Hypothetical scenario: ROTJ never happened

[Galvatron]

But we don't have the prequels do we? We're just basing this on ANH and ESB.

Indeed. That's a key point that people seem to keep missing.

There is no ROTJ. No prequels. No EU. Nothing but ANH and TESB.

Try thinking outside the box, guys.

[Gandalf]

One of the scripts for RotJ had Lando and The Falcon blow up in the escape fra the DSII - Lando finishing words was " i promissed to bring her back without a scrach" - i think it was a rather nice endning for both Lando and the Falcon.

I'm pretty sure that was an urban legend.

SW.com link.

[Aquatain]

Oh well that will teach me to listen to rumor, though if memory serves i fist read about the Lando death in a old copy of Sci-fi universe.

[Gandalf]

Personally, I wouldn't bring Han back. He was a scoundrel who had made good, and had little left to do.

Just have him in the clutches of Jabba the Hutt forever? That's just ... nope, intolerable.

I'm cool with it.

Though after some thought, this is how I reintegrate Han:

The movie opens with a planning scene like that in RoTJ. Except they're planning an all or nothing attempt to assassinate the Emperor as opposed to a DS2 thing, they have the planetary shield override code too. It's soon realised that the best ship to get a strike team to the Palace is the Falcon, and the best pilot is Han Motherfuckin' Solo.

Han is in Jabba's Palace on Tatooine. The Rebels send in Lando and Luke to bargain for Han. They offer to trade a shitload of Imperial credits (Worthless if the attack succeeds) for Solo. Jabba says he like Solo where he is, and will not accept. Luke mentions the fleet overhead, and after a warning shot, Jabba accepts. Han rejoin the Rebels and everything looks up.

Luke goes to Yoda, who confirms that Vader is Luke's father. Yoda mentions that before the war is won, Luke will have to fight him.

We see Leia and Threepio flying about and contacting various rebel and underground groups in an effort to get them to join the upcoming attack. Some accept, some do not.

As the Rebel fleet arrives over Coruscant, they jam communications, the planetary shield pops up, and the local Imperial Navy fires up to fight the fleet. The Rebels of course are ready, they use R2 to transmit the shield override to the control centre, allowing a few seconds for the Falcon to go in.

The Falcon goes in, dodging various TIEs, with Luke and Chewie manning the guns. The hold is full of commandos ready to try to take the Emperor down.

After taking a few hits, the Falcon crash lands in front of the palace. People pour out and run into the Palace. They fight their way to the main chamber, which holds the Emperor and Vader. A few rebels fire shots, to no avail. Luke walks out to them, and the scene plays out as it did in the original RoTJ. Except the Emperor gets thrown out of a window or something. And the Rebels there hold off incoming Stormtroopers.

As the Emperor dies, there's a notable shift in the quality of the Starfleet's fighting ability. Some run, some stay and get wiped out.

After the Emperor dies, Luke contacts Leia to let her know that "it's happened". Across the Empire, uprisings occur.

The Rebels win, big day for all.

Anakin Skywalker is given a grand funeral on Coruscant.