This was never thought of as a quick fight from Lukon's side of things. It has always been known that to make them give in would be expensive and time consuming. But Lukon has tons of gold and nothing but time.
The longer this war drags on...the more gold income they will loose due to militia. On top of that they can barely feed themselves.
The interesting part to me is that it did not have to come down to a war at all. Basically too many nobles from Giblot (and elsewhere) filled Oritolons ranks, making any vote on a pro Lukon idea unattainable.
That coupled with internal power plays by some nobles resulted in mass confusion about what was actually being proposed. Had Oritolon gone with the plan they would have ended up the most powerful Empire in the unified Colonies. Three cities with potential to bring the duchy of Lukon into their Oritolon Empire rather than the Lukon Empire.
The Unified Colonies was just a set of agreements monitored by group elected by each realm...basically to prevent genocide.
Now however they will likely end up loosing Alebad and any chance to bring Lukon into the Oritolon Empire...but in the end they will still be forced into the United Colonies (or what ever name the Colonial Senate eventually calls it).
Lukon still has thousands of gold on hand... and over a thousand recruits waiting to be recruited.
So far the battles have gone Oritolons way... but it has been Oritolons regions which have suffered and Oritolons honor that has been tainted by its use of priests in warfare...and failure to abide by combatant exchange.
All of that aside. It is Oritolon we are talking about here. Eventually someone or some group will choose to take power and that will be the end...if history is any indicator.
