Yep, the idea of Starkiller as massive overkill for Luke is something I had thought of earlier in the thread 😃

To your point about the Republic not believing that the First Order is threatening them, here’s the paragraph which separates the New Republic from the First Order’s threat:

With his memory fading
into legend throughout
the New Republic, the
evil FIRST ORDER has
risen from a stronghold
of the fallen Empire to
proclaim that those still
loyal to the ancient Jedi
shall be destroyed.