Having Rey’s parents be cultists that grew a heart just seems the most “Star Wars” to me.

I 100% think that is the angle that should be taken with this plot thread.

The whole “filthy junk traders who sold you for drinking money” in TLJ was what Kylo saw in a vision of Rey’s parents. And if his vision was just what he saw from her parents with Unkar on Jakku, anyone would make that same assumption.

Why would the Sith trust junkers to raise an Emperor clone? That just makes zero sense.

The ONLY way for this to work is:

Rey is created from Palps’ DNA, maybe not refer to her as a clone but a creation. Leave it more vague.
Rey’s “parents” were cultists who grew to love Rey and wanted her safe from Palps.
They stole Ochi’s ship and escaped. If the cultists got to Exegol they should know how to get out, an easy assumption for general audiences. It also makes them more heroic and essential to the story even though they are “nobodies”.
Rey’s “parents” seek Luke and Lor San Tekka’s people for protection.
Palpatine sent his assassins to Jakku and Rey’s parents are killed.
Ochi at some point travels to Pasanna while Luke is hunting him down after he is follwing the lead from Lor San Tekka.