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The power to call in an air strike is pretty awesome. Any player worth their salt would salivate over the chance to do that. So maybe try giving it to them.
Of course, it's never so simple as "find enemy, call in air strike". Make sure to pile on the complications!
Finding the enemy can be difficult. You might need to hit the ground and infiltrate in person to confirm the target - in which case you also need to get out before the air strike. And the target could be dangerous or undesirable to hit in some way - uncomfortably close to a nuclear fuel dump, or a school, for example. It may have defences against aerial attack. It may be in a location out of range of the air strike. These are all obstacles for the heroes to overcome in some way, thus providing adventure and excitement.
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
Oh dear. And here I thought I was being just monstrous enough in thinking that the First Order would be perfectly fine in burning down a tent, when they were perfectly fine with destroying a whole village. I'd even linked to the comic too! There's really nothing keeping this outpost from receiving the same fate of being wiped off of the planet. Especially if there's no reason to try and search the outpost for a data log or get information from one of the residents.
That explains why there's a squad of only two troopers; it's the remains of a squad. I should have remembered that the squad's considered expendable too. Though now I'm very curious about what could have General Hux, who is still presumably way up in space on a massive spaceship, worry enough to decide a ground investigation is too risky and it's better to remove the village to either stop the apparent desertion or provide further encouragement of survival.
Hm. I'm also wondering how this trooper is calling General Hux. Can't be radio after all; perhaps it's some sort of specialized device built to get around the blocking sands? Maybe that's what the backpack is for.
Commentary by Keybounce (who has not seen the movie)
"If you are not prepared to call in an airstrike on your location, you are not prepared to win" :-). Except this time, that seems to have actually happened.
Ok, there is something going on here. Phasma was saying "You have chosen death", and now we see that Hux is willing to wipe out these NPC troopers. Just for being near something special/hidden.
Did Hux get info about this secret from his background? From some off-screen meeting with the GM? Is he making it up out of nowhere, and letting the GM make up an adventure hook on the fly?
Actually, with this group, I think that last one is the truth.
Transcript
Trooper 1: Where did they go?
Trooper 2: Beats me.
Trooper 1: We need more troopers to search this place.
Trooper 2: If only we hadn’t lost most of the squad in that sinking sand.
Trooper 1: Squad Thesh-7 calling General Hux.
General Hux: Hux here. What news?
Trooper 1: We spotted Trooper Finn in Niima Outpost. No sign of—
General Hux: Niima? That’s near...
General Hux: {sotto voce} Oh no.
General Hux: I’m ordering an air strike.
Trooper 1: Oh! Thanks, that’s helpful!
General Hux: Your next of kin will be informed.
Trooper 1: ... Also helpful...