I’ve been re-reading Anna Karenina and my brain is screaming at me 19th century Russian Star Wars AU
If you’ve never read Anna Karenina, I highly highly suggest you do. It’s a beautiful story (and the movie is pretty but really doesn’t do it justice. I mostly watch it to stare at Domhnall Gleeson. No shame).
• The setting would provide a perfect backdrop. Russia was basically a powder keg waiting to explode in 1870s as much of Europe began to democratize and westernize, which left the country with a few families with a lot of wealth and most of the population with very little. Those in power did not wish to give up their power, holding fast to the idea that the old ways were fine. Unsure about the turn of the events in galaxy and despite many around her thinking the ways of the tsar (aka the Empire) are best, Bail secretly begins a rebellion. Leia, fed up with the state of things soon joins the rebels, aiding her father.
• Han Solo/Konstantin Levin. He’s a country boy at heart but when he visits the cities, he often turns to gambling and drinking. He’s a realist, doesn’t believe in all that force mumbo jumbo. Deep down, he’s a big softie. Joins the rebellion after his way of life is threatened. In a way, kind of gets roped into the whole thing because at first his livelihood is threatened and then it becomes something more (*cough* Leia)
•Nicholas as Obi-Wan. Hermit with ideas (communism) that no one really takes seriously until (spoiler alert) his death. Makes Levin realize there is more to things than just material goods and wealth
•Stiva as Vader. A corrupted man, blinded by the temptation of the dark side that pretty much destroys his wife. Basically is walking destruction.
•Count Vronsky screams Director Krennic to me. Total rich boy asshole who is the very definition of the Empire. Thinks things are fine as they are and will do whatever it takes to keep them that way.
•Obviously, all of the marriages and the themes of adultery and all that wouldn’t work. But episode 4 would. So just replace those with like 90% of the plot of the book and bam…story.
I’m way too lazy to write all this as an actual story so someone take this idea and run with it