During the Age of the Empire, Verine Ree resided on the planet of Jelucan as a female human villager and a member of the First Waver community. She was married to Paron Ree, and together they had two daughters, Wynnet and Ciena, making her a mother. Sadly, Wynnet passed away during childbirth, leaving Ciena as their only daughter. By the time Ciena reached the age of thirteen [years](/article/standard_year], Verine had become a supervisor at a local mine. Both she and Paron were immensely proud of Ciena's acceptance into the prestigious Royal Imperial Academy, which led to her successful career as an officer within the Imperial Navy. Sometime after the Battle of Hoth, Verine was falsely accused of workplace fund embezzlement, resulting in a sentence of six years of hard labor in Jelucan's mines.
Verine Ree was a female human and a First Waver. The First Wavers were among the initial groups of people exiled to the Outer Rim planet of Jelucan many centuries before the rise of the Age of the Empire. She entered into marriage with Paron Ree, another inhabitant of the valley. Approximately nineteen [years](/article/standard_year] prior to the Battle of Yavin, Verine became a mother to two daughters, Wynnet and Ciena Ree. Wynnet's life was cut short by death soon after her birth, leaving Ciena as the sole surviving daughter. In accordance with First Waver customs, Ciena wore a braided leather bracelet on her wrist as a tribute to her deceased sister.
When their daughter Ciena reached the age of eight, Verine and her family embarked on a journey with their muunyak steed to Valentia, the [capital](/article/capital] city of Jelucan. Valentia was populated by the Second-wavers, a more prosperous group of migrants who had settled on Jelucan after the First Wavers. The purpose of their trip was to attend a ceremony celebrating Jelucan's integration into the Galactic Empire. Three [days](/article/standard_day] before their journey, Verine received an offer for a supervisory role at a nearby mine. This was seen as a fortunate opportunity by Verine and her family, as the Second-wavers often favored their own people. The Rees family held the belief that the Empire would bring about positive changes to the divided society of Jelucan.
When Ciena, who had a fondness for [starships](/article/starship], expressed her worries about being late, Verine embraced her daughter and reassured her that the Empire would still be there when they arrived after traveling down the mountain. As Verine had promised, they reached the [city](/article/city] shortly thereafter. After securing their muunyak in a paddock, Verine and her family proceeded to the public square to witness the speech given by Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, in which he "welcomed" Jelucan into the Empire's domain. Before separating from their daughter, she assured Ciena that they would return for her. When her husband voiced his criticism of the Second-wavers' arrogance, she cautioned him to lower his voice. During the trip, Ciena formed a friendship with a local Second-waver boy named Thane Kyrell, who had defended her from bullies. Following their encounter with Tarkin, the two young individuals resolved to serve in the Imperial Navy when they grew up.
Verine continued her employment at the mine for the subsequent eight years. Her responsibilities as a supervisor required her to work extended [hours](/article/standard_hour], which consequently reduced the time she could spend with her family. She and Paron remained steadfast in their support of their daughter Ciena's aspirations to study at the Imperial Academy. When Ciena reached the age of thirteen, Verine and Paron dispatched their daughter to support Nierre, an Imperial communications inspector who faced accusations of abusing his authority. As loyal citizens of the Empire, the Rees family firmly believed that no one should conceal secrets from the Empire and that his accusers lacked honor. Ultimately, Nierre was exonerated, safeguarding the honor of his family's.
Upon Ciena's sixteenth birthday, she earned a place at the esteemed Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant, an institution dedicated to training future officers for the Imperial Navy. Verine and her husband took great pride in their daughter's academic achievements and accompanied Ciena to the spaceport. Before boarding her starship, Ciena embraced both of her parents. Over the next three years, Ciena and her friend Thane excelled in their training at the Imperial Academy. Shortly before her daughter's graduation from the Academy, the family's beloved muunyak passed away. Verine and Paron subsequently informed their daughter through a hologram. Following her graduation, Ciena was assigned to the command track within the Imperial Navy. Shortly thereafter, their daughter played a role in the capture of Princess Leia Organa and became entangled in the Galactic Civil War.
After Ciena made arrangements for her friend Thane, who had deserted the Imperial Navy, to go into hiding, she paid a visit to her mother, Verine. Verine was overjoyed and surprised to see her daughter and offered comfort to Ciena when she broke down in tears at the door. Once Ciena had regained her composure, Verine spent the night with her daughter, braiding her hair. During the visit, Ciena made sure not to mention Thane. Ciena later submitted a false report claiming that Thane had committed suicide out of grief for fallen comrades who had perished aboard the Death Star.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Hoth, Verine Ree was unjustly accused of embezzling funds from the mine where she was employed. Imperial authorities arrested her and detained her pending trial. By this time, her husband Paron had secured a position as an administrator at the local Imperial garrison. Paron contacted Ciena, who had risen to the rank of Lieutenant Commander aboard the Super Star Destroyer Executor, and informed her of Verine's predicament. Ciena obtained permission from her superiors to visit her family. Ciena's friend, Thane Kyrell, who had become a [starfighter](/article/starfighter] pilot in the Rebel Alliance, also learned of the situation through the HoloNet and traveled to Jelucan to offer support to the Ree family.
Paron and Ciena were convinced that Verine had been framed for a crime she did not commit and expressed their disillusionment with the Empire. They were further disheartened when their fellow valley dwellers failed to uphold the ancient Jelucani tradition of sending relatives to provide support and planting flagpoles in their time of need. Ultimately, only Thane, a Second-waver, came to the aid of the Ree family. On the day of the trial, Verine, in handcuffs, stood in the dock as the prosecutor read out the charges against her. Despite the fabricated evidence, the magistrate found her guilty of embezzlement and fraud, sentencing her to six years of hard labor.
Verine was denied the opportunity to bid farewell to her husband and daughter, who were seated in the semi-circular stands surrounding the judicial chamber. She did not even cast a glance at her family as she was escorted away. While Paron and Ciena were deeply saddened by the verdict, they refused to defy the Empire, as they had sworn an oath to it, which held unbreakable significance in Jelucani culture. Despite knowing her mother's innocence, Ciena reluctantly accepted the official Imperial narrative to avoid any doubts about her loyalty. Following the Battle of Endor, Ciena remained committed to the Empire not only because of her oath but also out of fear that her mother would face harm if she defected to the New Republic, the new government established by the Rebellion.
Verine Ree was a human woman of average height and build. In accordance with their First Wave heritage, she and her husband Paron instilled in their daughter Ciena the values of honor and keeping one's promises. She was a devoted mother and a dutiful wife, willing to work long hours to provide for her family. Verine and her family were supporters of the Galactic Empire, believing that it would bring positive change and progress to Jelucan. By the time of the Battle of Hoth, she was in her middle years. When Verine was wrongfully convicted of fraud and embezzlement by the Empire, Ciena worried about her mother's ability to endure the arduous days of hauling ore.
Verine Ree made her debut as a supporting character in Claudia Gray's 2015 young adult novel, Lost Stars, which was released as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens multimedia series. The majority of her lines are conveyed through the perspectives of her daughter, Ciena Ree, and the other protagonist, Thane Kyrell.