What if Obi-Wan didn't follow Fett to Geonosis?

What if after they battle on Kamino that the Fetts get away without being tracked and Obi-Wan cannot find them? Would the Jedi have discovered what was going on at Geonosis? Think about it, if Obi-Wan doesn't follow them there, he along with Anakin and Padme don't get captured and the Jedi followed by the clone army do not attack. Palpatine may not have been given emergency powers if Geonosis wasn't discovered when it was. At the very least the Clone Wars would have been delayed, but do you think they wouldn't have happened without this? It's possible (though unlikely) that negotiations could have thwarted the wars.

Dooku and Palpatine likely would have gotten the war started eventually but if they started later and under different circumstances do you think things may have panned out differently?

 

Well, the Republic would still have known there was this army kicking around. So according to the situation you'd set up, half the job would still already be done.

Dooku and Palpatine would have simply made some other sort of ruckus... perhaps on Geonosis itself?

They might've sent out some kind of phony distress signal to attract Republic attention, and theoretically have accomplished the same thing, what, three days later.

Remember, Palpatine always thinks two moves ahead!



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

I think if Obi-Wan hadn't found Geonosis, the CIS would have made the first strike to start the Clone Wars and generate the fear necessary for the Senate to concede to a Clone Army. But the fact that Obi-Wan found Geonosis gives Palpatine an extra bit of propaganda to kick around. Not only did a Jedi command the CIS, not only did a Jedi order the Clone Army (without the knowledge of the Senate), not only did a Jedi find the Clone Army 10 years later, but a Jedi also "convinently" found the armies massing on Geonosis to kick off the Wars. The Clone Wars could just as easily be called The Jedi Wars, and these Jedi Wars are spilling over and wrecking the lives of "ordinary people." Not good PR for the Noble Knighthood.

 

Palpatine probably would have done something else to get them to Geonosis.