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Captain Fletcher

Marksmanship isn't about killing. It's about consistency. It's about being able to hit the target every time no matter the conditions. What's it matter that you've struck once if you can never repeat the shot?

Name: Captain “Akula” Fletcher

Sex: Male

Age: Stallion

Species: Unicorn

RP Type: Main RP

Coat colour: Ultramarine blue. Bone white blaze. Bone fetlocks.

Mane/Tail colour & Style: Bone white tail and mane, both trimmed, but not buzzed short as is typical of REA regulars. Single streak of ultramarine blue in his tail. Tail is tied back during combat and competitions.

Eye colour: Violet with red flecks.

Cutie Mark: Three upward-pointing arrowheads in bone white. The same shot, the same place—every time.

Physique: On the shorter side. Physique is hardened and compact from REA conditioning, but not overly bulky as would be typical of a combat infantryman.

Origin: Fillydelphia. Assignments have taken him to The Borderlands, Stalliongrad, Beakbreak City, and Canterlot.

Occupation: Sharpshooter, commanding officer of Alpha Squadron, V Order of Her Majesty’s Honor Guard.

Motivation: Lead his unit well. Rebuild Alpha team to its former glory. Avoid getting sucked into the twisted webs that REIN and the intelligence community weave. Uncovering the truth about the Aquellian operation that destroyed Alpha. Finding his ex-wife.

Likes: Tending to his bonsai trees, tea, logic puzzles, quiet, personal time, the perfect shot, archery, darts, billiards, any other activities that require precision and control, acquiring knowledge, gin drinks, moving up in the world, classical music

Dislikes: Going into an operation blind, loud music while he’s trying to do research, Griffon liquor, intellectual stagnation, ennui, bringing up his ex-wife, willful ignorance

Service Record

Civilian Life

The son of an astronomer and a math teacher, Fletcher was always a precocious unicorn, even as a child. In elementary school, his head for numbers was proven time and time again as he smashed completion records for basic arithmetic tests and left his teachers speecheless. Though the rest of his academics were merely average, his mathematical skill was far above and beyond what could be expected of his age. However, Fletcher quickly got bored with merely manipulating numbers. Only the careful encouragement of his mother the math teacher and her constant supply of both engineering and abstract math problems kept his academic ennui in check.

Fletcher was introduced to archery during a Physical Education rotation in school. The first time he picked up a bow with his magic, he discovered he could not only "feel" the ballistic properties of his arrows, but assign hard numbers to them as well. By memorizing which numbers gave him the correct results, he was able to place his shots with impeccable accuracy. His classmates made light of his ability to see the trajectories of his projectiles in his head until they realized that he was consistently hitting bullseyes from distances where other colts couldn't even hit the target. In the final tournament at the end of the class, Fletcher performed flawlessly. He scored bullseye after bullseye, much to the chagrin of his classmates and the amazement of the collected crowd, thus earning him his cutie mark.

Fletcher's parents were not the only ones with an eye on him during the contest. Recognizing his potential talent, an REA recruiter present in the crowd immediately offered him an enlistment contract with a hefty bonus to put both his sharpshooting skills and his mental prowess to use for the Army. Shortly thereafter, Fletcher enlisted in the Royal Equestrian Army and was assigned to Alpha Company of the 4th Brigade, also known as “Sunfire.” It was here that he sharpened his skills to allow him to fire arrows using aether alone, giving him even greater precision and power.

Alpha Company, 4th Battalion (“Sunfire”)

Fletcher performed well in training with Sunfire, maintaining both his exceptional marksmanship and slowly developing a desire to lead. Within 3 years, he had advanced to the rank of sergeant and was soon deployed to the Borderlands, a dangerous place at the time, as border disputes led to high tensions between Equestria and Aquellia. During a routine patrol, Fletcher's platoon was engaged by an Aquellian force reconnaissance element. During the ensuing firefight, Fletcher's marksmanship was put to the test as he successfully engaged and killed a Griffon sniper, allowing his squadmates to move up and clear the griffon hide. For his actions, he was awarded the bronze star and an offer to switch to officer track.

Fletcher accepted the offer of a fast track to Officer Candidate School, eventually being selected as the new leader of his old platoon when he received his commission as lieutenant. Alpha Company was deployed again, this time to Stalliongrad as part of a joint operation with the Stallian Guard against a rogue kette of dragons which threatened to disrupt the otherwise peaceful relations between Equestria and the Eastern Alliance of Dragons. Alpha Company was awarded the Valorous Unit Commendation for being instrumental in the slaying of the dragon warlord, forcing the rest of the kette to scatter. During the campaign, Fletcher was given the nickname "Akula" (Stallian for "shark") by local forces for his precise leadership, impeccable marksmanship, and unwavering tenacity. For his actions in Stalliongrad, Fletcher was again promoted and offered advancement, this time obtaining the rank of Captain and securing a place in Her Majesty's Honor Guard.

While on leave in Canterlot, his swagger and harrowing tales attracted the attention of more than a few eligible mares, but only one managed to hold his attention for long. Fletcher met Caesura at a jazz club in downtown canterlot while she was studying to become a classical violinist. She shared his thirst for knowledge, his interest in books of all kinds, and his preference for classical music and quality gin. One night at the club turned into a date, which turned into several, which eventually resulted in an engagement ring. They were married shortly before Fletcher began his training with the Honor Guard.

Bravo Squadron, I Order, Her Majesty’s Honor Guard

Training with I Order of the Honor Guard was unlike anything he'd ever done before, as despite being a caster, he was expected to be just as martially capable as the earth pony door kickers and close combat specialists. It was also here that Fletcher developed use of his kinetic bolt spell, his preferred spell for close-quarters shooting.

In spite of many difficulties, Fletcher pulled through, eventually taking his place as a Special Forces infantry officer at the head of Bravo Squadron of I Order. His next deployment was again a joint operation, this time conducting anti-piracy patrols with the Stallian Guard along the Aquellia-Stalliongrad Trade Spine. Though details of his tour are still partly classified, it is known that his unit seized several tons of contraband from Aquellian freighters and participated in at least one combat action against sky pirates.

When he returned home, however, things were less than perfect. His wife had reconsidered their relationship, spurning the secretive nature of Honor Guard operations and the long deployments that Fletcher could tell no one about. While Fletcher was ready to raise a family in spite of his chosen career, his wife was not. The Captain came home to an empty house, with only a letter explaining her reasoning to remember her by.

Fletcher was devastated. His entire life, he had been able to control the variables, adjust for subtle differences in environment, and work around obstructions to make his shots ring true both in his career and his personal life. Though he didn't always get things right on the first try, Fletcher knew how to make the necessary adjustments so that things would eventually go smoothly. Now, even that was gone. For the first time in his life, Fletcher had encountered a variable he couldn't control or compensate for.

Alpha Squadron, V Order, Her Majesty’s Honor Guard

Though he was grieving, the Honor Guard did not wait. Word of his martial prowess and determined leadership had spread to the Royal Equestrian Intelligence Network (REIN) and their Honor Guard affiliate V Order. Having just experienced a tragic loss of their own in a botched operation in Aquellia, V Order needed both competent operators and a capable and tenacious leader. It appeared that “Akula” was the ideal candidate to restore Alpha team to their former glory.

At first, Fletcher was hesitant to accept the commission, but a long talk with his former squadmates in I Order convinced him that it was a risk worth taking. After some training for administrative duty, he was installed as commander of Alpha Squadron of V Order. His current responsibilities include selection of operators from the candidate pool and managing V Order’s cross-border operations and REIN assets.

Character Profile

Fletcher is very precise in both his decision-making and his marksmanship and is an incorrigible perfectionist. He is astutely observant of his surroundings and perpetually in search of new information on all subjects. He is a voracious reader and cannot seem to assimilate information fast enough to satisfy himself. Since he is not currently on combat deployment, he spends his off-time in the Canterlot library, acquiring ideas for new spells or methods for improving the efficacy of his current spells.

The nature of Fletcher’s demeanor depends on who is being asked. The enlisted men fear his watchful eye, as little goofing off occurs when “Akula” is on the prowl. The officer corps respects his accomplishments greatly and defers both to his intelligence and combat experience. Civilians once enjoyed his sharp wit and fiery ambition, but Fletcher has since mellowed out, measuring his statements carefully and ensuring he gets the results he’s looking for. In spite of his quiet professionalism, Fletcher is quite amicable when greeted and is perfectly willing to swap stories at the bar with other ponies in the military or intelligence communities.

Since his reassignment to V Order, Caesura has yet to contact him. Fletcher does his best to keep himself occupied with REIN intel analyses and V Order administrative duties, but he cannot help but make occasional attempts to locate her. This desire for information also carries over to Alpha Squadron’s final mission. Though he is currently Squadron leader, Alpha team’s mission is still classified for Fletcher, leading him to suspect that there is more than meets the eye to his latest reassignment.

Even when off-duty, Fletcher sticks to a tight regimen of exercise and marksmanship training to maintain both his conditioning level and shooting skills. He reads whatever material he can get his hands on that catches his interest, ranging from mathematical treatises to military history and politics. Fletcher’s apartment in Canterlot is home to several bonsai trees, carefully crafted over years of service.

Spellbook

Combat Spells

Aetheric bow. Fletcher’s go-to spell for long-range shooting. As the bow is composed entirely of aether and formed when needed, it requires no cleaning, restringing, or stowing/drawing, and can be as powerful or as precise as Fletcher needs it to be. Fletcher’s primary marksman spell.

Kinetic Bolt. Alternative combat spell that fires a small packet of charged aether that detonates on contact, generating a bright flash and powerful shockwave. Power level can be regulated to cause less-lethal effects such as temporary blindness or disorientation. Kinetic bolts follow a ballistic trajectory. Fletcher can fire multiple bolts at a time, though doing so is greatly taxing on his concentration. Fletcher’s preferred means of dealing with close targets.

Utility Spells

First Aid. Patches minor wounds, stops bleeding, and disinfects cuts and scratches, but emergencies like burns, blood loss, and broken bones or severed limbs still require more expert medical attention.

Blink. Teleport approximately 10 yards. Longer teleport jumps are possible, but longer distances exponentially decrease accuracy and increase risk of injury.

Darksight. Utility spell that artificially amplifies incoming light to Fletcher's eyes, allowing him to operate in low-light conditions. The spell is useless in total darkness. The spell automatically dispells when ambient light levels become too bright.

Telekinesis. Cantrip. Unicorn “mage hand” for fine manipulation of small objects.

Light. Cantrip. Unicorn utility spell for illumination.

Skills

Estimation and Evalution. After years of experience training in marksmanship and pathfinding, Fletcher is excellent at estimating range and gauging ambient conditions and associating those conditions with effects on the flight of his arrows or bolts.

Command. Fletcher has substantial leadership experience with both Special Forces and REA regulars.

Marksmanship. Fletcher is nonpareil in terms of marksmanship. His precision is legendary, especially among the Stalliongrad Guard. Though his primary means of shooting is the aetheric bow spell, he can still wield a physical longbow or shortbow just as well.

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