory Retirement " — which tell the story of Pestage from shortly before the Battle of Brentaal to his death on Ciutric — at six months after Endor , " " lists new dates , ranging from nine months for " In the Empire ' s Service " to one year for " Mandatory Retirement " . These are the dates used in this article , and previous references to Pestage ' s fall being six months after Endor are considered to have been overridden . Miscellany . In a Q & A session on StarWars . com , Sate Pestage is listed as a member of the Inner Circle . However , he is not among the robed Imperial dignitaries in the accompanying picture , nor one of those accompanying the Emperor in several scenes during " " . The original Databank claimed that Ysanne Isard allowed Pestage to be captured by the New Republic at Brentaal . As this aligns with no other source , and in fact conflicts with every source detailing these events , it is assumed to be an error .