http://cards.boardwars.eu/zp-core/full-image.php?a=Ally-and-Villain-Packs/Wave-1/Rebel Saboteurs/Command Cards&i=Change of Plans.jpg&q=75&wmk=ffflogog_whatermark_cc&dsp=Protected view&check=9861dbdfede412a3c6899578200ade56856bec5d

Change of Plans allows you to exhaust a deployment card to ready another card. My question is, if there is not another valid exhausted group (shares a trait/equal or smaller cost) are you still able to use the card to exhaust?

The obvious application to this is Maul. There are relatively few viable groups that are worth bringing that you could use this card to reactivate. Is the reactivation part mandatory or would we be able to use Change of Plans simply to exhaust Maul?

The format of the ability in Change of Plans is "<pay cost> to perform <X>."

By RAW, if you pay the cost, you must perform as much of <X> as you can. So, technically you do not need to have another card that shares a trait and is the same or lower cost, or if you have such a card, it does not need to be exhausted. If it is not exhausted, readying a card that is ready just does nothing.

I.e. nothing in the perform <X> part is a prerequisite to activate the ability unless explicitly specified.

If it turns out to be an issue, FFG could make a ruling to change the plans of Change of Plans...

I mean it makes sense that I can change my plans to not activate this figure this one time...even if I "don't get" the card's face value benefit.