Poggle the Lesser

"How many of you have gazed into the heavens at night and seen something new taking shape above our world? A crescent, a circle, a gleaming ring that is like the portal to another dimension?"

- Poggle the Lesser

Archduke Poggle the Lesser was the public leader of the Geonosians during the Clone Wars. Though subservient to Queen Karina the Great, he was nominally in control of the Stalgasin hive, and with his oversight of the Geonosian Baktoid battle droid factories, became a powerful figure within the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Archduke commanded the droid armies that fought against the Republic during the first and second battles of Geonosis, the latter of which he was captured and brought into Republic custody. Incarcerated for two years on Coruscant, he was later recruited by the Republic Special Weapons Group to assist in the construction of the Ultimate Weapon battlestation the Geonosians designed; however, later absconded to Confederate space after sabotaging the project. During the final stages of the war, he and the rest of the Separatist Council were relocated to Utapau and later on Mustafar, where he was killed by Darth Vader.

Biography
During the Separatist Crisis, Poggle was one of the first and most ardent supporter of it's cause. He then hosted a meeting of fellow Separatist conspirators on Geonosis, in which he pledged his people's army to former Jedi, Count Dooku. Poggle, along with Dooku and bounty hunter Jango Fett, refused to release Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi to Naboo Senator Padmé Amidala and Kenobi's Padawan Anakin Skywalker unless Naboo joined their cause.

Following their capture, Poggle then presided over the trial, in which he found Amidala and Skywalker guilty of espionage. Amidala warned Poggle that their execution was an act of war and hoped he was prepared for the consequences. Poggle, however, stated that his people build weapons, and that they were prepared.

First Battle of Geonosis
Poggle, Dooku, and the rest of their Separatist conspirators then went to the Petranaki arena to watch the executions of Amidala, Kenobi, and Skywalker. However, Jedi Master Mace Windu and a team of 212 Jedi arrived to rescue Kenobi, Skywalker, and Amidala. As the battle droids overwhelmed the Jedi, they were then rescued by clone troopers under Master Yoda. Poggle and the rest of the separatist conspirators then went to the underground war room to oversee the battle. As the Republic Army forced their Droid Army to retreat, Poggle ordered his warriors to hide in the catacombs. He then gave Dooku the plans for their Ultimate Weapon, who assured that they would be safe with his Master, Lord Sidious.

Dealings with Clovis
Poggle, along with Trade Federation Senator Lott Dod, conspired with Scipio Senator Baron Rush Clovis to rebuild the primary droid foundry on Geonosis. When Clovis arrived on Cato Neimoidia at Dod's palace, Poggle and Dod demanded a greater share of the profits the foundry would produce. When Clovis refused to change the terms, Poggle agreed with Dod's plan to poison his companion, Senator Padmé Amidala. However, Clovis helped Amidala's guard get the cure for her. Poggle and Dod then confronted Clovis about the missing holodisc.

Second Battle of Geonosis
Poggle then led both the droid army and the native Geonosians against the Republic from the foundry. As the Republic forces approached his foundry, Poggle and his tactical droid, TX-21 oversaw the construction of Super tanks. They then deployed the ten garrisons of droids against the clone troopers under Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Luminara Unduli. He and TX-21 then sent in the super tanks which were able to push the clones back. Poggle was then informed that 2 Jedi had infiltrated the reactor room. Poggle and TX-21 then went with a pair of his soldiers and one of his super tanks. There, he ordered his soldier to take the bombs and kill the Jedi.

After the foundry's destruction, Poggle took an AAT with pair of droids and his soldiers with him to the Progate Temple. Along the way, Poggle dropped crates, leaving a trail for Unduli and Buzz to follow. When Unduli and the trooper entered the temple, Poggle and several un-dead Geonosians killed Buzz and captured Unduli. He then took her into the catacombs of the temple and brought her before his queen, Karina the Great, as a gift. Together, they hoped they could use the Brain worms to control Unduli. However, Poggle and Karina were then found by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Skywalker. As they blinded the queen, Poggle was captured by Skywalker and Unduli. He was taken aboard the Venator-class Star Destroyer Resolute.

On board the Resolute, Poggle was interrogated by Kenobi, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Unduli, but refused to answer their questions. When the worms were aboard his Padawan's supply ship, Skywalker interrogated Poggle alone. At first, Poggle refused but was then punched and force-choked. He then revealed the worms' weakness to the cold. Poggle was then transported to Coruscant, where he would be imprisoned in a cell at the Republic Center for Military Operations.

Imprisonment and Republic service
Poggle would remain in Republic custody for thirteen months. During this time, he would be subjected to routine interrogation by agents of Republic Intelligence. One of the main topics of the interrogations was the supposed deep-space mobile battle station project, the "Ultimate Weapon" designed by the Stalgasin hive, that was thought to be under construction by the Confederacy. However, the Archduke repeatedly denied any Geonosian association, and feigned ignorance to the existence of the plans, which were actually in the possession of the Republic Special Weapons Group.

Poggle was later approached by Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic of the Special Weapons Group, in another attempt to garner information on the Confederacy's Ultimate Weapon. Krennic, who himself was attempting to spearhead the project to develop the station, was able to appeal to Poggle's loyalty to his people and convinced him to provide the Geonosian drone population as a workforce for the battle-station's construction. With this allegiance to the Republic, the Archduke was returned to his homeworld on the eve of Meckgin, in which, amidst bloody celebrations, was able to convince the Geonosians to assist in the Republic's construction efforts.

However, Poggle had ulterior motives for providing such assistance to the Republic. Allotted with a private retinue of drones, Poggle secretly directed a massive uprising of the Geonosian soldiers servicing the battle-station as a diversion for his own escape to the Confederacy. In addition to sabotaging the construction project, the Archduke, with his own modified personal shuttle, was able to slip through the Republic flotilla in orbit and flee into hyperspace.

Death
After escaping from Geonosis, Poggle rejoined the Confederacy as the war began to draw to its close. Following a string of Republic victories, General Grievous ordered the members of the Separatist Council, including Poggle, to remain under his protection. Grievous hid them on Utapau while he prepared a strike on Coruscant; following Count Dooku's death and Grievous's failure at Coruscant, Poggle and the other Separatist leaders were sent to a fortified bunker on Mustafar, by order of Darth Sidious.

When Anakin Skywalker, now as Sidious's new apprentice Darth Vader, arrived on Mustafar, the Separatist leaders discovered that he was sent not to reward the council, but to execute them. Poggle attempted to defend himself using his staff, to no avail, and was quickly cut in half.

Behind the scenes
Poggle the Lesser was voiced by Marton Csokas in Attack of the Clones, and by Matthew Wood in The Clone Wars television series.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Galactic Defense
 * Star Wars Journeys: Beginnings
 * Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
 * Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel
 * Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
 * Tarkin
 * Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel
 * Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
 * Tarkin
 * Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
 * Tarkin
 * Tarkin