Smaller ships sacrifice themselves in front of the component beams to save higher value targets? Maybe the diversion the large ships create could be an attack upon a component beam emmiter. They know it's too heavily armored, but it might draw some TIE fighters to them. I've wanted the fleet to play a more certain and important role. If Ackbar's flagship is too heavily damaged, he might sacrifice it to deflect the beam from others. Might go down with his ship.
The effort to destroy the Falcon? Made a hulk left as memorial in orbit around Endor? I forget who was working on destroying the bachalor pad. The key, in a remake, might be to give the rebel flight suits life support from the start in ANH. Hoods that fall over their heads in an emrgency or thin material that pops out of collars or a ring around neck that snaps up onto the helmet while visor bubble slides down onto the ring might do it ;/ That's if LC lives.
The STs and Vader and the reb pilots could all have costumes that look like they truly can survive in case of depressurization. Maybe the Impoff and Imptech costumes could look like they sustain life in emergency while still seeming retro. ;/
Edit: This leads to the slight continuity problem at the conclusion. If the memorial hulk is it, we could see Han Chewie LC and Leia in the shuttle waiting for the report from damage crews on the Falcon. they report that it is beyond repair and we glimpse Leia with a slight smile behind the others- Han's pad is the true reason she disikes the Falcon. She quickly recovers and tries to console the others. Together with some shots of damage crews repairing ships, rebels on surrendered Imp ships and processing prisoners on Endor, these shots might create the impression of a couple of weeks passing with the rebels having reasons to stay.
Edit: The knighting is a reason, as well as the '04 SEs, to show the rebs remaining.
The ships sacrificing are only barely deflecting the beams. Could show very near misses and grazes for dramatic effect.
Edit: The pressurized flight suits are for the flames to engulf the Falcon.