Terrain: Rocky mesas, deserts and spires Associations: acklay Geonosian Geonosian solar sailer Geonosian sonic blaster Geonosis droid factory Geonosis execution arena massiff orray Poggle the Lesser

A harsh rocky world less than a parsec away from Tatooine, Geonosis is a ringed planet beyond the borders of the Galactic Republic. Its uninviting surface is marked by mesas and buttes, and barren stretches of parched desert hardpan. The rocks and sky are tinted in red, and the creatures that evolved on Geonosis are well equipped to survive in the harsh ecology.

The most advanced lifeform are the Geonosians, sentient insectoids that inhabit towering spire-hives. The Geonosians maintain large factories for the production of droids and weapons. Save for attending to clients that venture to the planet to place orders, the Geonosians typically keep to themselves.

The droid foundries and the planet's remote location made it an ideal base of operations for the Separatist movement that spread through the galaxy in the later years of the Republic. The Archduke of Geonosis, Poggle the Lesser, hosted an important meeting of the heads of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The commerce barons in attendance pledged their mechanical military forces to Count Dooku, the charismatic leader of the Separatist movement. The Separatists were ready to wage war, but their plans were overheard by Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Jedi was taken captive, though he managed to dispatch a distress call to the Jedi Council. With their forces spread throughout the galaxy in an effort to maintain the peace, the Jedi Council was only able to dispatch 200 of their ranks to Geonosis. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, was sentenced to death in a huge execution arena. He and his compatriots, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, had to face down three terrible arena creatures before the Jedi reinforcements arrived.

While the Jedi could easily contend with the Geonosians, they had not counted on the sheer size of the droid army laying in wait. Scores of battle droids poured into the arena, slaying many Jedi. A scant few Jedi remained before even more reinforcements arrived -- in the form of the newly created Republic clone army. With the arrival of these forces, the first battle of what was to become known as the Clone Wars began on Geonosis. The Republic military, led by the Jedi, were able to drive the Separatists into retreat.