Geonosian/Legends

The Geonosian race was an insectoid species native to the planet Geonosis. Geonosians resided in hive colonies in organic-looking spires. Notable Geonosians include Poggle the Lesser, Gizor Dellso, and Sun Fac, all three of whom held important roles in the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Physiology
All Geonosians had a hard exoskeleton that provided protection from physical impacts and bouts of radiation that occasionally showered their world, elongated faces, multi-jointed limbs, and spoke in a strange clicking language. Geonosians were strong despite their thin builds. They were barbaric and viewed brutal violence as entertainment. They enjoyed watching victims trying to survive in massive execution arenas while savage creatures vied for their blood.

Early history


In the distant past, Geonosis's largest moon was hit by a rogue comet, sending out a massive debris field that hammered the surface into ruin, before settling into a ring of orbiting rock. This event killed off more than 99% of Geonosis's native species.

Over millions of years, the few creatures who survived the devasatation slowly reclaimed the planet. Random meteor impacts constantly weeded out the weaker species, leaving only the truly cunning, hardy, and ruthless species alive. The Geonosians, the dominant life form on the planet, constitued all three.

After the technical-minded Geonosians made contact with the Galaxy, the Baktoid Armor Workshop moved several droid and weapon factories to the planet.

Clone Wars
In 24 BBY, during the reign of Archduke Poggle the Lesser, Geonosis became a member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which used the planet's factories to build its Droid Army. Two years later, in 22 BBY, Poggle scheduled a private meeting of the Confederacy leaders on Geonosis. It was expected that during this meeting the organizations that formed the backbone of the Separatist movement would put their resources at the disposal of Count Dooku, the Head of State of the Confederacy.

Unbeknownst to the Separatists, their plans of waging war against the Galactic Republic were heard by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had followed Jango Fett, a bounty hunter employed by Dooku, to Geonosis. Kenobi managed to transmit his discoveries to his Padawan Anakin Skywalker, who was at that time located on Tatooine, before being caught by the Separatists. After retransmitting the information to the Jedi Council, Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, the Senator of Naboo, decided to rescue Kenobi, but ended up imprisoned themselves.

Eventually, Kenobi, Skywalker and Amidala were taken to the Geonosian execution arena, but managed to free themselves. The Separatists, in turn, introduced battle droids to the arena, triggering the Battle of Geonosis, the first battle of the Clone Wars, as Jedi reinforcements, led by Master Mace Windu, revealed themselves among the public and entered the arena to confront the droids.

After the Confederacy's defeat at the Battle of Geonosis, the planet was occupied by the Republic.

Post-Clone Wars
As the Clone Wars ended with the Republic, restructured into the Galactic Empire, victorious, Geonosis remained under Imperial control. Geonosian Gizor Dellso formed the Confederate Remnant during the aftermath of the Mission to Mustafar, but the organization was dissolved during the Battle of Mustafar. Geonosian scientists and slaves also played a role in the construction of the Death Star. During the Galactic Civil War, Geonosian scientists set up a bio-lab on Yavin IV.



The Geonosians were primarily used for slave labor by the Empire. However, in 0 BBY, a Geonosian revolt was instigated by Rebel forces, who had built a secret base on Geonosis. Darth Vader, leading an invasion force, was sent to crush the revolt in what became the First Battle of Geonosis. Althought the Geonosians and the Rebels, fighting side by side, put up a good deal of resistance, the Imperials emerged victorious in the end, destroying all present Rebel operatives, and killing the revolting Geonosians and destroying their homes.

After the death of Emperor Palpatine, Geonosis established an isolationist policy.

Although spared the horrors of the Yuuzhan Vong during their invasion of the Galaxy, the race came into the galactic eye once again when several Geonosian warriors became Joiners of the Killiks during the Swarm War, fighting alongside Jaina Solo and Zekk during the Battle of Tenupe.

Society description
In Geonosian society there were two main types of Geonosians: the wingless drones that mostly worked as laborers, and the winged aristocrat, which included royal warriors serving as scouts and providing security to the hive. Geonosian society existed for the benefit of the elite of Geonosian society. Their caste system had evolved over millennia. Geonosians were born into specific castes divided along the lines of their physical attributes. Though most Geonosians were content to live within their assigned castes, a few developed ambition and aspired to ascend socially. Even those with the capacity to depart rarely left Geonosis. The importance of the hive was strongly ingrained in the Geonosian mind, and they were also contemptuous of other species. The few that ventured offworld usually left as work groups that ultimately benefited their home hives. Geonosian contractors could be found at Baktoid Combat Automata plants across the Outer Rim.



Despite their insect hive culture, the Geonosians do possess many cultural events. One of which is a martial art known as Petranaki which goes back to Geonosian belief in deities who would fight one another in armed combat to spare their hives from destroying one another through war. This art is known as the Petranaki Array and involves weapons such as the confessors whip, scimitar, Picadors spear as well as the beastwardens shield. This form of combat is used by the Picadors in the large Execution Arenas and is considered a noble, high class profession.

Warrior caste
The winged Warrior Caste grew to adulthood rapidly, and were ready for combat at the age of six. They also formed the aristocracy of Geonosian society. While they possessed enough intelligence to defend their hives from natural predators, they proved easily conquerable by more sharp-witted foes.

Like their society at large the warrior caste was divided between the elite and the regulars. The elite warriors were a genetic superior to the regulars, having greater abilities in the art of war. While the regulars were only equipped with weak force pikes, the elite were given beam weapons capable of cutting through the enemies' personal shielding and armor. These beam weapons, like their pilot and ships, were intricately connected to create the Geonosians brand of a perfect warrior, unified and highly dangerous.



Geonosians did not have a standing military. They instead used their droid foundries to build armies for corporate interests wealthy enough to afford them &mdash; entities such as the Trade Federation and the Techno Union. They oversaw the creation of the spectacular architectural realm in which they all live, adapting forms they once built by instinct into more refined, spire-like structures.

Worker caste
The members of the Worker Caste were wingless Geonosians that formed the lower class of Geonosian society. They were oppressed by the Warrior Caste who thought nothing of compelling thousands of workers to toil under harsh conditions regardless of any dangers.

The only hope a worker might have of escaping his lowly status lay in gladiatorial combat. Geonosians of lower-caste were often pitted against other Geonosians, other sentients, or fierce creatures in large arenas. If the Geonosian survived, he achieved status and ascended socially, or gained enough wealth to leave Geonosis altogether.

Other castes


One Geonosian subgroup to emerge was a separate caste raised to be fighter pilots. These hardy specimens required no sleep. In training, each pilot pupa paired with a fighter's flight computer, and they developed an idiosyncratic, coordination-enhancing rapport.

Another subgroup was the Picadors which operated the Geonosian gladiatorial arenas. The Picadors also practice a form of martial art known as the Petranaki Array which involves weapons such as the confessors whip, scimitar, Picadors spear as well as the beastwardens shield. This form of combat is used by the Picadors in the large Execution Arenas and is considered a noble, high class profession.

There is also the Queen Caste who serve as breeders, they are bloated individuals who simply lay the eggs for the hive. It is known that every Hive-Spire possesses one queen which is vital for their survival. Should the queen be killed several royal jelly held queens are kept in stasis.

Behind the scenes

 * The Geonosians were based primarily on concept art originally developed for the Neimoidians when Lucas wanted to make them a CG creation. When Lucas decided to use animatronic masks instead, the Neimoidian design was refined further into the Geonosians.


 * The Geonosians, with their long snouts, also bear a certain resemblance to the B-1 battle droids.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: Battlefront
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Republic Commando
 * Death in the Catacombs in Star Wars Insider 79
 * Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
 * Star Wars Republic 67: Forever Young
 * General Grievous
 * Reversal of Fortune
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars: Galaxies
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War