Jedi assault team

The Jedi assault team was a squad consisting of 212 Jedi led by Jedi Master Mace Windu, the Master of the Order of the Jedi High Council. The Jedi traveled to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Padmé Amidala from imprisonment by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. What ensued was the First Battle of Geonosis, the first conflict of the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists.
==History==
===Creation===
Following Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi's capture by the Separatist Council's droid forces, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine was given emergency powers by the Galactic Senate to create a Grand Army to defend the Galactic Republic. While Grand Master Yoda traveled to Kamino to gather the army, Master Mace Windu gathered a 212-strong task force of Jedi.Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
===Securing the perimeter===
As the assault team infiltrated the Petranaki Arena on Geonosis, a small group of Padawans and their masters led by Master Klefan Opus infiltrated the outer edges of the stands, covertly eliminating Geonosian guards and sonic cannons. During the initial struggle inside one of the arena towers, Padawan Fvorn was killed in an ambush by Geonosians and Padawan Iskat Akaris distinguished herself saving his friend Zeeth, cutting down a dozen of the enemy. As the fighting between the rest of the assault force and the Separatist Army began, the group stayed hidden in the stands rather than joining their comrades. As they retreated back to their shuttle, Master Sember Vey was shot and killed.Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade
Where many of the Jedi traveled to the planet's surface aboard shuttles, Jedi Master Adi Gallia piloted her Delta-7B Aethersprite interceptor and remained in Geonosis space, where she was instructed to command the Republic's new naval forces once they arrived.
===Arena battle===
When Kenobi, his Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Senator Padmé Amidala and their reek were surrounded by droidekas, Windu and the assault team revealed themselves to Dooku, his Separatist allies and the Geonosian crowd. As Windu held Dooku, Jango Fett and the Separatist Council at lightsaber point, the other Jedi revealed themselves and jumped into the arena. As the Geonosians fled, battle droids arrived and fought the Jedi. Windu was forced into the arena by several B2-series super battle droids and Fett's flamethrower.
One of the Geonosian warriors in the arena was cut down by Sarrissa Jeng. Despite being heavily outnumbered by the battle droid legion, the Jedi nevertheless fought valiantly and cut down hundreds of battle droids; as the battle dragged on, however, the enemy's overwhelming numbers took their toll on the Jedi and many fell to blaster fire. Master Coleman Trebor attempted to kill Dooku, but was shot and killed by Fett. Fett then joined the battle himself and fought Windu, but was ultimately decapitated by the Jedi Master. Master Kit Fisto was simultaneously confronted by C-3PO, whose head had been attached to a B1-series battle droid's body. Fisto was able to disable 3PO's body with a Force push, and R2-D2 reattached 3PO's head to his rightful body.
What few Jedi remained standing were gradually forced into a circle in the centre of the arena, where Dooku called off the battle droids and used the brief respite to offer the Jedi the option to surrender and live. Windu firmly rejected this, however, stating that the Jedi would rather die fighting than allow themselves to become hostages.
As Dooku ordered the battle droids to finish the Jedi off, the survivors were saved by the timely arrival of a regimentCatalyst: A Rogue One Novel of the newly formed Grand Army aboard gunships under Yoda. Despite the high casualties, Kenobi, Skywalker, and Amidala were saved from execution. 
While large-scale warfare broke out across the surface,Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy Gallia was joined by fellow Council member Saesee Tiin in the space battle.Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded The Confederate forces were forced into retreat, and as the Separatists attempted to flee Geonosis onboard Trade Federation core ships, Gallia commanded the Republic fleet in an operation aimed at intercepting the maximum number of Separatist ships entering the upper atmosphere. Together with Tiin, Gallia engaged in aerial battle to accomplish her mission, but the confused ground battle allowed most of the core ships to escape the surface, and the failure to establish a proper orbital blockade denied her the chance to prevent a full Separatist retreat.
===Aftermath===
The Jedi were unable to stop Dooku from making his escape despite the battle being won by the Republic, which managed to hold Geonosis for a year. Within days of the battle, a funeral officiated by Windu was held at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Six of the almost two hundred recovered bodies were utilized symbolically during the ceremony. Only twenty-nine Jedi survived the battle in the arena. The surviving members of the assault team became Generals in the Grand Army of the Republic until Order 66 all but destroyed the Jedi Order.
==Behind the scenes==
The Jedi assault team first appeared in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, the second installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
The 2016 reference book Star Wars: Complete Locations established that the assault team was composed of 200 Jedi. However, the 2018 reference book Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition stated that the assault team was composed of 212 Jedi. The 2023 novel Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade established that hundreds of Jedi were present in the arena, while only 29 Jedi survived the battle. The novel also established that Iskat Akaris heard rumors in the Jedi Temple halls about the death of "nearly two hundred Jedi at Geonosis," and later, Akaris thinks "over two hundred Jedi were dead."
==Appearances==
*Star Wars: Galactic Defense
*Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy – A Graphic Novel
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*Attack of the Clones Little Golden Book 
*Attack of the Clones Read-Along Storybook and CD
*Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Graphic Novel Adaptation
*Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade 
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*Jedi of the Republic – Mace Windu 1 
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*Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel 
*Darth Vader Annual 2 
*Lost Stars 
===Non-canon appearances===
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==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:Jedi strike teams