Merkory Chal'wala, later Darth Vires, was a Zabrak, born on the planet of Iridonia a few years before the outbreak of the Mandalorian War. He was born to a very rich and powerful family on Iridonia, the family of Chal'wala, and he was born with much political power. When the Mandalorian War started, his city and home was destroyed. Once the Mandalorians controlled Iridonia, he lost all his family, in one way or another, to the Mandalorians. Yet despite all this he harbored no ill toward them, as Kootha Jor saw when he discovered Merkory on Iridonia. He was taken to become a Jedi, and trained under the Jedi Master Eldorio.