Do you think Anakin’s starfighter in TPM was actually on autopilot or was R2-FIGHT ME-D2 just like “fuck this, I’m not missing the only battle I might ever be in LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO the kid won’t know the difference.”
I mean, really now, what’s more likely? This random starfighter in the Naboo Palace hangar just happens to be on autopilot headed straight for a space battle that it couldn’t know was going to happen or R2-D2, whose primary hobby is getting in fights with beings and droids bigger than him, decided to join the fight when it looked like he was going to get left behind? Oh, what’s that, there’s a kid in this starfighter too? That’s fine, it builds character, it’ll be good for him. TIME TO BLOW SHIT UP.