4. He's Trying To Rid The Galaxy Of Weapons Of Planetary Destruction
The Force Awakens takes place in a post-Death Star universe. The cat is well and truly out of the bag when it comes to weapons that can vaporise planets. Given that everyone in the Star Wars galaxy knows that weapons of planetary destruction can be built, it is entirely possible that various characters will be concerned with preventing their proliferation and that the sequel will feature another, even more devastating, one. But the years since Death Star II fell have seen lots of fighting across the galaxy. Given the protracted and costly nature of the conflict, the First Order may not be in a position to fund another cool-looking Death Star by the time of The Force Awakens. With those factors in mind, the First Order and Snoke may be left with no alternative but to build a low-cost, down-and-dirty weapon of mass destruction. For this reason, rumours dwell on a system called, variously, the "catapult" or the "grid". They don't sound as awe-inspiring as a Death Star but they could easily do just as much damage. If such a weapon features in The Force Awakens, General Hux's secret mission may very well be to stop its deployment. Whether he can succeed in stopping the weapon is another matter entirely. Star Wars wouldn't be Star Wars without a peaceful planet getting blown away.