Battle of Geonosis

Galactic Republic
 Mace Windu
 192,000 clone troopers202 Jedi
 179 Jedi4,982 commandos killed20,000 clones wounded

The **Battle of Geonosis** (22 BBY) was the battle that began the Clone Wars, fought between the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order on one side and the Confederacy of Independent Systems on the other side. The Jedi master Mace Windu initially set out to the planet to rescue captured Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker and senator Padme Amidala, but the Jedi later had to be rescued when an army of clones arrived in LAAT Gunships and fought off the droids. In a massive battle, the droid army was destroyed, but the CIS leadership escaped, leading to war between the various big companies and the Republic.

## History

### Background

The Trade Federation had already made a brazen attempt to assert its authority with the invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY, but this resulted in a defeat for their battle droids when young pilot Anakin Skywalker destroyed their capital ship, which proceeded to deactivate their army. However, their plotting continued as thousands of star systems and conglomerates such as the Trade Federation, Banking Clan, Techno Union, Commerce Guild, Retail Caucus, Corporate Alliance, and many others united as the Confederacy of Independent Systems in a treaty signed on the planet of Geonosis. Archduke Poggle the Lesser allowed for the CIS (better known as "separatists") to manufacture droids on his planet, while the CIS geared up for war; they attempted to assassinate Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo, but they failed. Her Jedi protectors Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker tracked the assassination attempt back to Geonosis, where the attempted assassin Jango Fett fled. However, Anakin and Padme were captured on the planet after Obi-Wan was, and the Jedi-turned Sith lord Count Dooku had them tied to poles in the arena and prepared to have them executed with the beasts there. They managed to hold off the monsters until Jedi Master Mace Windu arrived with an army of 200 Jedi, and they fought off the Droids and Dooku. However, they were also overpowered in the end. It seemed that they would be killed as well when clone gunships arrived, shooting the droids in the arena and evacuating the Jedi out of the arena and to the battlefield.

### Battle

    The clone gunships fired on the droid Hailfire droids and Techno Union ships, with the gunships firing below the fuel cells to destroy the Techno Union ships and landing direct hits on the Hailfire droids to blow them up. Clone troopers were landed on the ground to combat the battle droids, and they were later led by Mace Windu himself in combat. Mace Windu led the charge of the clone troopers, and they were able to capture several droid command posts. Obi-Wan and Anakin attempted to chase down Dooku, but Dooku cut off Anakin's hand in the duel and defeated the two of them, escaping from the planet before he could be caught. The CIS leadership escaped, although the droid army suffered heavy losses on the planet. The result was the start of the Clone Wars, with the Republic briefly winning a victory but having to commit its forces to fight the CIS in a large war.

### Aftermath

Geonosis was the first test of clone troopers in battle, and the Clone Army became the armed forces of the Republic in their war with the separatists. The Jedi were no longer keepers of the peace, but they were now generals in command of armies of clone troopers. For the next three years, the galaxy would see warfare between the CIS and Republic that would end with the fall of both sides and the rise of the Galactic Empire.