There is Power in a Union: Geonosis

[Darik Plutan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwbzxemJZIc

Darik was no labor agitator or organizer, he was a pilot and a soldier for the Rebel Alliance. But, it was his unfortunate duty to draw the short straw from the political leadership of the Galactic Revolutionary Collectivist Party (GRCP) who politely informed him that he would travel to Geonosis to begin organizing the workers. He had initially supported the GRCP as he had been the unfortunate witness to centuries of galactic bloodshed, first witnessing the destruction of the old Galactic Empire, then waking up after centuries of carbonite freezing only to see the excesses of the galaxy made worse. Now, he had the chance to begin to right the wrongs. If that meant that he would have to get his hands dirty with politics, he was willing to do it.

The Alliance Reformist Senate had given him a mandate that the GRCP had supported to go into the Geonisian factories and shipyards and begin the process of building labor unions to better represent the interests of the sentient peoples of the planet. The citizens of Geonosis had been the unfortunate victims of centuries of exploitation stretching back to the days of the Clone Wars when they were willing and unwilling participants in the Separatist Alliance. Now they would have the chance to speak with one voice.

Darik stood outside one of the largest foundries on Geonosis that had churned out heavy weaponry and speeder parts for the more "civilized" parts of the galaxy. With him were representatives from many of the major factories, shipyards, droid foundries, and other centers of industry on the planet. Even though they'd joined the Alliance, he knew that they would resist the move to unionize the Geonosian labor force.

"If I may, Mister Plutan, but what good is organizing our laboring population into these...'unions'...if they serve no purpose?"

Darik gave the factory owner a very dirty look.

"Karina, it is not your decision whether or not to organize these workers into unions. They need representation at both the local and planetary level to prevent workplace abuse. Also, there have been pushes among the locals in the past to begin labor organizing. However, I believe it was you and several other owners who pushed back against it. Now, with the Alliance in charge, they get the chance to organize for themselves and the decision of how to do it," Darik said to them in a chastising tone.

They were taken aback as several workers left the factory, two of which were hoisting a plain red flag.

"Geonosians for Collectivism! The GRCP leads the workers to true liberation! Destroy the bourgeois! Up with the Red Flag!"

Darik hazarded a glance at the owners, all of whom were looking extremely paranoid at that moment.

"Don't worry, we won't let them do anything too hasty. For the moment you are under Alliance protection. But, I think your days of running these factories as your personal fiefdoms has just come to an end."

[member="Krasnaya Xue"] [member="DasGeneral"]

 

[Darik Plutan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DTbashsKic

Darik stood in front of the mob, trying desperately to hold them back with his words. He had initially rallied them around the idea of unionization, of greater representation for workers on Geonosis. What had started easily enough turned into a mad house. Three weeks of constant labor agitating had spilled over into general protests. The sentient peoples of Geonosis had been exploited for centuries by corporations and governments large and small. Now, with the urging of the Rebel Alliance and the various political factions within it, they had risen up and begun to seize power. Unfortunately for Darik, the revolution was no longer within his control.

The mob had surrounded the offices of one of the largest Geonosian industrial combines on the planet. His Geonosian was rusty, but from a casual glance they appeared to be surrounding the offices of one of the droid foundries that had employed until recently hundreds of thousands of Geonosians and other sentient citizens. Now, they were hold up in their offices trying to contact local security forces.

"Delta Papa, this is Alliance Security Baker One. We need orders, do we send local security to the Corporate Headquarters district?"

Darik looked down at his radio for a moment, trying desperately to hear the request over the cacophony of yelling that was going on around him. He ducked into a small side alley.

"Negative Baker One, negative. Do not, repeat, do not dispatch local security forces. If they do it will only anger the mobs even further. I can't control them anymore, we're going to have to let this one play out and pick up the pieces later on."

"Affirmative Delta Papa. We heard news that another mob of angry Geonosian laborers were making their way towards the Geonosian Royal Compound. What should we do if they break in?"

Darik was stunned. Never before in Geonosian history had the people moved to overthrow the monarchy. This truly was an important moment in galactic history, for the first time in as long as he could remember, the people were rising up. If they stopped them then the momentum would be lost.

"We let them. Make no effort to stop the Geonosians from storming the palace. The royals tied themselves to the ACA and exploited the people of this planet for centuries. Let them reap what they have sewn. The Alliance will respect the sovereign wishes of the sentient citizens of Geonosis."

The radio clicked off and Darik went back out to see what damage was being done. Molotov Cocktails flew through the air and crashed against glass and concrete. Windows shattered as the mob broke down the glass doors and flooded into the building. He looked down the street and saw similar scenes everywhere. It seemed that the industrialists and the ruling elite were on the run. If and when the ACA tried to return to this planet, they'd come back to a system that was beyond their control. The people had risen up.

 

[Armand Temi]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBojbjoMttI[/youtube]

Khloe Sparrow and The Rebel Anarchists were outside of the Geonosian Royal Compound. She had been deployed by the Alliance to this bug-populated planet to help contain some of the insurrection happening between Geonosis mobs and the ruling aristocracy. They weren't here to stop it - this type of progress was long overdue on Geonosis and needed to happen. But she knew that the anarchists were used to causing the riots, not containing it. So basically their entire plan could backfire if not done perfectly.

She hovered on her swoop bike and addressed the young anarchists in a loud, hoarse voice: "Okay greenies, your mission is to join the mob outside of the Palace and..." They were momentarily distracted by the sound of glass breaking. "Follow them into the building. The mob is angry and they may try to kill anyone who tries to stop them. So be careful and urge them to take prisoners and not murder anyone in there. If this turns into a slaughter, it will only backfire on the Alliance and the population. Now GO!"

The anarchists yelled and whooped and joined the throngs of protesters who headed into the Royal Compound.

 

[Darik Plutan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiKS6jrx67Q


It had been two months since the overthrow of the Geonosian government. Two months of absolute chaos on Geonosis as the Alliance and political parties tried to negotiate with the uprising leadership to find a way to move forward. They'd finally found a hive queen who was willing to negotiate with them and sign a treaty. The wreckage from the uprising was still apparent as many cities and hives were trying to build a new collectivist system. For Darik, his responsibilities were not in the politics but in the military. He'd been tasked with building a new Geonosian military to repel any future invasions.

Thus it was that on a sunny Geonosian morning, Darik stood in front of a group of recruits for the new Geonosian Militia, officially named the "Geonosian People's Revolutionary Militia," or the GPRM for short. While they were short on weapons, they were long on ideals and beliefs. Most of them here, both Geonosian and otherwise, were volunteers who had helped to overthrow the old hive queens and begin building a new political system. Most were also believers in Collectivism, Selectivism, and the other various leftist ideals that had brought many of the Rebel Alliance members together in the first place. Darik walked to the podium and addressed the crowd.

"Fellow sentient beings, I welcome you to these parade grounds and the first induction ceremony of the Geonosian People's Revolutionary Militia. Many of you here today fought to overthrow your leaders who had oppressed and enslaved you to their whims. While you toiled and slaved away to build droids for offworld masters, your children suffered. Your world lay destitute under the boot heel of foreign oppressors. They claimed to serve you while they killed your family in factories and mines. No longer! The Rebel Alliance stands with you and all others who seek to breathe free air! We stand shoulder to shoulder with you, partners in the long struggle to come against the darkness."

"Although we are short on guns and training, we are the true sons and daughters, the inheritors of the revolutionary legacy bequeathed to us by our forefathers and mothers. We serve the people. You are the brave few who heard the call of duty and signed up once again. This time it is not to overthrow a monarch or foreign corporations, it is instead to defend this great world from the invaders who will likely come here and seek to destroy this new experiment in collective governance and economy. Let them come! The workers of Geonosis have stood up! Let the sound of our revolutionary songs fill them with terror. Soon we will bring the fight to them and we will liberate the oppressed who have for so long called for assistance. We are the right arm of the citizens of the galaxy, the defenders of the People's Revolution against all enemies. So long as we stick to our ideals and serve the joint Selectivist-Collectivist Geonosian Revolution, none can stand in our way!"

[member="Khloe Sparrow"]