Varför flydde Naboo inte med några fighters?

De räddade piloterna och markpersonalen (ledd av Sio Bibble) gick för att säkra hangar mot droidförstärkningar som kan hindra drottningens skepp från att fly. Vi kan anta att åtminstone några fångades levande sedan vi ser Bibble i en senare scen.

Per officiell novellering

On the far side of the hangar, Obi-Wan Kenobi launched himself at the battle droids holding the Naboo pilots hostage, cutting into them with ferocious determination. Qui-Gon watched his progress, long hair flying out as he withstood yet another rush from the battle droids attempting to reclaim the Queen’s transport, blocking their laser bolts as he fought to hold the boarding ramp. Obi-Wan was running toward him now, a handful of the Naboo in tow. Explosions rose all around them, deadly laser fire burning into metal and flesh. Several of the Naboo went down, but the battle droids were unable to slow the Jedi.

Qui-Gon called sharply to Obi-Wan as he went past, telling him to get the ship in the air. More battle droids were appearing at the hangar doors, weapons firing. Qui-Gon backed quickly up the loading ramp and into the transport’s dimly lit interior. The ramp rose behind him and closed with a soft whoosh.

Per filmskript .

The DROID GUARD draws his weapon, but before any of the DROIDS can fire, they are cut down. OTHER GUARDS run to their aid. OBI-WAN attacks the GUARDS around the PILOTS. QUI-GON stands, fighting off DROIDS as the OTHERS rush on board the spacecraft. OBI-WAN, the FREED PILOTS (including RIC OLIE), GUARDS and GROUND CREW MEMBERS rush on board the ship. The OTHER PILOTS and GUARDS race to SIO BIBBL[E]. After everyone has made it onto the ship, QUI-GON jumps on board. ALARMS sound. MORE DROIDS rush into the hanger and fire as the ship takes off.

Junior Novelisation (alltid en positiv version av händelserna) indikerar att vissa helt enkelt flydde via utgångarna.

“You’re under arrest,” the droid said. As it raised its blaster, Qui-Gon cut it down. The Queen and her handmaidens ran past him and up the boarding ramp. More battle droids converged on the ramp. Some of them fired as they came, so that Qui-Gon had to parry the shots in between chopping battle droids in half. More shots sounded from the corner. Most of the pilots and ground crew ran for the exits; Obi-Wan and one of the pilots made for the royal spaceship. Belatedly, alarms rang through the hangar. As soon as he was certain that everyone was safe, Qui-Gon disposed of his last few opponents and leaped up the ramp.

Även om det är osäkert om detta hänger samman med nuvarande kanonmaterial verkar det vara meningen att de antingen inte var utrustade med hyperdrives, eller om de var, de var korta sträckor och inte kapabla av den långa resan till kärnvärlden utan tankning.

Från " Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Incredible Cross-Section : -

Hyperdrive-capable starfighters are naturally limited by fuel capacity to jumps of less than 1,000 light-years. Previously, Naboo N-1 fighters operating far from home could only travel in small steps, accompanied by a tanker. After the invasion of Naboo, designers added innovative recharge sockets to the wings of the new diplomatic barge, thereby enabling the ship to carry it's own security escort through hyperspace.

Så den klara betydelsen är att Naboo Royal Starship som presenterades i TPM inte hade denna funktion och att alla fighters som försökte springa blockaden med dem (förutsatt att de överlevde) skulle ha gått mycket snabbt bakom och bli strandsatta.

Från en mer taktisk synvinkel: det är inte så mycket som några få kämpar kunde ha gjort dem ändå. Målet var att rensa blockaden, och en gång i hyperspace skulle de (i teorin) utesluta omedelbar fara i Coruscant.