3. What's The Deal With The Resistance And First Order?
Another area which has confused a lot of fans is how the Resistance and First Order factor into the larger Galaxy and specifically in relation to the New Republic. Well, the novelisation explains that the Senate secretly supports Leia's Resistance, but doesn't acknowledge them publicly, while The First Order were largely believed to be a myth thought up by the paranoid Princess before they returned with a vengeance years later. She believed there was a faction of Imperials who didn't sign that peace treaty, who were rebuilding their forces in the far reaches of space. And they did a good job of that - if you think the destruction of the Starkiller Base will set them back, think again; as it turns out that The Finalizer (Kylo Ren's Star Destroyer which is twice as big as the Empire's old vessels) is just one of an entire fleet. The Resistance, on the other hand, are really going to feel the loss of all those X-Wings during that final battle. Because the New Republic wouldn't acknowledge them in fear of conflict with The First Order, they have no large ships and only two squadrons of fighters. It's a private force which is nowhere near as big as the Rebellion. No wonder they've been seeking out Luke for his help!