Why crew a very large carrier when many smaller ships need far fewer people?
Short answerA large mobile base can justify thousands of crew when it combines aviation, troops, cargo, endurance, and regional presence, but it cannot replace the many cruisers needed for coverage.
NotesA Venator's quoted complement is 7,400, including officers, pilots, and enlisted aviation personnel. It can also carry 2,000 troops, 7,000 metric tons of cargo, and consumables for at least two standard years. Those capabilities make it a substantial mobile base for a rebellion operating across a galaxy. Planets with populations in the billions could plausibly supply fewer than ten thousand personnel, while the carrier could appear in many places without relying on a fixed base. The Empire has a separate coverage problem: it needs many smaller cruisers to maintain a presence across its territory.