First Battle of Geonosis

"The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, this Clone War has."

- Master Yoda

The Battle of Geonosis was the first battle between the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Galactic Republic in the conflict that would become known as the Clone Wars.

The Battle
The battle occurred after Separatist forces captured Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis and charged him with spying for the Republic. Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala attempted to rescue Kenobi, but were also captured and sentenced to death. The Galactic Senate granted Supreme Chancellor Palpatine "emergency powers" to deal with the crisis. A group of about 212 Jedi, led by Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Luminara Unduli, Shaak Ti, and Kit Fisto were sent to Geonosis by the Jedi Council to rescue Obi-Wan and investigate reports that Separatists were constructing an army on Geonosis. After deploying into the arena in which Kenobi, Skywalker and Amidala were to be executed in the hope of scaring the Geonosians into surrender, the Jedi were ambushed by a massive droid army. It had been a trap, and a great number of Jedi died due to their lack of military organization. The few Jedi who remained were forced into a circle, prepared to make their last stand, but at the last minute they were rescued by the timely arrival of Jedi Master Yoda leading a Republic clone army grown in secret on Kamino.



After the rescue of the Jedi, the droid and clone armies engaged one another in a complex series of engagements on a number of different fronts. The Republic's army landed in twelve Acclamator-class assault ships, offloading infantry, armoured vehicles, artillery and air support. The Separatist army consisted of droid infantry of varying strength and larger droid-controlled vehicles. Crucially, the Republic conducted an aerial bombardment of the Separatists' fighter craft, allowing the Republic's gunships to have air superiority throughout much of the battle.

Although the clone troopers were vastly outnumbered by droids, the droids were heavily exposed to attacks from the air by Republic gunships. The Republic's armoured AT-TEs were strong against the lightly armoured spider droids employed by the Separatists, but were vulnerable to the rockets on the hailfire droids. The Republic gunships, again, were instrumental in clearing away the hailfire droids and allowing the AT-TEs to establish superiority on the battlefield.

Having beaten the droid army into retreat Yoda took note of the fact that much of the Separatist starfleet was still grounded receiving shipments of droids when the Republic attacked. Lightly armoured and vulnerable Techno Union starships attempted to withdraw immediately, but many were destroyed in the first wave of attacks from the Republic gunships. The Jedi Master now ordered the army's artillery to attempt to take down as many of the Trade Federation Core Ships as possible, as they each held hundreds of thousands of deadly battle droids. The Republic was successful in this but it would seem evident that despite taking control of the surface of the planet. Commando teams infiltrated the spires holding the Geonosian cities but whether they were successful is unclear) they were unable to capture the Separatist leadership and stop the war before it began. One Commando Team however, Delta Squad managed to infiltrate one Trade Federation Core Ship and kill the Geonosian Separatist Leader, Sun Fac as he attempted to flee the planet.

In the midst of the battle the Separatist leader Count Dooku tried to escape to a hangar where his starship was located. A gunship carrying Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala gave chase. Upon arriving at Dooku's hangar, Kenobi and Skywalker engaged Dooku in a lightsaber battle where Dooku revealed himself to be using the arcane power of the Sith. Dooku defeated the two Jedi but their execution was prevented by the arrival of Master Yoda at the hangar. Mace Windu also attempted to stop Dooku, however, he encountered three of Dooku's Dark Acolytes, who were assigned with blocking off the ground entrance to the hangar. They engaged in combat with Windu, but it was a brief fight, and all three were killed by the Jedi Master's TX-130S fighter tank.

Yoda and Dooku engaged in a ferocious battle that ended when Dooku escaped in his solar sailer moments before Amidala arrived with further reinforcements. Count Dooku flew to Coruscant, to meet with his master, who was settled in an abandoned district not far from the Jedi Temple. During his meeting with Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord ordered Dooku; now Darth Tyranus, to retreat to Raxus Prime to prepare a second battlefront against the Republic. Meanwhile, the Army of the Republic was mobilized throughout the galaxy as the Clone Wars began.

The main reason for the Separatist's defeat is derived from the fact that they were caught completely by surprise, working against their numerical superiority. Another reason for the Separatist's defeat is that despite Sev'Rance Tann and General Grievous, arguably the Droid Army's most brilliant commanders, were present, they were not given command of the army, and were instead placed in support positions. Grievous remained unknown to the Republic, for he killed off any of the Jedi or clones he encountered, while Sev'Rance Tann escaped Geonosis after killing Echuu Shen-Jon's Padawan, Stam Reath.

Jedi and Republic

 * Stass Allie (Human Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Padmé Amidala (Human Senator of Naboo, survived)
 * Empatojayos Brand (Human Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Sora Bulq (Weequay Jedi Master, presumed dead, defected to the Confederacy)
 * C-3PO (Protocol droid, temporarily dismantled)
 * CRC-09/571 (Clone trooper commander, survived)
 * CT-55/11-9009 (Clone trooper commander)
 * CT-65/91-6210 (Clone trooper captain)
 * Chellemi Chuovvick (Human Jedi Padawan, killed)
 * Joclad Danva (Human Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Deviss (Clone officer, survived)
 * Ur-Sema Du (Jedi, killed)
 * Bant Eerin (Mon Calamari Jedi Knight, participated in the space battle above)
 * Lumas Etima (Human Jedi, killed)
 * Sirch Fi-Ek (Nikto Jedi Knight, killed)
 * Kit Fisto (Nautolan Jedi Master, survived)
 * Adi Gallia (Human Jedi Master, participated in the space battle above)
 * Tarados Gon (Klatooinian Jedi Knight, killed in exploding gunship)
 * A'Sharad Hett (Human/Tusken Jedi Knight, participated in the space battle above)
 * Sarrissa Jeng (Human Jedi Knight, killed)
 * Sephjet Josall (Human Jedi Knight)
 * Tassida Judrelle (Jedi, killed)
 * Kai Justiss (Human Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi (Human Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Ki-Adi-Mundi (Cerean Jedi Master, survived)
 * Plo Koon (Kel Dor Jedi Master, survived)
 * Agen Kolar (Zabrak Jedi Master, survived)
 * Eeth Koth (Zabrak Jedi Master, killed in exploding gunship)
 * An'ya Kuro (Human Jedi Master, participated in the space battle above)
 * Sar Labooda (Human Jedi Knight, killed)
 * Roth-Del Masona (Human Jedi Master, survived)
 * Voolvif Monn (Shistavanen Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Nat-Sem {Jedi Master, killed)
 * Barriss Offee (Mirialan Jedi Padawan, survived)
 * Pablo-Jill (Ongree Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Khaat Qiyn (Human Jedi, killed)
 * Rana (Jedi, participated in the space battle above)
 * Alta Ranga (alien Jedi Master, killed)
 * R2-D2 (Astromech droid, survived)
 * RC-1133 (Republic Commando, killed)
 * RC-1134 (Republic Commando, killed)
 * RC-1135 (Republic Commando, killed)
 * RC-1136 (Republic Commando, survived)
 * RC-1138 (Republic Commando, survived)
 * RC-1140 (Republic Commando, survived)
 * RC-1207 (Republic Commando, survived)
 * RC-1262 (Republic Commando, survived)
 * Stam Reath (Human Jedi Padawan, killed by Sev'rance Tann)
 * Que-Mars Redath-Gom (Weequay Jedi, killed)
 * Forha Sachi (Human Jedi Master, killed)
 * Aayla Secura (Twi'lek Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Echuu Shen-Jon (Human Jedi Master, survived)
 * Roan Shryne (Human Jedi Padawan, survived)
 * Anakin Skywalker (Human Jedi Padawan, survived)
 * Ranik Solusar (Human Jedi, participated in the space battle above)
 * Sta-Den-Eekin (Klatooinian Jedi, killed)
 * Galdos Stouff (Jedi, killed)
 * Jaizen Suel (Human Jedi, participated in the space battle above)
 * Bultar Swan (Human Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Siri Tachi (Human Jedi Knight, participated in the space battle above)
 * Nicanas Tassu (Human Jedi Knight)
 * Shaak Ti (Togruta Jedi Master, survived)
 * Saesee Tiin (Iktotchi Jedi Master, survived)
 * B'dard Tone (Coway Jedi Knight, survived)
 * Lura Tranor (Human Jedi, killed)
 * Coleman Trebor (Vurk Jedi Master, killed by Jango Fett)
 * Tu'ala (Human Jedi Padawan, killed by Geonosian soldier)
 * Luminara Unduli (Mirialan Jedi Master, survived)
 * Quinlan Vos (Kiffar Jedi Master, survived)
 * Mace Windu (Human Jedi Master, survived)
 * Yoda (alien Jedi Master, survived)
 * Tan Yuster (Human Jedi Padawan, killed)

Separatists

 * Passel Argente (Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance, survived)
 * Gilramos Libkath (Senator for the Trade Federation, survived)
 * Count Dooku (Leader of the Confederacy, survived)
 * Sun Fac (Geonosian Lieutenant, aide to Poggle the Lesser, killed by RC-1207)
 * Jango Fett (Dooku's henchman, killed by Mace Windu)
 * Boba Fett (Jango's son/advisor, survived)
 * Po Nudo (Senator for Ando, survived)
 * General Grievous (Kaleesh/Cyborg military commander, survived)
 * Nute Gunray (Viceroy of the Trade Federation, survived)
 * San Hill (Chairman of the Intergalactic Banking Clan, survived)
 * Shu Mai (President of the Commerce Guild, survived)
 * Poggle the Lesser (Archduke of Geonosis, survived)
 * Wat Tambor (Foreman of the Techno Union, survived)
 * Sev'rance Tann (Dooku's Chiss Acolyte, survived)
 * Tikkes (Representative of Dac, former Republic Senator, survived)
 * Toonbuck Toora (Representative of Sy Myrth, former Republic Senator, survived)
 * Rogwa Wodrata (Former Republic Senator)
 * Qi Zhu (Aide to Shu Mai, survived)

Appearances



 * Star Wars Battlefront
 * Star Wars Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars
 * The Lesson
 * Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
 * Star Wars: Republic Commando
 * Republic Commando: Hard Contact

External link

 * Jedi Casualties: Battle of Geonosis from Leland Chee's Weblog