Occupation of Geonosis

"The resistance from the native Geonosians was stronger than we anticipated.''" "The same can be said for their loyalty to Count Dooku." "''A fact that is often overlooked."

- Jedi Generals Ki-Adi-Mundi and Obi-Wan Kenobi

Following their victory in the Battle of Geonosis, the Galactic Republic began the occupation of Geonosis on the Outer Rim world. However, the Republic had decimated the Geonosian droid factories in the initial battle, and their engineers were unable to reconfigure the factories for Republic needs. With this news, the Republic believed that Geonosis had little strategic value, so they did not assign many resources to keep the occupation.

However, the Republic only had a tenuous hold on the planet, as the native Geonosians fought back against their occupiers, with a much stronger resistance and loyalty to Count Dooku than had been anticipated. Despite facing a countless amount of fighting and skirmishes in the Im'g'twe Hills, the Republic, also faced with the Clone Wars spreading across the galaxy, were unable to keep up the occupation and needed their clone troopers elsewhere. However, due to Republic troops being pulled from Geonosis, and other Grand Army forces already being stretched thin to combat General Grievous's fleet, Geonosis became one of several Separatist worlds that could once again rise up.

Less than a year after the first battle, with the Republic having relaxed its occupation, the Separatists were able to amass a force and retake Geonosis. Jedi General Anakin Skywalker also later speculated that brain worms were used to retake the planet. Archduke Poggle the Lesser and the Separatists quickly and secretly restarted the droid factories, and, with an investment from the Banking Clan, the largest droid factory ever was able to be constructed. However, Senator Padmé Amidala was able to discover this intelligence during a mission to Cato Neimoidia, so the Republic planned a second invasion of the planet. The Republic hoped to destroy the factories and prevent another Separatist takeover, and, following the Republic victory, they began a second occupation of Geonosis.

Behind the scenes
The occupation of Geonosis was first referenced in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode Landing at Point Rain. However, it was not identified until it was mentioned in the Databank, in the fourth image of Poggle the Lesser's biography gallery, on StarWars.com.