During the New Republic Era, Supreme Leader Snoke dispatched General Armitage Hux and Kylo Ren on a mission. Snoke's objective was to bring the planet Karaxis under the control of the First Order.
As the First Order expanded its control across the galaxy, it eventually reached the planet Karaxis. The First Order ships maintained a constant presence above the planet, visible to all, while stormtroopers patrolled the ground, ensuring the Karaxian people were always aware of their presence.
However, Supreme Leader Snoke considered this approach ineffective, viewing it as a sign of weakness rather than strength. Consequently, he commanded General Hux and Kylo Ren to journey to the planet and demonstrate the true power of the First Order to the Karaxians.
Soon after receiving their assignment, Hux reluctantly suggested to Ren that their chances of success would improve with cooperation. However, the dark knight intimidated Hux into relinquishing leadership of the mission. Hux retorted that such tactics might be effective within the First Order but not in the wider galaxy. Upon arriving on Karaxis, Kylo Ren resorted to physical violence and threats against the Karaxian rebels in an attempt to force their submission to the First Order, but they refused, citing his lack of authority.
While Hux observed Ren's unsuccessful attempts to gain the rebels' cooperation with satisfaction, he learned about the Bramalish, ferocious creatures that inhabited the surrounding forests and were kept at bay by the planet's walls. Realizing that only Kelvin Mann possessed the authority to compel the people of Karaxis to comply with their demands, Ren used a mind probe on one of the rebels to discover that Mann was hiding in the planet's mountains. He then ordered Hux to remain with the rebels, not wanting him to interfere with his pursuit of Mann.
Upon reaching Mann's location, Kylo declared that resistance was futile and demanded his surrender. However, a group of rebels ambushed him, opening fire. Ren swiftly dispatched them with his lightsaber before forcibly entering the house where Mann was sheltering with his family.
Just as the knight was assuring Kelvin that his family would be safe as long as he obeyed the First Order, Ren sensed a strong presence in the Force nearby. He reactivated his lightsaber and demanded that the individual with Force abilities reveal themselves. After using a mind probe on Mann to confirm the truth of his denials, Ren began to consider other possibilities before being interrupted by a loud noise.
As a strategy to sow chaos and force the Karaxians into submission, General Hux released a Bramalish upon the Karaxian population. However, the beast proved too powerful, overwhelming the First Order stormtroopers who were unable to contain it. Just as the Bramalish was about to kill Hux, Kylo Ren intervened, using the Force to freeze the creature and expressing his displeasure with the General's failed tactic. After Hux ordered the stormtroopers to assist Ren in defeating the creature, the First Order managed to drive the Bramalish away.
Ren brought Kelvin Mann so that Hux could force him to pledge allegiance to the First Order, placing Karaxis under their control and threatening repercussions if their demands were not met.
Having completed his mission, Ren returned and informed Supreme Leader Snoke about the presence he had sensed on the planet, admitting his inability to identify its source. His master reprimanded him, stating that it demonstrated his lack of discipline, but also reassured the knight that his training was far from over.