The failure of the GTVA forces to make immediate headway into Sol (or, in fact, to do so for the next several months) must be placed into context. Admiral Bei had been hand-picked to lead the beachhead, and his defection left the plan without a leader. The High Command instantly recognized that the entire GTVA OrBat and plan of attack had been compromised by Bei's defection. In order to prevent massive losses, the interim commander, Admiral Cyrus Severanti, elected to pursue an extremely conservative plan of attack in which fortification of the node would be paramount.

It would be months before a second assault on Neptune would begin. These months were marked by moderate-intensity warfare that saw the devastation of outlying infrastructure around Sol and the destruction of most of the regional defense militias not placed under the Jovian Third Fleet's jurisdiction. The UEF's extensive network of subspace tracking platforms was severely degraded, allowing GTVA forces greater strategic freedom.

In spite of this long break, the UEF was not able to prepare a military response, and the Council of Elders elected to pursue diplomatic avenues instead. Some high-level talks did occur, in which the GTVA outlined its demands:

The immediate surrender of the Ubuntu Party and its non-elected leaders, the Council of Elder.

The liberation of GTA citizens in Sol (meaning all Terrans) and their repatriation to GTVA citizenship.

The accession of Sol to the GTVA by ratification of the Beta Aquilae Convention and submission to the will of the Security Council, General Assembly, and High Command.

The immediate end of the isolationist and antimilitary policies that had placed Sol's defense in critical jeopardy.

These demands were met with bewildered refusal.

In the meantime, the GTVA built up forces at the node, establishing a 'great umbilical' that would supply further pushes into the Sol system. Facing a military infrastructure and population base nearly comparable to their own, the GTVA relied on its superior tactical capabilities and experienced officer base to gain abilities. The critical need, however, was for Anemoi logistics ships to permit extended operations away from the node. In a strategic environment defined by the instantaneous nature of subspace travel, it was vital that GTVA assets be decentralized and new beachheads be established.

When the assault on Neptune came, it was not because Neptune was geographically distant from the major colonies - subspace made this irrelevant. It was because Admiral Severanti judged that the UEF would not commit resources to the defense of such a sparsely populated and unimportant location. The primary objective of the GTVA forces was the capture of the Neptune fuel infrastructure to supplement their flight operations, giving them logistics to support another destroyer in Sol.

Severanti was correct. The attempted defense of Neptune was perfunctory and ineffectual. Admiral Calder was, by this point, in a state of near-constant rage with the Council of Elders, and went so far as to comment that the GTA's final demand should very well be instituted.

The battle of Neptune was a preliminary engagement but it was still a significant one. However, it led into an even more startling event - a high-risk, deep-cover SOC operation that brought the war home to the UEF.