Why do they specifically need captured Star Destroyers to build the Starhawk?
A snippet of dialogue reveals that the Starhawk is protected by the same resilient Durasteel that is used in Star Destroyers, so perhaps the New Republic is running low on Durasteel and thinks hijacking Star Destroyers is a good way to get it. But said durasteel shortage seems questionable considering the size of the New Republic and their ability to produce tractor beams 10x as strong as the ones on Star Destroyers.
- Because it's very likely there's a lot more weapons and technology in Star Destroyers than what the New Republic has during the events of the game. The New Republic itself is large but it's also new and is still fighting a fractured yet powerful Empire so resources might still be scarce for something as ambitious as the Starhawk. Sure, they could create Starhawks with their own resources given time or they could break apart various powerful ships of their once superior opposition to build them faster so they can just end the war.
Why would only one shuttle full of stormtroopers overrun the crew that hijacked the Star Destroyer? You're telling me they have the weapons and skill to take over a Star Destroyer, but not defend it from 20 stormtroopers?
- As a team sent to recapture it or keep it from the New Republic, it's likely they either had the codes to shut down, self-destruct, or intruder control recapture it, or the means to deliver them from an officer remotely.
Why do they consider the refugees of Alderaan to be criminals?
- As is usual for Star Wars. The planet of Alderaan is treated as a settlement of maybe 100, because there's no way any sort of government, no matter how evil, would consider refugees of a planet of billions of people to be criminals, especially with women and children present. No one would be that brainwashed to think that thousands of people escaping a destroyed planet would be a bunch of criminals. There's Willing Suspension of Disbelief, then there's Stupid Evil to the point of insanity.
- Genocide happens in real life on refugees on all the time for far fewer justifications than, "They're from the planet that rebelled against us."
- They are criminals. The Emperor said so.
- Well at least one Imperial from Alderaan was allowed to continue to serve in the Empire following his homeworld's destruction. Perhaps the Refugees were considered 'Criminals' because they were victims of an Imperial atrocity who were not happy about said atrocity, them being allowed to spread the news of their story and plight would possibly counteract the narrative of Alderaan being a world which deserved to be destroyed.
- We are talking about the same Empire that's just vaporized two billion Alderaanian civilians for the crime of sharing a homeworld with a handful of prominent Rebels.
