Varden

Varden is an alien, and a former slave. He has no memory of his parents or his childhood, his earliest memories are when he was a slave. Physically, he appears to be part Rodian, part human. Very tall, with dusky-olive green skin, his features are very close to a human's, save his black eyes are larger and rounder than a human's. He is also bald, with Rodian-like spikes on top of his head.
Despite his fearsome appearance, he is warm-hearted and kind. However it is a fatal mistake to take his kindness for weakness or pacifism. If you threaten or harm an innocent in his presence, you are quite liable to be blown to bits of sparkly dust.
He and his former master had become close friends. When the underworld lord was killed, he left his entire empire to Varden, who promptly dismissed all the mercenaries and pirates and freed the slaves. He then proceeded to buy up, bit by bit, the rest of the planet, until he owned the whole planet. Once that goal was accomplished, he made it his life's mission to buy every slave in the galaxy and give them a good, safe home. Word of his planet soon spread, and when slavers had stock they couldn't sell, they'd take them to Varden. He would, of course, buy the unwanted slaves and immediately take care of them.
Newcomers to the planet were tenanted on Varden's land, they worked in his orchards, fields, and craftsmanships. In return, he paid them generously, helping them on their way to buying their own property. No slaver was ever allowed to see most the lush, beautiful planet where the former slaves lived. When they visited, they stayed in the port Varden set up for them. If they didn't, if they tried to force their way to where the freemen lived, they were never seen again. Despite this, and Varden's legendary hatred for slavers, Varden and most pirates usually remained on speaking terms. The arrangement worked, the slavers got their credits and the slaves were freed.
The port has all a spacer could desire - food, lodging, entertainment, a cantina, trading areas - with one exception. There are few women in the port, and sometimes none. Most the proprietors and employees who serve the spacers are large, burly men, with whom it would be ill-advised to tamper. Some of the pirates have been heard to grumble about the lack of female company, but if ever an outsider messed with a woman, he was instantly removed from the planet and forbidden from returning - if he had slaves to sell to Varden, business would be conducted in space.
There were rumours, of course. One that was whispered about was that one man violated Varden's rules, attacking a waitress at the restaurant, then trying to land elsewhere on the planet when he was kicked off. All that had ever been found of him or his ship was ionized bits of dust. Others said that Varden was developing secret, highly advanced weapons, though no one really seemed to know what they were.
The rumours were right, of course. When Varden noticed someone who was very intelligent and or technical minded, he offered them a job in his secret facilities. He has a secret weapon, a thought-discerning deathray. If you attack the planet, you will be ionized. But if you have living collateral aboard, or some of your crew sympathizes with the freedmen, they are spared.
Varden, unable to ever find another like himself, and very lonely, loves arranging picnics, parties, and outings for the families. He adores children and finds any excuse he can - even makes them up - to be around the little ones of the villages near his home.