DrDre said:
They cooked up this idea, that the New Republic didn’t want to directly confront the FO, which seems reasonable enough, but it wasn’t really in the film. There was no face for the cowardice, and arrogance of the NR, and so the seemingly ineffectual NR was wiped out of existence before having an identity of its own. I think rather than have this sort of weak side plot, that ended in the destruction of SKB, the focus should have been put more on the growing tensions between Leia, and her supporters, and the leadership of the NR, repositioning her as the true leader on the good side, after having been demonized as the daughter of Darth Vader, and then have the movie end with the shocking destruction of the central system, validating Leia’s point of view. It also would have fiven Leia more of an arc. The scenes on SKB could still play out in the same way with Han’s death, and the duel, but the moment of Han’s death would coincide with the death of the NR. I guess it would be a bleak ending, but it would have raised the stakes, while the movie still ends with Rey finding Luke, as a hint of hope for the future.

That’s a fair assessment. I would have also changed the form of the SKB. Maybe have it be a conduit for energy that travels through hyperspace after which the beam could then emerge some vast distance away from a specialized capital ship. Instead of just another evil globe with no obvious new threat beyond having more laser power.