Disclaimer: Mass Effect does not belong to me. It belongs to it's respective owners, namely Bioware.

Estivus Erax class cruiser, in orbit over Luna, Sol System, Local Cluster, Milky Way.
20th March, 1918 CE.

As soon as the Estivus Erax had taken cover into the dark side of the moon, Junior 1st Lieutenants Tyven Ghyx and Astitus Hyrx all started working with surviving crew members all over the ship to restore the ship functions and combat capability.

Tyven, who had effectively taken on the position as Acting Captain as he was the highest ranked Turian on the ship still alive, while Astitus took the role of his First Officer, was amongst the still wrecked Ship Operations Center, when a report came from engineering.
"So you can only get one engine working, do I hear that correctly?"
The other side of the conversation seemed to take a deep breath before giving his answer, "Erm, well, yes, Lieutenant, erm, I mean, Captain...", before some very heavy coughing could be heard, and then, "The port-side engine is too heavily damaged to function properly. If I even try and power it, just even one ounce of power would cause an systematic overload of the power grid and cause the remaining engine to overload. So, we'll just have only the starboard engine".
Tyven nodded, even though the other side of the conversation couldn't see it, and said, "Understood. Let me know if there's a potential problem that will endanger the ship".
"Will do".

And with that transmission over, Tyven took a moment to take a deep breath, before he turned to his acting First Officer and asked,
"Asti, how are things progressing on your end?"

Astitus inclined his head over to the acting Captain and responded, "Well, the crews are still working on the guns and the torpedoes. No updates of when they're going to be fully operational as of yet. But first thing, I'll let you know".
"Understood. Continue on".

As they continued their orbit over the moon, out of sight from the dreadnought, a tense silence filled the entire bridge as they awaited news on the repairs.
Every second, of every minute, no one on the bridge seemed to want to break the silence.

Until that silence was broken 9 minutes later, when the comm beeped on the First Officer's console, and Astitus clicked it.
"Yes?"
"Sir, we've managed to get the guns working. We're now progressing onto the torpedoes".
"Alright, great work. But keep it up".

Then came in a report from engineering, who stated that the port-side engine is starting to leak element zero, and that they were planning on transferring the fuel over to the starboard engine.
Fuel that if used for one engine entirely, would last them for 2 days straight.

Tyven only hoped that they could last that long against the dreadnought.

Vallulart Camp, Ytres, France, Europe, Earth, Sol System, Local Cluster, Milky Way.
20th March, 1918 CE.

Within a small wooden building, Lieutenant Trileena Navuris opened her eyes to a really pounding headache and a throbbing forehead, finding herself sat on a really uncomfortable wooden chair, in front of a wooden desk that had another wooden chair.
"Argh…"

Putting her hands up to her forehead, she also noticed that her hands were restrained with a set of handcuffs that were a really tight fit for her.
And noticed that apart from her skintight Asari Commando hardsuit (which were nicknamed 'Leathers', after their design resemblance to the leathers worn by pre-spaceflight Asari huntresses), she had been entirely stripped of gear.

Taking a look around at her surroundings, Trileena saw that even though daylight was present, there were no windows.
But she soon saw something that she did not see very often, on one of the shelves in the shed.

Paper.

Reaching to grab it, she saw that it looked like a publication.

It was quite something, to feel in her fingers (even though she wore gloves on her hands), soft and smooth paper that her ancestors had phased out centuries ago.

Looking at the front page, she saw a large picture, not from a camera obviously, but hand drawn, of a soldier in close combat with another soldier. Her eyes noticed that one soldier, attacking the other, was wearing the gear of the soldiers that she had come into contact with, holding a familiar strange long rifle with a long blade attached underneaf.
The other soldier was meanwhile, wearing a different shaped helmet, while also holding another strange rifle.
After looking through the picture intensively, she then seemed to realise how close in resemblance this species was to the Asari. Without the scalp crest and the blue skin of course.
Then her eyes started darting around, and she saw at the top of the publication, large letters that she could not make sense off.

And soon, Trileena's eyes widened as she realised that her translator function was not on, hence why she could not make sense of the letters.

Putting the publication on the desk, she looked towards her left arm, and realised that the handcuffs would not enable her to reach the function on her omni-tool (which Trileena thanked the goddess that the natives hadn't removed her omni-tool), to activate the translator function.

Glancing towards the door, she considered on whenever she should really use her biotics to get out of her handcuffs and activate the translator function.
But after a few moments of internal debate in her head, she reckoned that if she was ever to get herself out of this imprisonment in a native conflict, she needed to be able to communicate with the natives, and she couldn't do that with handcuffs on, so Trileena applied her biotics onto the handcuffs, which applied pressure that it could not withstand.
The handcuffs easily snapped with a loud crack and Trileena put them onto the desk.
She then got to her omni-tool, activating the translator function to pick up the dialogue of the natives for her to understand and pick up on the words in order for her to communicate (the translator, was on the standard setting of providing native words in the place of whatever passed for the same word in her standard Thessian language, but had the second option to allow her to speak normally, with the translator only providing how to pronounce the native word, which depending on the word, could take time).

And through the standard Huntress implants that she received in training, the translator could also work on written words and numbers.

The translator, booted up, and after intensively looking at the title of the publication, the translator provided the name.

The War Illustrated

However, her reading was interrupted when she heard footsteps approaching, and suddenly, after loud stamps on gravel, and a click at the door (Trileena reckoned that there was some sort of lock on the door), the door swung outwards to reveal three officers.

Trileena knew military officers on sight, judging by their immaculate olive green uniforms, peaked caps worn on their heads along with leather gloves and one other holding a short stick by his right hand, tucking it under his right arm.

After closing the door, the two officers stood upright, behind one who took a seat on the wooden chair in front of her, and immediately, she knew that she was in the midst of an interrogation.

And soon, the officer sitting down, took note of the broken handcuffs, the set of thick hairs above the eyes moving downwards and winkles suddenly appearing on the forehead.
As Trileena reckoned that he must be frowning, the officer in question took the broken handcuffs and handed them over to another officer standing behind him, before then looking at The War Illustrated that was resting on the table as well.

Taking the publication out of her reach, he spoke and the translator function started beginning it's work.
"Enjoy your read, did you?"

Normally, according to her training, Trileena was to essentially say absolutely nothing (not even display anything through body language) during an interrogation as the Instructors during her Interrogation Countermeasures Course always kept telling them, 'You Say Nothing, You Provide Nothing'.
But this case, Trileena was not an involved combatant in this native war and she was certainly not a POW, no matter if her captors thought so, so instead, as she couldn't find any words to say to that, she just settled for a shrug of her shoulders.

The officer continued speaking.
"Quite a problem we have here. You show up unannounced, right in the middle of our trench, and give our lads quite a shock. Oh, and some bruises. Not exactly very ladylike behaviour, erm?"
More silence from Trileena, and the officer spoke, to try and get an answer out of her, asking "Have you really got nothing to say?"

At this point, Trileena knew she couldn't stay silent for any longer if she wanted to get herself out of this tricky situation she found herself in, so she said, "It depends on the questions".
Immediately, the officers raised eyebrows as well as sharing glances with one another, while the one interrogating her responded, "So you can speak. Excellent. This'll make things easier", before getting down to business and straight to the matter at hand.
"At first, we thought you were a German infiltrator. But, judging by the look of you", making a show of looking over her, before returning his attention to the interrogation, "it evidently seems not".

Staring down at Trileena, the officer asked, "So who, or what, exactly, are you?"

Vallulart Camp, Ytres, France, Europe, Earth, Sol System, Local Cluster, Milky Way.
20th March, 1918 CE.

Hours past, and Private Albert Tillard had to fight the urge to fidget, as he stood on guard duty alongside Lance Corporal Calum Kershaw outside the shed containing the mysterious 'guest' that had entered into the British trenches, and when discovered, gave the lads a bunch of bruises and probably some broken noses (that was apparently what he heard from gossip across the ranks) before being knocked out.

Instead, Albert settled for slowly curling his fingers of his right hand around the buttstock of the SMLE that he held on the right shoulder, in the Shoulder Arms position, as well as slowly rocking his heels back and forth, trying to keep himself occupied.

Fortunately, Albert would not be on guard duty for very long, as the 2nd Ox and Bucks commander himself, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Cross DSO & Bar, approached him and Calum, with two other soldiers from another company.
"Ten-shun!"

Immediately, Albert and Calum stood to attention, and the Lieutenant Colonel then relieved them, by having the two other soldiers (both of them Privates, as Albert saw no stripes on them) take their place, just as Lieutenant Trafford Steel, Captain Raymond Seymour and Major Bertram Thwaite exited the shed.

The Lieutenant Colonel asked, "So, anything on our, unusual guest, Major?"
Major Thwaite hesitated slightly, before saying, "Well, to be quite honest with you, sir, I really do not know what to make of her".
Cross frowned, "Well, did you speak with her? Or does she not speak English?"
Thwaite nodded, "Oh, yes she does. Even though, her accent is nothing like I've ever heard in my life. And I've served all across the Empire, from India to Ceylon, from Hong Kong to Singapore, from Egypt to South Africa, for that matter".

Then, noticing Albert and Calum, who were still loitering close by, the Lieutenant Colonel snapped, "Well, haven't you got something better to do than loiter around? You're relieved, last time I checked! Now, go, before I change my mind and decide to put you on double-shift!"

At this, Albert and Calum moved on and headed towards the accommodations with all due haste.

German Army camp, North-West of Comines, Belgium, Europe, Earth, Sol System, Local Cluster, Milky Way.
20th March, 1918 CE.

"Hey, Johannes. You got mail!"
Unteroffizier Johannes Kollmann, was sitting on the bed within his tent, when Gefreiter Bruno Schlick came up and handed him a envelope, presumably containing a letter.
"Thank you, Bruno".

As Bruno then moved on, Johannes turned his attention, to the envelope, before opening it to reveal, a letter from back home.

His father didn't write much anymore, especially not after the death of Constanze Kollmann, who succumbed to illness on the 9th of July, 1917.

Instead, this letter was from one of the very few spots of joy for Johannes, a girl by the name of Helga Clauberg.

Johannes and Helga met whilst he was on leave on Kitzingen after being injured at Chemin des Dames, and after every other leave, he started spending a lot more time with her, than his father, who was getting more and more involved with his work at the munitions factory as a way to cope with his wife's illness and eventual death.
And apparently, the relationship had progressed to more than just a simple friendship for the both of them, and they began dating, every time he got on leave.

Johannes debated massively on whenever he should propose to her or not, but he remembered some very surprising advice from Ernest Gernhardt, who said days before the battle on whenever Johannes should marry Helga, "Johannes, it may like seem like a never-ending hell on Earth here. But, it'll be over. And this'll all be farmland again. And we'll be living our lives again. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering, on whenever what would have happened if you said yes when you said no. Every time spent, with a loved one, is worth it", which enabled him to muster the courage to propose to Helga, who even though shocked, accepted.
It took a bit of convincing for Helga's mother and father to come around to it when Johannes asked their permission, but they were convinced that Johannes was a good man for their daughter, especially learning that he was a soldier, doing 'his duty for the fatherland', as Helga's father Gottfield put it.

In January 1918, Johannes and Helga were married.
And they made the most of their honeymoon, and married life, before Johannes was recalled from leave, and back into the line.

Refocusing back onto the present, Johannes was about to read the letter, when Hauptmann Albert Teschner, who had been finally promoted after waiting for so long for his scheduled promotion (the Zugführer position now being filled by Leutnant Manfred Koch, who had replaced Teschner before Passchendaele), shouted, "Platoons, assemble in the company assembly area immediately!"

Johannes put the letter away in the envelope and put the envelope on his bed, so he could read it later, before heading off with his platoon mates, Gefreiter Hermann Zehnder, Infanterist Ernest Gernhardt, Klaus Waldmann, Franz Andele and Hans Vetter to the Company's assembly area, at a fast pace, hoping to get there quick before suffering the wrath of Knoth, now a Vizefeldwebel.

Estivus Erax class cruiser, in orbit over Luna, Sol System, Local Cluster, Milky Way.
20th March, 1918.

The torpedoes were now fixed, the starboard engine were running at full capability and the guns were ready and loaded.

And as evening fell, they are enroute to launch a series of opening shots at the dreadnought, in the hope of doing some damage that'd make a difference.

"Guns, Torpedoes, get ready on my signal".

"Fire!"

Immediately, the torpedoes and the gun rounds were launched right on a course for the dreadnought that was still maintaining it's position over the planet.

The dreadnought kept it's shields up, and soon, the first torpedoes and rounds struck the shields, allowing the others following on behind, past the shield, and striking all over the massive vessel.

Tyven immediately issued orders.
"Alright, now get us behind the moon, and quick! Before the dreadnought gets a shot on us!"

The starboard engine, increased it's power output to maximum, speeding up and trying to get back into the dark side of the moon.

"Dreadnought has fired one, no, two, no, three, I repeat, three rounds at us!"
"Keep course! And don't slow down!"
Astitus was confused, "Keep course, Tyven?"
"Yes. Keep course! We can't afford to take evasive manoeuvres, not in our current state, or we'll be destroyed".

A pause and, "Understood".

Tyven examined the monitors, anxiously watching the progress of the dreadnought's rounds that were heading straight for them. It was so anxious, the wait, that he was tapping his right foot on the floor.

Then, the dreadnought rounds missed the Estivus Erax, instead striking the surface of the moon, creating three nuclear explosions on the moon that not only created three enormous craters, but chucked up a lot of rock and dust into space.

Tyven ordered that they maintain present course, as the explosions posed no threat to the cruiser, but as his orders were acknowledged, he noticed that Astitus was examining the monitor more closely.
"Hmmm, the port adjustment thrusters on that dreadnought seem heavily damaged".

Heading over, and looking on the monitor, Tyven zoomed in, on the image of the dreadnought, and saw that Astitus was right. The port adjustment thrusters, which allowed the vessel to turn right, were not performing any minor-correction bursts of thrust.

The dreadnought could not turn right...

Soon, Tyven came out of his musing and said to Astitus,
"I have an idea".

Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a bit to see what Tyven's idea is, as we'll be focusing on events down on planet Earth for a while.

Initially, I was planning for a German perspective on Operation Michael, through Johannes Kollmann's eyes, but then I learned that his unit, the 11th Bavarian Infantry Division, did not take part in that operation at all, and instead, took part in Operation Georgette (otherwise known as the Battle of the Lys or the Lys Offensive), which was part of the 1918 Spring Offensive that took place from 7th April 1918 to 29th April 1918, with the intent of capturing Ypres, thus pushing British forces back to the Channel ports of Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne.

The War Illustrated was a magazine published in London by William Berry, who became the 1st Viscount Camrose after having been created as a baronet, and later.
First released on the 22nd August 1914, it's last publication during WW1 was on the 8th February 1919 (it did return on the 15th September 1939 and ran through the Second World War, ending on the 11th April 1947), and at it's peak, it had a circulation of 750,000.

Also, in the German Army in WW1, it was custom for a son of an officer to not hold a ranker higher than his father.
Manfred von Richthofen held the rank of Hauptmann (basically a Captain), even though he performed the duties of Lieutenant Colonel, as his father was a reserve Major.
And also, German officers were promoted according to a schedule, and not by battlefield promotion, so it wasn't uncommon for a German officer to be performing the duties of a higher rank than his appointed rank. For example, Erwin Rommel commanded an Infantry Battalion as a Hauptmann in 1917 and 1918.

In response to some questions asked by some guest reviewers, here are the answers:

Answer to C. Campbell's question posted on July 15th, Well yes the aircraft carrier succeeded the battleship in WW2, and became the new symbol of naval superiority in that conflict, but in WW1, the aircraft carrier was being introduced in very early stages. First came the seaplane carriers, (the Imperial Japanese seaplane carrier Wakamiya launched the world's first ship-launched air raids on September 1914, during the Siege of Tsingtao, and British converted seaplane carriers launched seaplanes during the Cuxhaven Raid on Christmas Day 1914), then came HMS Furious, a converted Courageous class battlecruiser, that conducted the first landing of an airplane on a moving ship by Squadron Commander Edwin Harris Dunning in a Sopwith Pup on the 2nd of August 1917, as well as launching the Tondern Raid on the 19th of July 1918.
And yes, aircraft carriers were a new aspect to space warfare that was introduced by humanity in Mass Effect lore.

Answer to Guest's question posted on July 16th, I definitely will say it's going to be neither of those things.

Answer to Guest's question posted on July 26th, Well, they won't survive on their own, that's for sure.

Anyways, Don't forget to leave a review whenever you can, and see you next time!