I can offer one bit of clarity on the TIE fighter issue. As I recall from the technical journal on the armaments of the Imperial forces, Vader's TIE is different from the other TIE fighters. Its look is the first indication to this fact. A prototype for what became the TIE interceptor (seen in ESB and ROTJ), Vader's TIE was the first TIE fighter equipped with light speed engines. This is how he was able to get back to "civilization."

Then again, there was a friggin' planet right there called Yavin. Who's to say he couldn't have landed there and called in a pick-up? The rebel base was one building on the 4th moon of this planet. I think he had plenty of options to get un-stranded.

Point is, Lucas didn't go all Star Trek on us by explaining this stuff in the movie, wasting precious screen time. Supplemental writings were licensed and approved by Lucasfilm to expand on the universe beyond what we're given in the (now six) movies. But, Lucas DID go all Star Trek on us with the Prequels as the originator of this thread laments.

Lucas made Star Wars as a young, hungry artist with something to prove. Lucas made Empire from behind the scenes, trying to build an Empire of his own behind the scenes. He had to prove he wasn't a one-hit wonder still. He made ROTJ more hands-on than the credits suggest, and he had become quite comfortable with himself. He was already getting lazy and it showed. Then he made Temple of Doom, and Howard the Duck. Then Spielberg and Ford made damn sure the next Indiana Jones outing wasn't going to tarnish their reputations. Then ten years passed and Lucas got richer and richer off his old works and ILM. Then he set out to make the prequels as an older, richer, demigod in Hollywood, all while pretending to be the anti-Hollywood.

What we were given, reflects the man he's become.

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In the words of Pink Floyd:
"He's just the same as all the rest / He's not the worst, and he's not the best."