Operation Downfall

Background
See also: Operation Stormbreaker

The Rach had been largely uninvolved in Operation Stormbreaker. Though they still provided intelligence and harassed Pact positions, their military was near the brink of collapse and was incapable of large-scale offensive operations. Most troops had stayed behind to guard what remained of the empire, hoping that Stormbreaker would bring an end to the war. But with the operation's failure and Peacekeeper forces in full retreat, the Rach were now exposed, and the only thing that stood between Norsus and the Pact was the stealth generators scattered throughout the inner-rim colonies that concealed the Norsus system. But Rach command, with the knowledge attained from Station SRD72 years prior, knew that it was only a matter of time before the generators were targeted. If they were to fall, Norsus would be revealed, and the empire would undoubtedly be wiped out.

Two weeks after the Peacekeepers had retreated, High Priestess Massachiah summoned Pact leaders to Holy Thereia to discuss the fate of the Rach. Despite the losses from Stormbreaker, the Pact was eager for vengeance, and had retained more than enough manpower to launch a counterattack of its own. The Warlords initially planned to launch an overwhelming assault targetting the Rach, aiming to bring down the stealth generators and Norsus in one swift blow that would essentially 'decapitate' Peacekeeper leadership. But this plan was soon rejected as, while most believed the operation would be successful, it would invite immediate retaliation from the rest of the Alliance, leading to potentially catastrophic losses. It was also felt by some that eliminating the Rach would not entirely cripple the Alliance, and therefore, the assault had to be larger in scope.

Weeks of planning would lead to the development of the two-phase offensive, Operation Downfall. The first phase, code named Sledgehammer, would see the largest mobilization of Pact forces since the start of the war. These troops would be deployed in one vast offensive targeting the most powerful members of the Peacekeeper Alliance and would have the goal of tying down Alliance forces and causing as much death and destruction as possible, essentially 'bleeding' the Peacekeepers dry of materiel and soldiers while forces operating in Rach space hunt down and eliminate the stealth generators in what would be code named suboperation Pierce the Veil. Once the generators were eliminated, the second phase, Downfall, or the invasion of Norsus, would be commenced. Much to the disapproval of much of the Pact, Massachiah declared that the attack on Norsus would be carried out by all Margan Dynasties as a means of ensuring that the Rach were wiped out and that the event would be remembered as a grand, bloody spectacle throughout the galaxy.

For Operation Sledgehammer, each front was divided into "wings" that each focused on a separate target. Each wing was accompanied by a Margan Dynasty.


 * Admiral Kiryusa Luok, General Varthos, Commandant Scy'the, and Generals Alo'Kizan and Ni'Vola would be deployed against the Aeveria.


 * General Siveris Halz and Admiral Xatka Yuvaki, Commandant Var, Grand Beyir Yalacin, War Chief Bhatuzorig, and General Apulon would be deployed against the Karahotdoum. While the bulk of Skrey forces would be deployed here, each wing of Sledgehammer retained an auxiliary Skrey force.


 * Lord Atlas, General Likana Raldalvi and Admiral Vilotr Akuru, Captain Omard, and General Iliva would be deployed against the Empire of Diablos.


 * Datyl Vexen, General Ganos, and Markila Farshot would be deployed against the Sauran Solidarity.


 * Crown Prince Bael'thir Anduish'ent'mar and General Turos would be deployed against WBI.


 * Generals Gancarda, Peacha, and Azakiah would would be deployed against the Rach.

Roughly four months after the end of Stormbreaker, Sledgehammer was initiated with the Pact launching each wing simultaneously.

Assault on the Aeveria Border Blockade
The Aeveria Confederation presented a unique problem to the Warlords. Throughout the war, few large-scale attacks had been carried out against the Aeverian mainland. This left them as the most militarily powerful Peacekeeper, with more than enough experienced reserve units to defend their territory and to support Norsus in the event of an invasion. In order to sufficiently tie the Aeveria down, the wing needed to be both vast in size and quick in movement so as to breach the blockade before a proper defense could be established. Thus, the Aeverian wing became the largest naval armada in Sledgehammer, comprised of fleets from Golden Blade and Holy Dynasties, Repzork, Necraal, and the Zaretians. There was also a debate as to whether or not the Pact should attempt to hold any territory it captured or if it should instead bombard any and all colonies so as to deny the Aeverians resources. Given the Aeveria wing was seen as having the greatest chance at failure, it was decided that any and all settlements were to be bombarded, and few if any ground forces would be committed unless deemed necessary. Pact forces first attacked Aeverian frontier worlds that were outside the protection of the blockade. Varthos and his fleet, aiming to make up for the Monarchy's embarrassment at Zetta Secundus three years prior, spearheaded the assault from his Galaxy-class battleship, Varthos' Fist. The general's forces, with overwhelming numbers and firepower, overpowered local Aeverian militia fleets and subsequently bombarded civilian and military targets alike. They also captured a small number of stations that would be repurposed to provide logistical support to the Pact, including Fukushima Station. Unable to stem the tide, Aeverian militia forces focused on evacuating as many civilians as they could and retreating deeper into Aeverian space. The 47th, 290th, and 195th Aeverian fleets were dispatched from the blockade, but with the Warlords advancing rapidly and numerous worlds falling under siege, they were unable to launch a counterattack, instead devoting their resources to assisting the evacuation effort. This gave the Pact time to establish a supply line in preparation for the next phase of the assault. Once the frontier was under their control, the Warlords initiated their attack on the Border Blockade, launching attacks against several key positions. As the assault was underway, ACI, with the use of the blockade's sensor network, pinpointed the location of the ZMS The Shitfest, a Majesty-class mobile shipyard, which was acting as the backbone for Varthos' logistics network. Due to the speed at which Varthos' had advanced, the ship, which was making frequent subspace jumps across the front, had to take brief pauses in order to recharge its drives, which gave ACI a roughly ten minute window of opportunity to attack. With most of their assets damaged or deployed elsewhere, the Aeverians sent out 1st CRUSRON and several figher escorts to engage the shipyard, which was protected by a small entourage. The Shitfest was heavily damaged during in the ensuing engagement, but managed to escape back into Zaretian space, where it would remain for several months while it was repaired. The loss of the ship crippled the Monarchy's logistics, and King Breys, angered that Zetta Secundus had been repeated again, called Varthos back to Zartar for questioning. With their flagship gone and their logistics in ruins, the Zaretians pulled out of the region, turning over their captured Aeverian stations to the rest of the pact. Though a blow to the Warlords, the Zaretian's withdrawal did little to slow down their advance. Pact forces continued to besiege the Blockade, engaging anything and everything they came across in well-coordinated strikes. During one notable attack, Repzork and Margan forces engaged Aeverian forces at Rhea Station, a regional headquarters for Blockade vessels. The Aeverians defended the station against waves of Pact ships, including numerous bombers and the HLC Korani. During the attack, Admiral Kiryusa Luok, operating from her flagship, the HLC Xelvalder, had been rapidly jumping her ship from location to location, a number of Aeverian vessels in pursuit. The Xelvalder eventually arrived at Rhea station and destroyed the MK1 Skybound cruiser, the AS Vatican. Luok, after being engaged by her pursuers, then warped back to Fukushima Station. Rhea Station survived the assault, but at the cost of over twenty warships and nearly sixty nearby orbital facilities. Luok efforts, though they damaged the drives on her ship, temporarily drew Aeverian forces away from other fronts and allowed Pact forces to plunge deeper into the blockade.

Fighting continued in and around the Border Blockade throughout Operation Sledgehammer, concluding only a week before Operation Downfall when the Aeverians enacted a desperate gambit in a last-ditch attempt to deal a decisive blow to the Pact. Across the region, Aeverian assets withdrew en masse. Believing that they had finally broken through the blockade, the Pact advanced into the Aeverian mainland. In truth, several Aeverian fleets were moving to flank and encircle the Warlords. Once they were in position, the Aeverians closed in and engaged the Pact from all directions. What followed was the largest and bloodiest naval battle in Operation Sledgehammer, with both sides suffering enormous casualties in the span of a few hours. At the height of the battle, General Alo'Kizan concentrated all of his forces on a weakened portion of the encirclement, breaking through and allowing the rest of the Pact to escape at the cost of himself and Firewing Fleet, which was destroyed to the last ship. Warlord forces retreated from Aeverian space, but not before destroying the orbital stations they had captured during the frontier assault.

Though an Aeverian victory in that the Blockade still stood, the assault is considered a strategic victory for the Warlords as it had achieved its goal of distracting the Aeverians and dealt a serious blow to the Confederation, which would take years to recover from the damage.

Invasion of the Empire of Diablos
Though the Empire of Diablos had depleted itself during Operation Stormbreaker and was in no position to deploy any major offensives anytime soon, the Pact still considered the Diabs to be a potentially significant obstacle in invading Norsus and took a proactive view towards them, aiming to cripple their efforts in the war before they could organize another attack. Additionally, many within the Pact sought revenge against the Diabs for the blood spilt in the previous months. To these ends, with the exception of Captain Omard, the officers selected to lead the Diab wing of Sledgehammer were those who were seen to be capable of fighting the Diabs on equal footing with little to no regard for collateral damage or civilian life. The officers planned to "bleed Diablos dry" by launching a multi-pronged offensive into Diab space and establishing a foothold from which future offensives could be deployed deeper into Diab territory. So long as the foothold remained, the Diabs would be forced to devote troops to contain it, diminishing the empire's offensive capabilities. After some reconnaissance, the officers decided to attack a region of Diab space that was contributing a large number of recruits and material to the Outer Fleet.

Pact forces made contact with the Diabs around the urbanized colony of Sevethos, and soon after at Alvainos, Neheldos, Sakanos, and other outer-rim settlements. The Warlords obtained orbital superiority over much of Sevethos and Alvainos and landed troops before the bulk of the Diab's forces arrived. Sevethos was hardest hit by the first wave, with the Repzork employing an Ikatan Platform and the recently-developed ODV-3 Vasekar. Warlord forces made rapid gains across most fronts, but suffered an embarrassing setback at Alvainos, where the Diab's subterranean settlements gave them a distinct advantage against invaders despite being significantly outnumbered. Such events did little to slow the Pact advance, and most colonies hit by the first wave would fall in the weeks and months following the opening assault. As Pact forces advanced onward, reserve troops moved in to establish fortified positions.

The offensive converged upon the world of Baltreos, a highly developed colony considered to be a sort of capitol for the surrounding region. Having had time to prepare, Diab forces put up fierce resistance which was met with equal aggression by the Pact. Both sides poured a significant amount of troops into the engagement, which largely consisted of street-to-street and room-to-room fighting as Pact forces advanced through Baltreos' dense urban centers. In an attempt to divert Diab attention, the Pact attacked the nearby world of Falkeos, which acted as the nerve center for Diab military forces in the area. But while Falkeos experienced a prolonged crystal bombardment by the Margan, Diab forces successfully held unto the planet, though the diversion was sufficient for the Warlords to finally capture Baltreos in the process. The planet would become the Warlord's headquarters for their efforts in the sector.

The loss of Baltreos and the chaos at Falkeos severely weakened local Diab forces. But the Pact was nevertheless halted after suffering a major setback at Veos, where the Diabs crippled the Repzork's Ikatan Platform, forcing imperial forces to scuttle the vessel. With Diab resistance stiffening and the Rach's defenses crumbling, the Pact initiated a strategic withdrawal back to the foothold before they spread themselves thin, but not before bombarding Diab colonies with crystal and conventional munitions as they retreated. The Diabs chased the Warlords and attempted to repel them from the foothold, but were forced to withdraw after weeks of bloody and fruitless fighting.

Invasion of the Sauran Solidarity
The Asanian Syndicate and the Margan both had a strong desire to eliminate the Sauran Solidarity as they saw the Sauran as the antithesis to their very way of life. When the Sauran wing of sledgehammer was being planned, the Asanians petitioned to spearhead the assault, causing some irritation with General Ganos, who had been leading the Sauran front for most of the war. The Margan, seeking to further prove the Syndicate's worth to wary allies and confident that a combined assault could devastate the Solidarity, supported the Syndicate. Frustrated, Ganos decided his forces would engage a second front with the Solidarity while the Asanians and Margan opened a second combined front elsewhere.

The Margan and Asanians slammed into the Sauran's defenses, who were not prepared for the Syndicate's forces. As the Solidarity redirected fleets to the front, Ganos struck, breaching a hole in the Solidarity's now thinned defenses. Asanian and Margan forces dug deep into the Sauran's outer colonies, indiscriminately destroying everything in their wake and killing civilians and soldiers alike. With the Solidarity focusing most of their efforts on the combined assault, Ganos focused on capturing and holding colonies to establish a new foothold within Sauran space; though some of those captured by Zaretian forces would be brought back to the Monarchy as slaves, most were instead executed to satiate Ganos' temper. When Operation Downfall was initiated, the Zaretians ended their offensive, pulling back into their newly captured colonies. The Syndicate, meanwhile, continued to engage despite the Hammer Dynasty relocating to Norsus.

During the invasion, the Sauran were contacted by representatives of the Repzork Empire, who requested an audience with representatives from the Council of Aradan on the remote neutral colony of Sethyr. The Solidarity reluctantly accepted, and sent Na'dak and Commander Lunéss Zru, who were met by Ambassador Orva. The Ambassador explained that the Repzork were intent on eliminating both the Margan and the Asanian Syndicate once the Great War had concluded, and that the Repzork sought to acquire the Sauran's advanced terraforming technology in exchange for offering the Sauran safe refuge from their enemies in the event that their empire collapsed, though with the implication that they would become a client state in the process. The Marshal's Council, whom Orva referred to as his 'benefactors', planned to use the terraforming to undo the damage the two Warlord powers had caused to 'Oltavar's Grand Design' and that the capacity to undo the Margan's work would serve as a trump card in the eventual conflict.

Operation Pierce the Veil
Shortly before Sledgehammer commenced, General Gorach was given the task of defending Norsus' stealth generators. At the time of his appointment, the situation was dire; the generators' defenders were both undermanned and ill equipped even by Rach standards, many of their troops and resources having been spent in the war. Correctly concluding that an attack on the generators was imminent, Gorach collaborated with Commander Cloudreaver, leader of the Skyborn Legions, as well as various Alliance officials to completely overhaul the generator's defenses into what informally became known as the "Gorach-Cloudreaver Line". Gorach relocated most of the generators' original garrison, most of whom had seen little combat, deeper into Rach territory and had them replaced with veteran soldiers, particularly those who agreed with Gorach's unorthodox methods and felt that the Rach's traditional style of fighting was insufficient. The general was also granted a number of auxiliary battalions from the Peacekeepers, and despite the controversy, employed a small number of former Pact soldiers who had defected to the Alliance and who had pledged to protect the Rach from the aggression of their former masters. A number of Kastalians also stepped forward to help. Likewise, due to the dwindling number of Rach weapons and armor, Rach soldiers were predominantly equipped with Alliance weapons and armor as well as equipment stolen from the Warlords during Operation Stormbreaker including, most notably, two Zaretian citadel walkers, which were each deployed at separate generators. Pact defectors acted as consultants when able, teaching their new allies on how to best make use of their equipment. The auxiliaries were to act as the main line of defense, establishing fortifications and engaging threats directly while Rach forces stationed in strategic positions harassed, flanked, and ambushed invaders.

At the onset of Sledgehammer, Pact forces were unaware of Gorach's reforms, and believed that the generators would be protected only by what remained of the Rach's military. As a result, the Rach wing of Sledgehammer was the smallest, with only the Margan contributing a substantial number of troops, the Zaretians having sent the bulk of their available forces to the other wings. The Rach wing was also comprised chiefly of troops trained and equipped specifically to counter traditional Rach strategies. Due to their limited numbers, the wing's commanders decided to attack the generators one at a time rather than all at once, so as to not spread their numbers thin and leave their logistics vulnerable to harassment.

The Pact first grew suspicious during the opening engagements, during which a varied array of Peacekeeper vessels were defending the planet when the Warlords had expected other Alliance forces to be focused on their own respective fronts. After breaching the Alliance's defenses, Pact forces landed on the planet, and ran headlong into the Gorach-Cloudreaver line. The combination of Rach harassment, Skyborn jumps, auxiliaries, and both Pact and Alliance armor elements and weapons caught the invaders by surprise, leading to the near-total annihilation of all Warlord forces in the first wave. Unable to bombard the planet due to the presence of anti-orbital guns, the Pact was forced to commit to a ground assault. Through sheer attrition, the Margan were able to establish a safe landing zone, allowing Warlord forces to slowly advance towards the generator. Despite mounting casualties, the Pact reached the generator, but were forced to withdraw when they encountered one of the stolen citadel walkers, Kastalians, and an expansive network of fortifications. Unable to advance much further, the wing retreated to defensive positions and requested reinforcements. With the aid of extra troops, most of which originated from the Holy Dynasty, the Pact was finally able to break the Alliance's defenses and eliminate the generator. Surviving alliance forces fell back to the other generators, the Warlords following in pursuit. The other generators would soon fall under attack, and while Gorach employed every tactic and element he had, the Warlords, through nonstop attacks, continued to slowly advance towards their target.

Days after the destruction of the second generator, General Gorach was contacted by Emperor Zinmar. Though Gorach expected the emperor to gloat, Zinmar was instead offering the beleaguered Rach his support, as while the Magellan populace at large firmly supported the Warlords, Zinmar, Captain Omard, and others had only grown increasingly ashamed of their actions, and were now driven to act before the Rach were entirely wiped out despite the risk of Warlord retaliation. Unable to provide direct military support due to Omard being deployed in Diabloian space, Zinmar offered to construct new stealth generators for the Norsus system. In exchange, the Magello would join the Peacekeepers, receive Alliance support, and be pardoned for their past atrocities. Gorach, with Coradine's backing, approved the deal, and Zinmar deployed a team of engineers to begin construction of the generators deep in Rach territory.

Shortly afterward, the third generator was destroyed, and a large number of prisoners were taken by the Zaretians. General Gorach, along with Special Operations Lead Kertak, deployed with a small team behind enemy lines to rescue them. Due to their limited numbers, Kertak employed the use of the "fear mist", nanites that combine together to form manifestations of a target's deepest fears, to disorient the Zaretian garrison. Though it was successful, the mist also affected some of Gorach's men before dissipating. Gorach, not waiting for the affected soldiers to come to, marched ahead on his own, single-handedly fighting his way through the Zaretians. Before he could reach the prisoners, Gorach was intercepted by General Gancarda, who engaged the Rach in a duel. Gorach attempted to convince the Knight of Zartar that the war was going to consume the Monarchy, but Gancarda remained undeterred, declaring that it was the Rach who had started it. The two were at a stalemate until Gancarda, enraged by Gorach's statements, drove his blade into Gorach's shoulder. It was then that Kertak and his men, as well as a number of Skyborn legionnaires, intervened, driving Gancarda away and rescuing the prisoners before evacuating on the battleship, Karadin. Due to injuries sustained in the fight, Gancarda was relieved of command and given time to recover, his position being taken over by High General Vipenite.

With the Gorach-Cloudreaver line gradually unraveling and the Warlords inching closer to the homeworld, Gorach returned to Norsus to demand that Coradine grant clearance to the Rach's most powerful weapons as part of a last-ditch effort to turn the tide. Emperor Coradine denied Gorach's request and ordered the general to leave his office. Furious, Gorach forced his way into a secret chamber housing the Veteran Warsuits, Rach who had served in past conflicts and who had pledged to continue serving the empire by having their bodies entombed in advanced battlesuits after having been grievously wounded in battle. The general awakened the veterans and explained the situation. As he did, alarms roared throughout the city, and communications became jammed with panicked officers declaring that the Norsus system was now visible. Gorach and the veterans raced back to the surface, only to be attacked by a squad of Margan. Entering Coradine's office, they found that the emperor was gone, and that the royal guards had all been killed by Margan. The lone survivor, a sniper who had entered moments prior to receive a promotion, explained that Coradine had killed one of the guards and fled with the invaders. Upon reading over files left behind on Coradine's desk, Gorach discovered that the emperor had deactivated the remaining stealth generators and gave the location of Norsus away to the Warlords, leaving the Rach entirely exposed and nullifying the efforts of the Magello, who had not yet finished the first generator. Furious, Gorach cleaved the desk in two and declared himself emperor, his first decree being to grant clearance for everything the Rach had left in order to protect the homeworld. What remained of the Gorach-Cloudreaver line subsequently fell back to Norsus.

Phase 2: Operation Downfall
Main page: First Battle of Norsus

With Norsus revealed, Operation Sledgehammer came to an end, and Operation Downfall was activated. Pact forces that had been attacking the generators immediately made way for Norsus, as was the fleets of the Margan Dynasties. With the Alliance battered and bloodied from fighting, only the Kastalians, Aeverians, and Diabloians were able to send troops to reinforce Norsus, but the Aeverians were intercepted on the way there. The Diabs could have been intercepted by Magellan troops, but Captain Omard, hoping that the Alliance could beat the odds and hold Norsus, allowed the Diabs to pass unimpeded, explaining to the Pact that he had no knowledge that they had mobilized. This was political suicide for Omard, whose once excellent reputation among his people was immediately destroyed. Omard was recalled to Sculpterra and replaced with a new official. Publicly, the reason was for questioning, but in private, Zinmar was attempting to protect the captain from retaliation.

With the whole of Margan civilization and a Warlord armada on course for Norsus, Gorach was forced to concede that Norsus would be impossible to defend. Thus, instead of organizing for a defense, he began the process of evacuating the planet. Civilians were led to vast exodus ships hidden beneath the planet's surface while the planet's defenders prepared to buy them time with their lives. Within hours, Warlord ships started streaming into the system, and fighting broke out throughout Norsus' atmosphere as the Pact attempted to bomb the surface and deploy troops via drop pods. As Warlord forces were beginning to make planetfall, Diab reinforcements arrived, and drew much of the Warlord's attention away from the homeworld. But while the Diabs were able to buy the Rach more time, the combined might of the Margan Dynasties, whose vast numbers had blocked sunlight from reaching the planet, was on the verge of completely overwhelming the Peacekeepers.

With no way to break the siege or to escape, Gorach entered into the depths of the Rach's laboratories in a desperate search to save his people. Scientists then directed the emperor to a chamber containing a large device that they claimed opened a portal to a realm they referred to as the "Warp". Coradine had a keen interest in the dimension, and had been studying it in secret, despite the reluctance and concerns of many of his advisors and cabinet members. With no other available option, Gorach activated the device, which opened a continent-sized tear in reality that led straight into the depths of the Warp. Though reluctant, Gorach ordered all Rach to retreat into the portal. The Diabs, the remaining Veteran Warsuits, and scattered Rach forces volunteered to defend the portal while the Rach escaped, despite knowing that they would almost certainly die. Enraged that the Rach may escape, the Margan deployed all of their forces to the portal's source in an effort to close it. The defenders fought to the last, buying just enough time for the exodus ships and what remained of the Rach navy to escape into the Warp. The Margan, in a move that shocked their allies, kept the portal open and charged headlong into the tear to give chase to the Rach. The portal closed as the last of the Margan's ships entered the tear, and both the Rach and Margan empires disappeared from the galaxy.

Aftermath
As the shadow of the Margan armada dissipated and surviving Peacekeeper forces withdrew from the planet, the expansive damage dealt to Norsus became clearly visible. The once proud skyline had been reduced to ruins and was dotted with dozens of starships that had crashed during the battle. The rolling blue plains had been burned to ash, and the oceans had been polluted and discolored. Thousands of corpses littered the streets alongside the husks of armored vehicles. With the Peacekeepers having withdrew and both the Rach and Margan lost in the Void, Norsus, as well as most former Rach colonies, fell under the control of the Zaretian Monarchy. The Monarchy established a token garrison on Norsus whose main goal was to scour to desolate ruins in search of anything valuable that had survived the battle.

Operation Downfall was not the decisive action that would determine the outcome of the war as many on both sides had believed, but it nevertheless had drastic ramifications. The Peacekeepers had been badly mauled by Sledgehammer and would requite time to recuperate and reorganize. Their leaders, the Rach, were gone, and Warbot Industries was practically destroyed, their only effective fighting force comprised of little more than a small fleet within Aeverian space. Days after the Battle of Norsus, the remaining Peacekeepers convened to discuss the future and decide new leadership for the Alliance. Some suggested the Diabs due to their powerful military and honorable ideals, but Admiral Korsair rejected the offer, not wanting to be, as he himself described it, "Tied down by bureaucratic lunacy". The admiral instead suggested the Aeveria Confederation, which he considered to be much more familiar with working with aliens and organizing alliances. In the ensuing vote, the Aeveria received an overwhelming majority, and was subsequently declared the new leader of the Peacekeepers. The Aeveria immediately set to work, shifting the Peacekeeper's goals from its ideological origins of protecting minor races to ensuring the survival of the Alliance and defeating the Warlord Pact.

The Pact had been planning to press their advantage after the Battle of Norsus and resume their offensive against the Peacekeepers, but without Margan support, which had been crucial during Sledgehammer, these plans had to be cancelled. The Pact instead focused on consolidating their new holdings. The Marshal's Council's first action was to issue Mandate 527, which declared that the Repzork were to maintain their positions within Diab and Karahotdoum space at all costs as part of an effort to 'contain' the two nations. The Council also redeployed some of its forces and mobilized more armadas for the war. The 14th and 355th armadas, after having replenished their losses from the Aeverian offensive, were sent to Diab space, their position on the Aeverian front taken over by the 843rdth armada, "Vindication of Blood". The Zaretians moved Vipenite to the Karahotdoum front and Gancarda to the Diab front to support Lord Atlas. Crown Prince Bael'thir, having proved his capabilities during his offensive against WBI, was sent to the Aeverian front. Tor'vath Alth'met'ker, who had made a name for himself on the Karahotdoum front under the command of Var, was promoted to Commandant and was sent to the Diab foothold. In the Dynasties' absence, Warlord leadership fell upon the Zaretian monarchy.

Emperor Zinmar attempted to cover up his plot to assist the Peacekeepers, but he was outed by Warlord-aligned officials who had wormed their way into the stealth generator construction facility while Downfall was underway. In retaliation, both Repzork and Zaretian agents infiltrated Zinmar's palace and confronted the emperor, who attempted to defend himself but was swiftly subdued. Both Omard and Zinmar's son were captured; Omard, whose true intentions in allowing the Diabs to bypass his forces were made public, was publicly executed by a firing squad, his standing with the Magellan populace having been entirely erased. Zinmar's son was taken to Alrukai to be groomed into a Warlord-aligned monarch by Emperor Zervath. Zinmar's betrayal was kept secret, but he became a puppet of the Marshal's Council, and if he attempted to cross the Warlords again, would face Omard's fate. In the weeks that followed, Magellan officials who had supported Zinmar and Omard would be hunted down and eliminated by Repzork and Zaretian agents.

There was a month-long period following the Battle of Norsus during which no major offensive operations were undertaken by either side, the Warlords partially due to their redeployments and the Peacekeepers because of a need to build their forces back up. The only notable exception was that of the Asanian Syndicate, which continued its attack on the Sauran Solidarity. But without the support it had previously, they slowly began to lose their momentum in the face of increased Sauran resistance.