I actually like the idea of the Firebrands sacking Zar Endal while the Master is away.  It's good conflict, there's a lot of room for threads to just be thrown together, it sets the general up as a wildcard and it puts them on a plausible intercept course for direct interaction with the incoming chaos of the invasion.  

I can't guess whether Alkhazar's reaction would be raging, homicidal fury and the spontaneous combustion of several messengers, or "Zar Endal?  Please, I don't need [i]that[/i] any more.  I have [i]other[/i] plans..."