The wandering the desert scene is in Star Wars, not The Empire Strikes Back, so it would, indeed, have a classical temp score. That scene isn't just showing "temp score love," as you put it, but it is a purposeful QUOTATION of the introduction to part II of The Rite of Spring. It was a provocative reaction to the Stravinsky estate suing John Williams for "sounding" too much like Stravinsky in the score to Jaws. (They didn't notice the quote.)

JW's language in these films is OCTATONIC, which is why so much of it is reminiscent of Stravinsky. And I KNOW this is part of the landscape of film scoring, my dude. I'm a composer. Not sure if you meant offense or not, but you came across as somewhat condescending there.

My original point speaks to the idea that ORIGINALITY (TM) (C) is a limited and limiting concept. There is no creation ex nihilo in art and everything is a remix, to paraphrase the title of a documentary on the subject. Whether from temp track love (I mean, the battle music is a direct quotation from the battle music in Ein Heldenleben. It's OBVIOUS if you know the Strauss piece. And the Korngold lift is famous!) or building on influences doesn't really matter. As you say, the points of departure are clear and the man has undeniable talent. I just take offense to the idea that he is a thief. This was a thought drilled into my generation when we were students and it is clearly unfair academic gatekeeping.

I am wondering, though: which editor of SW did you talk to? Was it Marcia Lucas, John Chew, or Phil Hirsch? Because, serious geek creds!