The preceding two weeks have brought us substantial success on the Western Front as well as great exhaustion of soldiers and supplies. Our forces have dutifully carried out their orders as best they could in this infernal weather, forcing the Wesitarians back farther towards the fortified mountain ranges to the north and capturing the city of Lilleshar after a fiercely contested and miserable offensive. We are sending them on one last urgent offensive during the next week or so to capture tactically advantageous terrain while we're still capable of meaningful progress, and subsequently shall fortify the expected frontline and hopefully settle in for the remainder of summer. Materially we have paid a dreadful price for both our Western successes and Central failures, and we have badly degraded our logistical capabilities and general combat readiness as well. We cannot continue to throw panzers and planes and troops at our enemies much longer.

The Wesitarians for most of the month have continued to be on the defensive, responding competently and forcefully to us but nevertheless being driven away and incurring substantial casualties. As the month has worn on, it has become progressively more difficult for us to maintain our momentum. One primary factor is the inevitable exhaustion of various forms that comes with sustained offensive operations. The other primary factor was the stream of Bengarian reinforcements flowing from the Kotorei River to the Western Front. We have been enjoying a numerical advantage (or, rather, an abnormally mild numerical disadvantage) for a while due to Supreme Strategist Cometai's acquiescence to our plans, the enemy's reluctance to leave much to chance at the river, and other factors. They increasingly determined we were in no condition to try again, and have thus sent an increasing number of forces away from there and to where their ally was badly struggling. We estimate well over half a million Bengarians and many thousands of panzers and artillery were freed from the need to defend the river, a level of force which would be rather lethal to our offensive aspirations if they were quickly redeployed and brought to bear on us. The only restraining factor- an overabundance of caution and fear- was rapidly dissipating.

The only thing we could do to impede this was to send bombers against infrastructure well to the rear. Of course, Kantaria does not excel at such aerial bombardment capabilities for industrial and doctrinal reasons. Likuria actually doesn't either, but with their somewhat larger heavy bomber force we could cause substantial damage to their network (and they've been hitting ours pretty hard when they haven't had to bomb our spearheads). I thus made another major request for assistance from Cometai and the Likurian Grand Council. They reminded me half a million of their troops were on our continent and they've taken substantial losses to their navy buttressing our incessant coastal raiding. I emphasized to them these drives northward were very important, and the less we could achieve in the next couple of weeks the more capable the enemy will be of thwarting us when we come at them again after regeneration and preparation in autumn. We had to do as much damage to their defensive systems as we could while we had the capability and advantage, or we would be set back more than we would conserve by stopping or slackening now. They agreed to postpone their ambitions on their own continent and deploy bomber support for some days. However, they frankly stated there were soon going to scale back their support and cautioned me against overreaching.

On the 15th, the Army of Breandan and the 2nd Panzer Army, in concert with two Likurian field armies, began the Lilleshar Offensive in earnest under the customary hail of outgoing (and incoming) artillery. During this time, Kantarian and Likurian bombers were sent against transportation infrastructure across the region to frustrate their redeployment efforts. Panzer and mounted infantry forces achieved a substantial breakthrough quickly, undermining the enemy's defensive strategy and putting large formations at risk of envelopment. The likelihood of their capability to hold the city dwindled rapidly in the following days, and eventually Supreme Strategist Taneru advised the civilians that remained there to evacuate. Our approaching of the city in the week preceding the Lilleshar Offensive had prompted many civilians to relocate north, and many more followed their chief protector's advisement and left. Of course, we obstructed the evacuation efforts as little as was practicable while continuing our drives to envelop the city and whatever defenders remained in the general area. The civilian evacuations substantially interfered with the enemy's ability to redeploy and reinforce. If the catastrophe that was the Second Western Campaign had not befallen them, they would have had sufficient endurance and resilience to resist such actions during the worst time of the year for us. They simply did not have the time and opportunity to adequately recover.

While fighting raged in the eastern section near Lilleshar and in the skies across the front, we were preparing to reembark what remained of our marine forces and land them a relatively short distance from where our frontlines were. Both Kantarian and Likurian naval forces were badly attrited from weeks of repeated coastal bombardment, and our marine combat strength had fallen by a third from the preceding weeks of bitter ground combat, but we deemed ourselves capable of renewing the offensive on the coast. By this point, even Supreme Marshal Kepler was becoming concerned about the MAC's combat capabilities, emphatically advising us we really need to stop these grand coastal incursions for a while after this one. Our naval and amphibious operations began on the 17th, the same day Kaleusthes was starting rather urgent and forced repairs and renovations, a development that did not sit well at all with the loyal but irascible Intermediate Marshal Larien. These unplanned series of offensives and the consequent needs for fortification materials further north had reduced the materials being sent to Kaleusthes, which meant everything there was again behind schedule. The base was hardened enough to adequately address even great offensives by the enemy alliance and it was able to resupply and restore enough vessels to maintain our seaborne offensives, so again it was given fewer materials than it was slated for. I reassured him the offensives would peter out in a couple of weeks, and if the base was attacked substantially in the interim he would receive more materials and other support to cope and maintain the pace of expansion and upgrading he was capable of now.

There would be another reason my friend and subordinate would be displeased with me, a cause I found to be simultaneously erroneous and something for which I could not fault him. His son and my mate, the adorable and brilliant Lucien, had been pestering me periodically to allow him to be on the bridge when we're at sea on offensive operations. Larien and I have reflexively refused this because it's a warzone and children shouldn't be in warzones, while ignoring the reality that it's extremely safe aboard the flagship- sometimes nearly to the point of boredom even as our massive howitzer turrets are being fired. Lucien is extremely proud of and enthralled by my capabilities and naval exploits, and he reads everything he and others write of such fleet actions and speaks to crewmembers about such fleet actions when the opportunity arises. He's very bright for a pre-teen and has come to understand our routine rejections of his pleas have no basis in reality, and he had taken to adorably but mercilessly attacking my reasoning while appealing to my commitment to be rational whenever possible.

"If it was at all dangerous to be there, you wouldn't lead the fleet from there. You can't even stand to watch sad movies or attend memorials!" Lucien very accurately argued.

"It's not absolutely 100% safe. The Wesitarians have superiority in stealth technology and might punch through the armor if they're divinely lucky." I rather feebly retorted, cognizant of the fact such an event was exceedingly unlikely even before we gained undisputed naval supremacy.

"That wasn't likely even before we conclusively gained naval supremacy months ago, and there are interior armor belts and other damage avoidance and mitigation systems if there was an outer hull breach!" the extremely bright and articulate cub countered with unassailable accuracy. He proceeded to explain these systems and tactics in great detail for a couple of minutes.

I stared at him dumbfoundedly at first, utterly unprepared to have even this 12-year-old respond with such familiarity with recent military history and warship capabilities, "How- how do you know all of this? I don't remember explaining any of this in such detail or showing you more than one or two action reports."

Lucien responded with utterly satisfied and proud grinning and tailswishing, "You explained some of it, various crewmembers told me other things, and Perredine showed me all the major reports you wrote pertaining to the fleet and fleet battles!"

I reflexively was mortified that my 2nd in command would cavalierly hand over so much classified documentation to a cub, something even I didn't think was appropriate. Lucien saw this reaction and seemed even more proud of his achievement. I sighed heavily as I rubbed my snout, realizing he wasn't the sort to reveal any of what he read to people not within a very select few people and I couldn't rightfully complain. I also determined he knew as well as I did at this point my reasons for refusal were fallacious and based on protective instinct and the modicum of professionalism I exhibit, rather than actual danger. "You won't cease pleading with me to allow you on the flagship during combat operations until I say yes, I assume."

Lucien responded with the most victorious grin and general posture I have ever seen him exhibit, a combination of pure obnoxiousness and irresistible prancer cub attractiveness, "Nope! I think I have proven my case and you cannot say no again! When will you lead the fleet again?"

"You conceited little tailraiser..." I mumbled in capitulation, both irritated and charmed by his grand intellect and maneuvering, "Tomorrow. You can come with me, if you promise not to obstruct or impede anything."

Lucien beamed and trilled jubilantly, then a moment later very firmly embraced me as his lutrine tail wildly swayed back and forth, "Thank you, my glorious hero!"

The next day, the 21st, Lucien accompanied me onto the flagship berthed at Kaleusthes, after an evening and morning together replete with even more carnality than is usual even for us. Since we were holding paws and caressing on the way to the bridge, there was no doubt at all I had authorized this. My senior strategic and bridge personnel had a wide variety of reactions, ranging from undiplomatic disapproval to great amusement. Perredine, predictably, was in the latter camp.

"Welcome aboard, adult prancer and cub prancer! I was wondering when you two would report here together!", he exclaimed with a grin which was as obnoxious as the otter's the day before.

"Yeah, I guess both of us are just going to completely and utterly disregard the wishes of the Strategic Council. I hope you don't intend to brag to them you shared a bunch of my fleet memos and reports with a cub.", I retorted with a level of genuine displeasure, "Hopefully they won't find out about Lucien being here, but if they do I'll blame you."

"I wouldn't be surprised if they already assume he's here on a regular basis and have resigned themselves to such an inevitability, same as they do with both of us being here simultaneously in fleet operations despite them not wanting that.", he replied, undoubtedly without sarcasm and with a strong measure of amusement.

A staffer who was very much unamused, not wishing to cause Lucien negative emotions, pulled me aside and inquired at a moderate volume, "Why have you brought him here? Even if he doesn't distract any of the crew, this is unprofessional, even for you."

I was actually quite sympathetic to her position despite the various circumstances. "I was opposed to him being here while we're deployed, but he's as tenacious as a Kantarian panzer division and infinitely more adorable. It was inevitable he would prevail.", I responded with total sincerity as I watched him wander around and unobtrusively look at consoles and crewmembers.

As marines had already landed in the preceding few days, our naval sortie would not entail the more spectacular initial invasions, but rather the landing of reinforcements and the necessary offensive and defensive actions that entails. The opposing fleets had been pummeled and overpowered during June, and they had to pull back those fleets to effect repairs or to provide more limited and less dangerous defensive roles. Actual fleet-on-fleet engagements thus would be few or non-existent. The need to continue providing off-shore naval fire support while having to contend with a very formidable coastal fortification system would provide ample excitement for the ship's personnel and disembarked marines notwithstanding the anemic naval opposition. Perredine had not gotten around to providing Lucien with any of this information, so I had to explain to him what we were doing and why. He was very excited to watch his partner and hero lead the fleet and watch my extremely competent staff carry out their duties, and thus he very intensely listened to my apprisement.

The first phase was the rather mundane pre-assault staging and formation adoption one, and while that requires some exertion and attention from personnel, it is far less intense and preoccupying than combat actions. Thus, Lucien was permitted to speak to crew about whatever he wished if they did not seem preoccupied, and they could do the same with him during free moments. While a sizable minority of officers and regulars found this to be unbecoming even by my standards to which they had grown accustomed, many more found it pleasant to have him aboard. More than once I witnessed him providing an autograph to someone who was an enthusiast of his rather recent emergence into erotic modelling. Others clearly were happy to talk to him and answer whatever question he had or ask one of their own. The atmosphere became far less cordial and relaxed as we left the area of Kaleusthes and began opening up on whatever targets were assigned, as far more of their attention was needed for this.

As we predicted, the operation was successful and comparatively uneventful, but further weakened our naval capabilities. Aerial and static firepower caused a substantial level of damage to our forces and the fortress defenses at Kalobol were scarcely affected. However, our marine forces were provided with the reinforcement they needed to continue tearing through the enemy eastward, while supporting regular forces mounted what attacks they were capable of from the south. This would continue for several more days, and then they would halt and consolidate while the navy would regenerate as much as they could be allowed to. As most of the fleet had been firing its artillery for one reason or another for most of the day, including the Procyonidae, we started withdrawing to Kaleusthes in the evening to resupply.

My little companion and I hadn't orgasmed for over 12 hours when the bulk of the naval forces were told to start withdrawing, which for both of us was a very long time. I generally manage to not need to cater to sexual needs while out with the fleets until at least all combat ceases and we're halfway to base. The level of fire being traded had sharply fallen off by now, but the need for our flagship to coordinate and instruct in response to combat was still substantial. Lucien was at this point more amorous than he was intrigued by the bridge activities during fleet combat maneuvers, and he conveyed this rather lewdly and involuntarily with a raging erection which lifted the front of his skirt straight up and revealed his choice of panties. I didn't notice this before he approached me and leaned against me.

"I'm really hard now and I can't make it stop. Pleeeeeaaaase, can we go somewhere to relieve ourselves? At least a quick pawjob?", he pleaded. He was blushing profusely and projected a bashful and submissive aura, which only made him even more enticing to me.

His predicament and the manner in which he communicated it to me, combined with my own deprivations, caused me to develop the same condition almost instantaneously, something I almost always manage to avoid despite my highly abundant sexual energy, "Damn you, Lucien. I wanted to retain at least a bare minimum of professionalism, or at least the illusion of it... I can't stop it now, either. Perredine, take over! I have an emergency to address!". I grabbed the extremely libidinous lutrine cub's paw and very briskly led him towards the adjacent personal office, which was itself adjacent to my sleeping quarters and our ultimate destination.

"Hahaha, I win 2,000 credits! I wagered you two couldn't wait until returning!", the capricious Terran jovially exclaimed.  

All I could manage in response was to stick my tongue out at him and exhale loudly, a gesture usually beneath even the average Kantarian 12-year-old.

During the second half of June, yet another Wesitarian hardened line of defense near and on the coast was overrun, enveloped, or threatened with the first two. The front line on the center was not as hardened, and that also has been overcome and the front moved forward a few tens of kilometers. Further east, on 21 June, the two pincers near Lilleshar met and thus completed the envelopment of the city and military base nearby. The base and any worthwhile military infrastructure and objects were predictably sabotaged or outright obliterated before the garrison surrendered. The city fell to our forces with negligible resistance on the 23rd once they arrived there, with 300k civilians electing to stay there and continue with their lives regardless of which country happened to govern it. Even if no civilians decided to remain there, there were very few troops in the vicinity of the metropolis and I doubt either they or their commander would have had the will to use it as a fortress anyway.

Speaking of Bengarian civilians remaining in areas we're about to capture, perhaps the main factor for so many of them deciding to remain is a policy I envisioned and implemented. For a variety of reasons both pragmatic and compassionate, Bengarian civilians who elect to remain where they are are not taxed to maintain our war effort, but only for infrastructure, services and entitlements. This gives them a strong incentive to remain where they are and remove themselves from their homeland's war effort in the process, though this in a way would also make them traitors. The other major factors in the rather large proportion of Bengarian civilians remaining in their towns and cities are the level of respect and trust I command throughout Takomen, and the very low occurrence of atrocities by our forces (the other nations' troops are similarly well behaved). There's also the natural aversion to abandoning one's home and the necessary aggravations to achieve that. The more who choose to stay behind and allow us to be their new wartime overlords, the more difficult it will be for Bengaria to compete with us.

Ahh, there is one last highly noteworthy item to expound on before ending this. I have succeeded in inducing extreme fury and indignation from the Terrans yet again. As I've stated before in my diary, I tend to go on virulent and even malevolent tirades whenever Terran culture and events are brought to my attention or my views on such are inquired of me. There are a few reporters- usually from Takomen, especially from Kantaria- who have a mischievous streak. They generally know when to refrain from doing this and when it's permissible to ask me such radioactive questions. Occasionally it's not a venomous and vulgar display that is sought, but merely my sentiments on some development or practice over there, sometimes my views on an event or law or proposal here. On the 22nd I was briefing the public on the respectable advances we were making along the Western Front which were helping to mitigate the destructive failures of ours at the Central Front not long before. After I concluded the presentation on the preceding week's developments, I was asked for commentary on some atrocity committed against gender and sexual minorities in a nocturnal event in one of the southeastern provinces of America. For a Terran development, it had been spoken of very heavily over here.

"It is highly deplorable and senseless to terminate someone's existence for something so inconsequential and innocuous as that. These Terrans seem to have an overwhelming fixation on people being aroused by the same biological gender as them. 'You're a male and you like penises, so God hates you and you're a horrible person!'. Such a barbaric planet. I'm astonished this didn't happen earlier in that country. I had figured a Christian extremist would have attempted this by now. Then again, I'm not surprised an Islamist did this. Islamic culture when pondered as a whole is more violent and primitive relative to Christian culture, due to the disparity in technology and probably also dogmatic and doctrinal reasons. Ultimately, this and innumerable other atrocities and acts of self-impediment are because of religion in general. So long as they permit and foster religion, they will fail as a species in general. If they expended all of those resources which were spent on religion on technology instead, they would have been centuries ahead of us now."

That was actually pretty mild when compared to some of the more legendary and notorious responses of mine, and very mild compared to the following response another correspondent solicited. I am very familiar with her case. She very much relishes inciting me to profanely excoriate people, yet is also quite competent as a reporter. Thus, when she informed me of the failure of the American legislature to pass any gun regulation reform laws in the wake of a terrible massacre by a wielder of what amounts to a low-grade military rifle, and various pertinent details to appropriately apprise me of the matter, I immediately knew she was looking for another display to report and revel in. While I have an exceptionally low opinion of Terrans in general, I was incredulous to the details. I suspected perhaps she was erroneous in her summary. I asked the assembled reporters and my staff in general whether what she just told me was correct, and in response several confirmed her summation. I wasn't able to articulate a response besides gesticulations of consternation and visceral contempt. I looked at the reporter and her countenance was pride and delight at the imminent spectacle.

"You were trying to get me to fulminate again. You're a mischief-maker!", I expressed as I smiled and pointed at her, then returned to the main issue. "What do I think? I think this country's populace is even worse than I believed. To call the legislators retarded children would be charitable compared to the alternative of treasonous. How can this country's government be this inept and apathetic? Terrorism suspects who are banned from flying for fear of them trying to turn the plane into a missile are allowed to acquire low-powered military-grade firearms! There are a hundred or some similar number of corpses as a result of an Islamic miscreant using such a weapon, someone who was on such a list! The proposals which were made to preclude a recurrence of such an event all failed, because for some fucking reason they need 60% of the legislators to agree to allow a vote on it or someone will literally talk nonsense until time runs out, and 60% didn't feel a vote was appropriate for ANY of them! And, the ones banning terror suspects from owning these powerful rifles, and the one requiring somewhat more extensive background checks in general, were blocked because they were an infringement upon some archaic amendment, even WITH an appeals process? And even the one that did even less was ALSO denied a vote?"

More gesticulation and facial expressions to express contemptuous bewilderment came during a pause, "This, THIS, is a horrifying example of why we refuse to intervene in Terran crises and why we refuse to allow diplomatic relations beyond an emergency channel. Every time we hear of events on Terra or read about Terran culture and politics, we're reminded of how self-defeating and barbaric these people are. This is a representative government with the necessary political tools to force necessary reforms. Instead they demand no reform, don't put this sacrosanct right to buy and wield heavy rifles to use if peaceful means don't work, and refuse to elect worthy and capable legislators or even presidents. My people would take up arms and violently overthrow the government if our parliament dared exhibit such astoundingly atrocious behavior!"

"This is why we are so callous and apathetic whenever bad things happen over there, because usually it's ultimately their own damned fault and they denigrate us when we point out how wrong they are. This is why we very momentarily take note of these hideous displays of religious madness before returning to what we were doing rather than even offering to help. The USA and Russia could obliterate 99% of Terran humanity and we STILL would be scarcely capable of caring less, because they're so far beneath us and the only possible way of making that race a worthy one is decades of military occupation and extremely bloody reforms, and we won't fucking do that after suffering so badly in our own war. I can barely have any sympathy for the murder victims because they're just as stupid overall as the rest of the country!"

I was so ferociously vociferous and animated that I was panting lightly after completing the diatribe. Despite having been to many of my previous press conferences, a substantial number of the veteran journalists had expressions of startlement or revulsion. I am reasonably sure it was the most venomous and malicious rant I had ever given. Even some who are ordinarily supportive of me were unsettled by the display. While the number of virulently anti-Terran tirades I had made before somewhat mitigated the effect, the level of outrage and affrontedness from the entire planet seemed to be at an all-time high, especially from the American and Islamic sectors. It's become a common joke within Kantaria that after the war ends I'll undoubtedly become a diplomat to Terra because I would be so well suited for that.

Reactions to my outbursts of astonished derogation are at times amusing, but are of trivial importance to me right now. There is some ground we need to take and a few pockets of resistance to wipe out, but offensive actions have rapidly diminished and our scheme for the Western Front does not contain much more of them. We are already starting to consolidate in a few areas, and we intend to begin intensive and front-wide defensive constructions within the next week. While this necessary strategy is carried out, we very much hope the enemy has no rude surprises for us and that everyone on the front can hunker down and recuperate underground for the duration of the summer. These offensive maneuvers and assaults have been made utterly miserable endeavors by the abnormally severe heat, and the respites both sides have been granted during the year have been infrequent and short. We need far more time to strengthen where we are and will soon be and to reconstitute our units. We hope during mid-autumn to resume our assaults northward on at least two fronts, and if we are fortunate that will begin a period of accelerating decline and line recession.