You can, in broad terms, think of the Echelons as something like Mass Effect’s Turian Hierarchy. They’re disciplined, honorable, dutiful, and competent, although perhaps a bit on the rigid side.
(Enough that they probably, and are self-aware enough to realize it, would not be great candidates for running the galaxy their way. On the other hand, everyone on the Presidium, especially the Empire, has the greatest respect for their ever-solid, always-reliable partners in peace.)
