Echo

Echo is a main character in the Soldier's Memoirs saga. She is a female Thestral enlisted in Skyfall Unit as a spotter and additional security. She lost her eyes in battle, and has become acutely in-tuned to her environment via echolocation and vibrations in the earth.

Early life
Not much is currently known about Echo's life before joining the Lunar Guard. She grew up in the Hollow Shades with Midnight Dasher, the two becoming lifelong friends at an early age. After graduating from school, she immediately enlisted in the Lunar Guard along with Midnight, the two ending up serving in the same unit together.

The Everfree Incident
Echo was a part of Ghost Team, the Lunar Guard unit sent to assist in the search for missing foals in the Everfree Forest. During the investigation in the forest, the team was attacked by undead ponies and forced to flee deeper into the woods. Echo wound up getting separated from the others when she tumbled down a hole and found herself in a system of underground caverns and tunnels. Too afraid to backtrack to the surface, she followed the tunnels for hours before finally finding a cave beneath Sunny Town. It was here, she reunited with Midnight, Starlight, and Fleethoof. However, another mutated monster attacked her, destroying her eyes and leaving her blind.

With her eyesight gone, Echo was forced to rely on her echolocation to scan the environment and get a mental picture of what was around her. Able to "see" again, Echo was able to locate the exit to the caverns, as well as sense the coming zombie pony attack and the missing foals once they returned to the Sunny Town. Echo survived the Everfree Incident, but was left disabled and removed from active service. She would have been discharged, had Fleethoof not intervened and offered her a position in Skyfall Unit as a spotter.

Skyfall Unit and Training
Echo's admission into Skyfall was met with some controversy by her to-be partner, Sharp Shot. He doubted the usefulness of a blind pony as a spotter. Echo decided to prove herself by besting the sniper in a one-on-one fight, utilizing her echolocation and agility to maneuver around him with ease. She soon developed a technique of close-quarters combat that synchronized with her echolocation to locate enemies. She became one of the most deadly close-quarters combatants in Skyfall Unit, focusing on perfecting her abilities to her advantage and to show Sharp Shot up.

Throughout her training, Sharp Shot maintained constant involvement, helping her perfect her form when fighting and passing on his knowledge of mathematical equations and formulae involved in sniping. Echo was a fast learner, determined to make herself in the team, despite her impairment. She completed her qualification exam with Sharp Shot, which encompassed both spotter skills and close-quarter combat skills, passing with flying colors and securing her position within Skyfall Unit as a spotter.

The Hunt for Alaric
Echo was loaned to Princess Luna to bolster her security team after discovering Alaric's threat of attacking a member of the Royal Family. Echo's ability to detect subtle vibrations in the air or ground to locate hidden threats was considered a valuable asset to the princess' personal security. Her tour of duty ended uneventfully. When she heard of Cadance's convoy getting ambushed, Echo hurried to assist at the scene of the attack. She was unable to track down any leads, however, and returned to Canterlot with Midnight Dasher. She was soon recruited into the Operation Black Wraith program to serve as Sharp Shot's spotter and security.

Personality
Echo is a subdued, yet attentive pony. She is very soft-spoken and succinct, saying whatever is on her mind before falling into calm quiet again to take in the world around her. She has a gentle and innocent heart, finding good in anyone, even those who try to put her down or doubt her, like Sharp Shot. She never loses her temper, and very little can actually faze or frighten her. Echo is a bright pony, able to pick up new skills rather quickly when she puts her mind to it. She is driven and passionate when it comes to proving herself to others, and will stop at nothing until she's satisfied with herself.

Skills
As a relatively green soldier and the newest member of Skyfall Unit, Echo's range of skills is limited. She fills a basic infantry role, but also possesses the knowledge to make her an effective spotter for Sharp Shot. Although unable to visually identify targets, Echo can calculate distances, azimuths, and trajectories in seconds. Her heightened sense of touch, scent, and hearing, however, make her invaluable as a means of detecting incoming threats at a closer range, which is where Fleethoof always intended her to shine alongside Sharp Shot.

Echo's style of close-quarter combat is a perfect match for her echolocation, utilizing the disturbances in the air and sound to locate her enemy and position herself accordingly for optimum damage. Her strikes are fast and hard, meant to take down her opponents with quick combos while using momentum to keep her dancing from one enemy to the next.

Equipment
Echo's equipment is identical to Midnight Dasher's. She carries a modified Equestrian ACR with a suppressor always attached to maintain a low profile and the standard nine-millimeter sidearm. Echo has two knives specially designed by Quarter Master to work fluidly with her fighting style, and also carries a set of throwing knives for silent takedowns from a distance. She wears the standard black uniform for Skyfall Unit, foregoing a helmet for a boonie hat. Her eyes are permanently covered in a black bandanna tied around her head, a gift given to her by Fleethoof upon entry to Skyfall.

Military
As a fairly new addition to the military, Echo didn't have much of a chance to establish herself before her injury in the Everfree. A typical soldier by all other regards, she wasn't noted as anything special, making her that much easier to discharge after being crippled.

Skyfall Unit

Fleethoof saw Echo's determination to persevere and her extraordinary talent with echolocation as a valuable asset to the team rather than a handicap. As the youngest member of Skyfall Unit, the others see her as the baby of the team, which usually means she is spared being the target of Sharp Shot's jokes, and the others are inclined to going easier on her. Cupcake loves Echo's fiery persona on the battlefield and is constantly amazed by her talents, and Blue Shield is intrigued by her echolocation.

Midnight Dasher
Midnight Dasher is Echo's closest friend since childhood. The details of how these two met and know each other are still a mystery, but their friendship is similar to a big sister–little sister relationship. The trust between the two is strong, and Midnight often looks out for Echo's well-being. The two often share gossip and secrets amongst themselves. Echo was one of the few ponies Midnight has revealed her affections for Fleethoof to.

Sharp Shot
Echo looks up to Sharp Shot like a mentor, eager to please and prove her worth to him. She sees him as a challenge to improve herself every day, and enjoys being in his company and showing him up. She appreciates the way he pushes her and doesn't go easy on her because of her impairment. Although he never targets her, she finds humor in his sarcasm and jokes, and is one of the few that can fluster the unicorn. Echo harbors a secret crush on Sharp Shot, but does her best to keep her feelings hidden, so as not to interfere with their professionalism.