Second Battle of Geonosis

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Previous Battle of Dorin[1] Second Battle of Geonosis Conflict Clone Wars[1] Date c. 22 BBY[2] Place Geonosis[1] Outcome Droid foundry destroyed[3] Combatants Galactic Republic[1] Jedi Order[1] Confederacy of Independent Systems[1] Commanders High General Obi-Wan Kenobi[1] General Ki-Adi-Mundi[1] General Anakin Skywalker[1] General Luminara Unduli[1] Commander Barriss Offee[4] Commander Ahsoka Tano[1] Commander CC-2224[1] Commander Jet[1] Captain CC-7567[1] Archduke Poggle the Lesser[1] TX-21†[4] Strength 6 Jedi[1][3] Clone troopers[1] Advanced Recon Force troopers[1] Clone flame troopers[1] Clone trooper pilots[1] All Terrain Tactical Enforcers[1] AV-7 Antivehicle Cannons[3] Low Altitude Assault Transports/carrier[1] Low Altitude Assault Transports/infantry[1] Bad Kitty†[5] Separatist Nightmare†[5] At least 9 Acclamator I-class assault ships[1] At least 6 Venator-class Star Destroyers[1] BTL-B Y-wing starfighters[1] Geonosian warrior insurgents[1] B1 battle droids[1] B2 super battle droids[1] Droidekas[1] 1 tactical droid[4] Double-barrel repeating blasters[1] LR1K sonic cannons[1] Proton cannons[1] Armored Assault Tanks[1] Nantex-class territorial defense starfighters[1] Flitknot speeders[1] Super tanks[3] Casualties Many clone troopers[1][3] Ground vehicles and assault craft[1][3] Many Geonosians and battle droids[1][3] Most artillery[1] and super tanks[3] [Source]

The second battle on Geonosis took place early in the Clone Wars when the Jedi Order and Galactic Republic launched a full-scale planetary invasion of Geonosis to shut down several Separatist battle droid foundries that Archduke Poggle the Lesser had built on the planet with funding from the InterGalactic Banking Clan and Trade Federation. Following Senator Padmé Amidala's discovery of the droid factories, the Jedi High Council dispatched a massive Jedi-led detachment of the Grand Army of the Republic to retake Geonosis and halt the facilities' production of droids. Tasked with the challenge of landing on the planet and establishing a staging area, the Jedi mounted a three-pronged attack on the Geonosian defenses. Jedi Generals Ki-Adi-Mundi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker each led an assault force and rendezvoused at a site a short ways from the ray shield protecting the factories. The Republic army regrouped and took out the shield generator, making way for the rest of the troops to land.

In order to destroy Poggle the Lesser's near-completed main droid foundry, Generals Skywalker and Luminara Unduli engaged the battle droids outside the factory in open warfare while their respective Padawans, Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee, sneaked into the facility via the catacombs beneath it. As their Masters battled the droids and newly-designed super tanks on the bridge leading to the factory, the Padawans were intercepted by Poggle the Lesser and his tactical droid, TX-21. Tano and Offee were forced to use a super tank to blast the facility's reactor, but were rescued by Skywalker and Unduli from the rubble of the factory once the droid foundry had fallen.

Contents 1 Prelude 1.1 Intrigue on Cato Neimoidia 1.2 Preparations for an invasion 2 The battle 2.1 Rough landing 2.2 Attack on the foundry 3 Behind the scenes 4 Appearances 5 Sources 6 Notes and references

Prelude

Intrigue on Cato Neimoidia

After the historic opening battle of the Clone Wars on the planet Geonosis,^[2] the Confederacy of Independent Systems built a series of new battle droid foundries on the Outer Rim world. As the new factories began to manufacture thousands of droids for the Separatist Droid Army,^[1] the facilities were kept secret from the Galactic Republic. Both the InterGalactic Banking Clan and Trade Federation conglomerates of the Confederacy made investments^[6] in the primary droid foundry^[1] rebuilt by Archduke Poggle the Lesser^[7] to profit from the factory's war earnings, with the Trade Federation signing its holdings off to the Banking Clan and thereby becoming indebted to its fellow Separatist-allied corporation.^[6]

As Senator Lott Dod of the Trade Federation and Senator Rush Clovis of the Banking Clan delegation prepared to meet on the former's homeworld, Cato Neimoidia, to discuss their investments in the foundry, the Jedi High Council—correctly suspecting Clovis of involvement in a Separatist conspiracy—recruited Senator Padmé Amidala to spy on the Banking Clan Senator. Amidala, who had previously had a personal relationship with Clovis, agreed to the mission. Amidala was able to secure a personal invitation to accompany Clovis and, with her secret husband, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, as her bodyguard, went with the Banking Clan Senator to Cato Neimoidia.^[6]

Arriving at Dod's palace, Clovis met in secret with Dod and Poggle the Lesser, who had also arrived to participate in the deliberations. The Trade Federation Senator and Archduke both attempted to negotiate for greater shares in the investment, but Clovis refused to change the terms of the agreement. However, Dod, witnessing Clovis's affection for Amidala, secretly poisoned the latter to force the Banking Clan Senator to change his mind. Shortly after stealing a disc containing the droid foundry's tactical coordinates from a hologram projector in the palace's library, Amidala fainted from the effects of the poison. Threatening Dod with a blaster, Clovis secured the antidote to the poison and gave it to Skywalker. Helping Amidala to her J-type star skiff and administering the medicine, Skywalker departed Cato Neimoidia with the Senator and the disc, leaving the stranded Clovis to face Dod, Poggle the Lesser, and a squad of B1 battle droids.^[6]

Preparations for an invasion

Returning to the galactic capital of Coruscant, Skywalker and Amidala reported their findings to the Jedi Council. Clone Captain CC-7567, nicknamed "Rex," was dispatched with a contingent of the Grand Army of the Republic's 501st Legion to perform a reconnaissance of Geonosis. Upon arrival in orbit of the world, Captain Rex and his men were unable to establish contact with the clone troopers on the planet's surface but discovered the droid foundries being constructed in the planet's northern and southern hemispheres. Rex transmitted his planetary scans to the Jedi Temple with the advisement that a full-scale invasion would be required to retake Geonosis. Receiving the report, the Jedi Council decided to send High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Generals Ki-Adi-Mundi and Luminara Unduli to lead the Grand Army's attack on the droid foundries. Generals Plo Koon and Skywalker and the latter's Padawan, Commander Ahsoka Tano, were meanwhile assigned to reinforce the planet Dorin, which had been attacked by a Separatist fleet led by Confederate General Grievous in an effort to keep the Jedi's attention away from Geonosis.^[8]

Mundi, Kenobi, and Unduli departed Coruscant alongside Admiral Wullf Yularen with a massive invasion fleet comprised of Venator-class Star Destroyers and Acclamator I-class assault ships. After the invasion force had arrived in Geonosian space and entered the planet's orbit, Skywalker and Tano—having who had met with success in their intervention at Dorin, joined Mundi and Kenobi on the bridge of a Star Destroyer at the head of the fleet. With their ships in position, the four Jedi opened a communication to the Outer Rim Command and conferred with Jedi Generals Unduli, Yoda, and Mace Windu, and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Based on intelligence they had received, Mundi and Kenobi concluded that Poggle the Lesser was holed up within his primary droid factory, which was protected by a massive ray shield.^[1]

With their primary target being the shield generator, the Jedi planned to execute a three-pronged attack on the Geonosian defenses. Mundi and Clone Commander Jet would lead the northern advance, while Kenobi and Clone Commander CC-2224, nicknamed "Cody," commenced the central push. Skywalker, Tano, and Captain Rex, meanwhile, would execute the southern assault with their forces. The troops would rendezvous at a point a short distance away from the shield and converge on the generator to eliminate the threat and establish a defensive perimeter to their staging area. Although Tano noted that the defenses were heavily fortified, particularly a large wall armored with artillery emplacements, Skywalker believed that their approach would not lead them to the barricade. With their planning complete, the Jedi split up to mobilize forces for the coming battle.^[1]

The battle

Rough landing

The Republic's capital ships descended upon Geonosis and began disgorging BTL-B Y-wing starfighters, LAAT/i gunships, and LAAT carriers ferrying All Terrain Tactical Enforcers to the surface in heavy numbers. Kenobi's assault force was the first to take flight,^[1] with Kenobi leading the way in his gunship, Bad Kitty.^[5] Kenobi and his gunships were attacked heavily by Geonosian proton and LR1K gun emplacements below as well as Nantex-class territorial defense starfighters from above. The Y-wing starfighters provided covering fire, initiating an attack run on the Separatist gunners. With Kenobi's operation underway, Skywalker's detachment—including Captain Rex and Commander Tano—departed shortly afterward, followed by General Mundi's and Commander Jet's forces. The gunship carrying Skywalker, Tano, and Rex was one of the first to be shot down, but the Jedi's team managed to break free from the wreckage and used the fallen craft as cover from the nearby Geonosian gunners and blaster cannons. Meanwhile, Mundi ordered Commander Cody to release the AT-TE walkers shortly before the Jedi Master's gunship,^[1] Separatist Nightmare,^[5] fell from heavy fire as well.^[1]

Cody landed with his troops and AT-TEs to be greeted by incoming Geonosian fighters. Although the clone commander told Kenobi not to land because of the Separatists' imposing danger, the Jedi Master was forced to land anyway when Bad Kitty was shot down by the Geonosians. The gunship hit the surface and skidded across the ground before coming to a stop, leaving only Kenobi and trooper Trapper to survive the crash. An injured Mundi and Commander Jet pulled themselves out of the remains of their gunship, which was just one of many to have been shot down in the area. Jet reported that only Kenobi's forces had made it to the landing zone, while Skywalker's AT-TE walkers had been decimated in his ongoing firefight with the Geonosians. Skywalker would continue to press on to the rendezvous point to meet with Kenobi. Mundi ordered the injured men among his forces to be loaded onto the AT-TE walkers with the objective of pressing on through a nearby bridge to meet up with the rest of the troops. Meanwhile, Captain Rex reported to Skywalker that Kenobi would be unable to give support, as the Jedi Master himself had been shot down. Left on their own, Skywalker and Tano provided cover for Rex and the rest of their troops to rush the Separatist blaster cannons.^[1]

In the meantime, Cody organized his LAAT/i gunships and AT-TE walkers in a circular defensive formation. In the midst of exchanging heavy fire with the attacking sonic blaster–wielding Geonosians and their Armored Assault Tanks, Cody ordered troopers Waxer and Boil to search Kenobi's gunship^[1]—which had been located five kilometers away^[5]—for survivors. The two Advanced Recon Force trooper scouts raced across the battlefield and were able to find and rescue Kenobi and Trapper from the gunship's wreckage. As Waxer and Boil helped the injured pair back to the established base, Cody had his men provide the group covering fire from the advancing Separatist tanks and Geonosian-mounted Flitknot speeders. Upon his arrival, Kenobi was treated by a medic and updated on the situation by Cody. Surrounded by the Geonosians, Kenobi noted that they simply had to hold out until Generals Skywalker and Mundi arrived.^[1] Mundi was in the process of cutting through a massive caltrop field^[5] so that his AT-TE walkers could move through the obstacles. Commander Jet conferred with Admiral Yularen via comlink and requested air support, but the starfighter forces were engaged in the planetary invasion elsewhere. Yularen was only able to offer his vantage point as a resource to locate Skywalker, whom he found to be pressing toward the eastern barrier—the site of the Geonosians' armored barricade^[1]

Skywalker, Tano, Rex, and their men arrived at the massive gun emplacement fortress and were forced to take cover from the assailing B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids high above. With the large amounts of laser barrages from above, Skywalker and Tano each took a backpack filled with thermal detonators and ran toward the adjacent cliff, used grappling hooks to scale the face in order to set their charges to topple the wall. Captain Rex joined the two Jedi on the top of the barrier, helping them to defeat a pair droidekas that were soon deployed from hatches. After Skywalker and Tano had tossed their primed detonator–full backpacks into the hatches, they and Rex jumped off the wall shortly before it exploded. The Jedi used the Force to slow their fall and hold back the rubble. With the wall destroyed, Skywalker, Tano, and their forces pressed toward Kenobi's position. Meanwhile, Mundi split up his own troops, sending his AT-TE walkers to take a longer route to the rendezvous point while he himself went with a squad to examine a shortcut through a cave. There, the Jedi Master and his men were besieged by several groups of Geonosian warriors.^[1]

Although his men sustained heavy losses from the Geonosians, Mundi was able to cut through the grotto. At the other side of the cave, the Jedi Master had his flamethrower-wielding clone troopers fire their weapons at the Geonosians, killing most of them and unblocking the path out of the cave. Skywalker, Tano, Rex, and their detachment arrived to find the smoldering Geonosians falling out of the clifftop cave. Joining forces with Mundi, Skywalker contacted Admiral Yularen to request air support.^[1] Having reallocated resources since Commander Jet's previous request,^[5] Yularen dispatched a free Y-wing squadron to the rendezvous point, where Kenobi and Cody were suffering numerous casualties at the hands of the Geonosians initiating flying attacks from the sky and attack runs on the ground.^[1] As the Jedi Master prepared to take up arms alongside his men in what he believed would be a final stand against the Geonosians,^[5] the Y-wing bombers arrived, dropping their munitions on the advancing Separatist tanks. With the rest of his troops pressing on, Kenobi was greeted by the arrival of Skywalker, Tano, Mundi, and the rest of the forces.^[1]

The Jedi and their clone officers convened on the task still at hand: the destruction of the shield generator. Skywalker would lead a small squad into the shield and jam the Geonosians' scanners, rendering them unable to target the incoming AT-TE walkers. Once the walkers had taken out the shield, Mundi would then bring the rest of the troops in with the gunships. After all of the Republic forces were in position, Skywalker and Tano initiated their attack and charged through the shield with their men. Exchanging fire with the Geonosians, the Jedi and troopers took cover and threw EMP grenades at the proton and LR1K cannons, temporarily disabling the Separatist guns. Unopposed by heavy fire, the AT-TE walkers marched through the shield and blasted the artillery stations and shield generator. As the shield was deactivated, Mundi and his gunships landed with additional reinforcements. All of the Geonosians in the area were forced to surrender, and the injured Generals Kenobi and Mundi were taken away in the gunships with Skywalker's expectations to see both of them back in action by the time the main droid foundry had been destroyed.^[1]

Attack on the foundry

Skywalker's forces combined with Ki-Adi-Mundi's remaining troops and formed a staging area across from Poggle the Lesser's primary foundry, which was nearing completion.^[4] The Republic's forces were separated from the foundry by a thin bridge that spanned a deep canyon. In anticipation of stiff resistance from the foundry's defenders, Skywalker called in reinforcements from General Luminara Unduli and her Padawan, Barriss Offee. The two arrived with their forces and met with Skywalker and Tano to discuss the plan of attack. Although General Skywalker had been preparing for a direct assault via the bridge, General Unduli offered an alternative: the infiltration of the catacombs that ran beneath the foundry. By using these complex passageways, the Jedi could reach the foundry's control room and plant explosives on the main reactor, destroying the facility from within. It was decided that the mission to destroy the reactor would be undertaken by Tano and Barriss Offee, who had memorized all two hundred junctions between the catacomb's tunnels in preparation.^[3]

While the Padawans were infiltrating the catacombs, Generals Skywalker and Unduli would lead their forces in a forward assault on the foundry's main entrance as a distraction. The four Jedi set their plan into motion, with Tano and Offee descended the canyon wall to reach the catacomb's entry point as the two generals marched their forces onto the bridge parade-style, followed closely by AT-TEs. Skywaker and Unduli's men were met by a large force of battle droids marching forth from the foundry, followed by Geonosian warriors launching surprise attacks from the spires behind the Republic force. Meanwhile, Tano and Offee had reached the other side of the canyon's trough, where Offee cut a whole in the canyon wall to create an entrance to the catacombs. She led the way through the labyrinth until the two Padwans reached a hallway full of sleeping Geonosian warriors. Although Tano urged her to take a different route, Offee insisted that the fastest path to the control room was through the hallway. The two proceeded carefully, but were unable to avoid awakening a single Geonosian who followed them through the catacombs from that point onward.^[3]

On the surface, the Republic forces were assaulted by several squads of droidekas that were quickly destroyed by rockets and AT-TEs.^[3] In response, Poggle the Lesser authorized the use of experimental super tanks at the urging of his tactical droid, TX-21.^[4] Twenty of the tanks left the foundry, approached the Republic forces, and were immediately fired upon by AV-7 Antivehicle Cannons. The ray shielded tanks were unaffected by the cannon fire opened fire themselves, destroying the AV-7s, decimating the Republic's infantry, and forcing Skywalker ad Unduli to fall back. In the foundry, Tano and Offee made it to the reactor room and began planting their explosives; however, they were soon discovered by Poggle and TX-21, who had been informed of their presence by the Geonosian the Padawans had awakened earlier. Poggle left TX-21 and a super tank to deal with the Padawans while several Geonosian warriors collected the explosives. After destroying TX-21, Tano was rendered unconscious during a scuffle with the Geonosians, leaving Offee to engage the tank alone.^[3]

Meanwhile, Unduli and Skywalker had devised a plan to defeat the tanks on the bridge. The two climbed onto the underbelly of the bridge and planted explosives along its length. Upon reaching the opposite side of the bridge, they triggered the explosives, causing the bridge to collapse and take the tanks with it into the canyon. Evacuation ships arrived shortly afterward in anticipation of the explosion that would destroy the foundry, however there had been no word from the Padawans yet. In the reactor room, Padawan Offee cut her way into the super tank and destroyed its droid pilots. A revived Tano joined her and the two discussed their options in destroying the reactor. With the explosives gone, they decided to use the tank to destroy the foundry, despite knowing they would be unable to escape the explosion. After a short communication to her masters to report their decision, the two opened fire on the reactor, resulting in a massive chain of explosions that leveled the foundry.^[3]

When the smoke cleared, Skywalker and Unduli were standing on the edge of a vast crater filled with debris that had once been the foundry. After failing to reach Tano on her communicator, a determined General Skywalker ordered that the rubble be moved. As LAAT carriers began to lift the wreckage, the General Unduli argued that Skywalker should simply accept their student's fate. Deep below the surface, in the cockpit of the super tank, Tano and Offee struggled to stay conscious. In an effort to contact her master, Tano fashioned a communicator out of a power cell from the tank. Recieving the signal, Skywalker rushed over to a pile of debris, and with the aid of Unduli, lifted it with the Force to reveal the tank. The two Padawans crawled out, finally reunited with their masters.^[3]

Behind the scenes

Appearances

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Landing at Point Rain" (First appearance)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Weapons Factory"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Legacy of Terror"

Sources

•  The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Landing at Point Rain" on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
•  The Action Intensifies in "Landing at Point Rain" on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
•  The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Weapons Factory on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
•  In the Hands of The Padawans… on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)

Notes and references