a single cell of an unsupported faction that has no capital ships and a single wing of fighters and an army that the government doesn’t even believe exists and is designed to specifically evoke the Empire.
If I read this without knowing TFA and how bad it is, I would think it is impossible for someone come up with such stupid plot element within post-ROTJ universe. This is yet another example how they came up with something awful just so they could rehash something; in this case good guys weak vs bad guys strong.