Retconning Star Wars Propulsion Tech

So today I was listening to the Star Wars Minute podcast, and they were arguing about Star Wars Propulsion or Repulsion tech. It was as if a million nerdy voices cried out answers, and yet were completely silent. So I had to try to write out my theory.

Here's the gist of the problem: 

This works, even in park:


But these need fire to lift-off (whoever put the R2-D2 image online gave it the wonderful title "sky rockets in flight"):

I think there can be a good reason for this, if Disney/Lucasfilm ever decide they're bored enough to fix it. Here's my guess: space magnets. 

There have got to be space magnets that don't repel from the earth, but from each other. Then, when they're placed correctly, they create a constant, non-powered and non-emitting hover. Like this: 

Eh, I admit I'm not really that artistic or scientific. But it feels right. So why don't they work for R2-D2, you ask? Because, if you put them too close together, these magnets are unstable. Here's an in-universe example from when R5-D4 tried to self-install magnets he found on the Jawa's Sandcrawler. 

 

So maybe a "motivator" is what this magnet system is called. I don't know...reaching?

Anyway. That pretty much ends my idea... OH! but I want to explain why fire is still needed.

For the magnet-lifted (motivated) objects to move, they need another source of power. 

In this picture, it's the dudes pushing Han Solo around like a baby's stroller while Luke wonders when the right time to shoot is...and totally missing his shot at heroism...like...there's only four guys, two armed, guarding Han Solo. He's an almost-Jedi with a blaster and lightsaber...he could just run away with carbonite Han in this city of doors and hallways and hide and keep his Han(d). 

But once objects want to move, like Slave I or the Falcon or an X-Wing or a Star Destroyer, they need fire to exist in space. 

So have a good night, I guess.

-Luke