Dust off your arguing cap, because “Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith,” the newest novel expanding on the universe, puts Rey’s parents front and center. We even know their names now: Dathan and Miramir. Father and mother to the by-genetics-only granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine. In the book, they’re on the run from Sith assassin Ochi of Bestoon, who wants to nab the little tyke in order to, somehow, bring Palpatine and The Empire back from the brink of total destruction.
To be fair, learning their names and the more action-packed parts of their lives as young parents doesn’t really add fuel to either side of any Rey debate, but be aware that this new (really, any news) might pry that old wound back open. The discourse launched by The Last Jedi and dumped in gasoline by The Rise of Skywalker is maddening enough to make you want to throw Baby Yoda.
What’s even more interesting than old arguments is that the main plot of the novel, written by Adam Christopher, focuses on Luke helping Lando after Calrissian’s daughter is stolen from him. That, combined with the backstory of why two junk traders/mini-Palpatines had to dump their child on a random planet, cements the Star Wars tradition of kidnapping and child abandonment for the sake of the greater good. You can read an excerpt of the novel over at USA Today.