during the Cold War, fought between the Galactic Republic and the reconstituted Sith Empire. Sometime before the year 3643 BBY, Forris attained the rank of lieutenant and was stationed on Ord Mantell
in an attempt to overthrow the planet's government. While on Ord Mantell, Lieutenant Forris was assigned to Fort Garnik, a Republic-controlled stronghold on the island of Avilatan. Forris served as one of the instructors at a combat instructor academy, which was located inside the fort. Forris and the other instructors provided combat training for the soldiers stationed at the fort, including a sergeant named Jaynes
. Believing that even a soldier from one of the elite squads of the Republic could learn from an experienced veteran, Forris provided the sergeant with training during the time the soldier spent at the fort.Forris had fair skin, brown eyes, and brown hair he wore in a buzzsaw haircut. By the time he was serving at Fort Garnik, Forris had obtained a great deal of experience and knew enough about combat tactics, training, and technology to instruct others in their use. He attempted to pass his knowledge on to other soldiers and thought that even members of elite units could gain from what a veteran soldier like him had to say.While at Fort Garnik, Forris wore the blue-colored chest armor, light-colored pants, and brown boots that were worn by many of the Mantellian army. In addition, Forris wore a pair of black gloves and a blue helmet with a polarized visor that covered his eyes but left the rest of his face exposed. While at the fort, Forris carried a assault cannon on his back. He also carried a device that was capable of projecting a spherical shield that could envelop his entire body.