Geonosis

"This place is rotten from the inside out."

- Anakin Skywalker

Geonosis, referred to as Geonosia by some natives, was the home planet of the Geonosians. A desert, inhospitable world, Geonosis was the Confederacy of Independent Systems' first capital, hosting its major battle droid foundries. It was the site of the Battle of Geonosis, the opening conflict of the Clone Wars, as well as a subsequent invasion by the Galactic Republic. Five years after the conflict's conclusion, the Galactic Empire would garrison the planet heavily and attempt to mine the planet's asteroids for minerals. The planet was sterilized by the Empire at least five years after the Clone Wars, nearly exterminating the native Geonosian population. Eventually, the Death Star would be constructed here and placed under the command of Grand Moff Tarkin.

Description
"They'll never get there in time. They have to come halfway across the galaxy. Look, Geonosis is less than a parsec away."

- Padmé Amidala

Situated in the Geonosis system of the Arkanis sector in the Outer Rim Territories, the planet of Geonosis was 43,000 light years from the Galactic Core, and less than a parsec away from the Outer Rim planet of Tatooine. It was the homeworld of the Geonosians, a species of sentient insectoids. It had a breathable atmosphere, but an arid climate. Its surface was covered in harsh, rocky deserts, marked by mesas and buttes. Both its rocks and sky were tinted in shades of red. Surface water was scarce, amounting to only 5 % of the entire total planetary surface. From space, it could be seen that Geonosis had awe-inspiring rocky rings. The planet was orbited by fifteen moons.

Ancient history
At some point in the ancient history of Geonosis, a comet crashed in one of the planet's many moons. The collision debris not only formed the famous rings of Geonosis, but also formed a field of small asteroids that would sometime rain down on the planet's surface.

The Clone Wars
"I will take what Jedi we have left and go to Geonosis to help Obi-Wan."

- Jedi Master Mace Windu

In the later years of the Galactic Republic, Geonosis became a major base of operations for the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a separatist alliance that spread across the galaxy. Ten years after the election of Sheev Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, the Archduke of Geonosis, Poggle the Lesser, hosted a summit of the heads of the Confederacy. During that meeting, the trade barons pledged their military forces to Count Dooku, a defrocked Jedi Master and head of the Confederacy. While the Separatists were ready to wage war, their plans were overheard by Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master.

The Geonosians took Kenobi captive, but he managed to dispatch a distress call to his superiors on Coruscant, the Jedi High Council. The Council then dispatched two hundred Jedi to Geonosis. Meanwhile, the Geonosians sentenced Master Kenobi to death in the Petranaki arena along with his apprentice Anakin Skywalker, and the Republic senator Padmé Amidala. Eventually, the Jedi reinforcements arrived, and quickly dealt with the Geonosian warriors. However, the immense droid army of the Confederacy was laying in wait, and many Jedi fell under enemy fire. When all seemed lost, even more reinforcements arrived, in the form of the newly created Grand Army of the Republic, which made use of clone soldiers. Upon the arrival of the clone army, the Republic and the Confederacy engaged in the first battle of what would later be known as the Clone Wars.

The Age of the Empire
"Well, it should be quieter since the planet was sterilized. No queens, no hives... Wonder what weapon they used. Would be nice to get a hold of that&hellip;"

- Doctor Aphra while visiting Geonosis after the sterilization

At the end of the Clone Wars, the Galactic Republic was replaced by the First Galactic Empire, a tyrannical regime led by the Dark Lord of the Sith known as Darth Sidious. Five years into the Age of the Empire, the Imperials attempted to mine the asteroids of Geonosis for minerals, but that proved unfeasible. Using bombs and other foreign weapons, the Empire wiped out almost the entire population of Geonosians.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Galactic Defense
 * Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Journeys: Beginnings
 * Tarkin
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 3: Vader, Part III
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 4: Vader, Part IV
 * Aftermath
 * Tarkin
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 3: Vader, Part III
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 4: Vader, Part IV
 * Aftermath
 * Tarkin
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 3: Vader, Part III
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 4: Vader, Part IV
 * Aftermath
 * Tarkin
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 3: Vader, Part III
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 4: Vader, Part IV
 * Aftermath
 * Tarkin
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 3: Vader, Part III
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader 4: Vader, Part IV
 * Aftermath
 * Aftermath