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Slavery
Slavery is a horrible, vile thing that sadly still afflicts a large part of the Outer Rim. Unsurprisingly, Admiral Piett and Head Engineer Lars strongly oppose slavery on a much more personal level than most. A sentiment that is shared by Lord Vader and Veers Jr. Lord Vader and Admiral Piett are somewhat more subtle about their distaste. They only really make it known in depth when others broach the topic. Luke and Veers Jr. do not have any qualms about voicing their opinion. Veers Jr. is somewhat more likely to go off on the topic, but Lars is no less passionate about it.
Lars does not shy away from how bad slavery is, having witnessed it firsthand. He will often say things that boil down to ‘I don’t support most of what the empire does, but the credits I send home help fight the Hutts’, ‘The republic, the empire, the rebellion, it doesn’t matter what is in charge to Tatooine. They’re all utterly useless when it comes to helping us, or ‘The rebellion is not enough of a problem to put off trying to eliminate slavery. There have been dozens, if not hundreds, of cultural practices that the Empire has managed to erase or minimize from other cultures. It’s just that people have decided ending slavery isn’t worth trying to end because it could get messy. The rebellion is just an excuse.’
All four men are in agreement that the galaxy would be a much better place if slavery did not exist and that the fact that it is still around is proof that the empire isn’t perfect.
This may set off alarm bells in your head as treason, but it's not. The galaxy would be better if slavery weren’t a thing, if it were fair and safe for everyone. It is just unusual to hear people talk about it because it makes them feel bad about the fact that they can’t or won’t do more. Lord Vader, while not politically inclined, is in a position to change that. Lars is slowly rising to a similar place. Admiral Piett and Veers Jr. are their more politically aware partners in this endeavor.
Extreme Force
Veers Jr. sometimes gets triggered by the force that the Empire’s armed forces use. This can result in him going off on lectures or rants about how cruel and unnecessary it is. He will often point out that feeling trapped between compliance and brutalization is what leads people to join the rebellion, as they think it’s the only way to make a difference.
Lars holds a similar position, with the exception that extreme force is needed, but only in certain situations. He holds that most of the time, the Empire does not need the level of force used. This is referenced in Lord Vader’s recent change from killing officers who fail him to demoting them, which aligns with Lars’ arrival.
While we don’t know the details of why the extreme force used is such a sensitive topic for Veers Jr. it is assumed that he has lost friends to the rebellion, which was caused by them being frightened by the force. This would explain why he is so passionate about lowering the level of force used both in preventing rebellions and in dealing with them.
Lack of Action
Both Head Engineer Lars and Veers Jr. will critique how the Empire deals with the Outer Rim, or rather, how it doesn’t. This is not an attack on individuals in the Empire. It is merely them observing the difference between the treatment the Core and Middle Rim get versus the Outer Rim. It is simply true that the Empire is less involved in the Outer Rim than other places. Lars, as well as Admiral Piett, have many stories to tell about how the lack of the Empire’s presence has allowed slavers, pirates, and other lowlifes to run amok. It is an issue that the Empire means to address, and there is nothing wrong with them wishing it would be addressed sooner than than later.