To solo without being a ch, here are some options i can think of, but i'm sure there are others.
1. Get a non-ch pet to tank for you, continue as you used to.
2. Traps. There are a couple of good traps for soloing that slow mobs down and allow you to kite them without getting hit. Phec darts come to mind: these traps slow down a mob for about 10 seconds and allow you to shoot them a few times, then throw another trap.
3. Rifleman. I loved being a rifleman. If you want to pursue this route, you get incredibly powerful mind attacks, and Conceal shot, which allows you to attack any target without them agroing you, unless it fails (which only happens rarely).
4. Get your melee defense up. Get good armor. Buy BE clothes that give melee defense bonuses. Be your own tank.
5. Start any attack with a bleed. By attacking a target with only a bleed, then spamming the 'Peace' button and running away a bit, it is possible to draw a single mob away from a group without agroing other mobs in the group.
6. knockdowns. Learn a profession that can keep a mob on their butt so they can't hurt you.
7. Bleed a mob then hop on your speeder and drive around them in circles till they are near death.
Fighting without pets is harder because it takes more tactics, which means it takes more skill. But once you learn how to truly solo mobs you'll find that killing them is more rewarding, and you'll become a better fighter, too. Hope this all helps, and good luck.