How could the existence of an Episode VII be justified?

Considering that Episodes 1-3 focus on the first Skywalker becoming the Emperor's apprentice, 4-6 on the second Skywalker bringing the Emperor down from power (although, it really was Anakin that did it), reason would seem to imply that the third trilogy would focus on the third generation Skywalker bringing balance to the Force or whatever.

Who is to say that the Emperor actually died at the end of Episode VI? And why would the Empire, with all of the massive ships and vast legions of troops, suddenly decide to call it quits? Out of the entire galactic population, were Vader and the Emperor really the only two on the dark side of the Force?)

I am not a Star Wars expert, so feel free to correct me on any errors.

even though lucas promised us a sequel trilogy, to me it sure feels right that it ended at no. 6.

kamalayka said:

Who is to say that the Emperor actually died at the end of Episode VI?

why would the Empire, with all of the massive ships and vast legions of troops, suddenly decide to call it quits?

Out of the entire galactic population, were Vader and the Emperor really the only two on the dark side of the Force?

I'm not up on the post-Jedi stuff, all those stormtroopers  and imperial guys, who pays their salary? 

No no no no no.  You see, it's a utopian society where everyone works in space for free because virtue is its own reward.  Except for the Ferengi dealing in gold-pressed latinum, money doesn't even exist in Star Wars.

Han Solo sez: I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Princess.  I expect to be well paid.  I'm in it for the money.

The first trilogy is about the construction of a war machine to bring down an already crumbling and corrupt regime.

The second trilogy is about the bringing down of the tyrannical new regime maintained by the war machine built to construct it.

A third trilogy could be about attempting to build a new regime that lives up to the expectations of the people who fought the Empire while aspects of the two previous conflicts are still around.

I'd concentrate on the slavery employed in both the Republic and The Empire as plot points.

How can you build a new democratic and fair Galaxy spanning society if brain washed cloned slaves face probable genocide for war crimes they were programmed to perform and where AI are regarded as utility items.

The Clone Wars were fought by mechanical robot slaves vs organic robot slaves led by a cult of mystics which indoctrinated children (also practically state slavery).

The war in the OT was a conventional war of liberation.

I'd make the ST a slave revolt story along the lines of Spartacus with the slaves on outer rim planets and former stormtroopers teaming up with advanced droids for self determination and freedom.

The New Republic couldn't truly be free while continuing to have a slave underclass, this might be reflected in how Luke rebuilds the Jedi order if indeed he does. 

The Thrawn Trilogy should be made into films. Timothy Zahn could write the screen adaptations with James Camron directing & George Lucas producing. It would be great!

Now I am with you there.

Naughty speculation on my part but 20th Century Fox's pursuit of Battlestar Galactica through the courts makes me wonder if the Cylons were coincidentally close to a battledroid storyline he may have mentioned to one of the shared staff.

Glen Larson was working on the idea long before Star Wars but Lucas may have come to the conclusion it was a rip off and mentioned it to Fox.

The PT and bits of ROTJ are a bit 'Galacticaish' so maybe he had something like that in his head and Larson through parallel evolution also had a rag tag fleet fleeing from killer robots.

As both projects had shared staff Paranoid FOX Was Paranoid (possibly).

Its not as if the show resembles the first Star Wars film any more than it resembles the earlier space operas they both share as inspiration.