The attack on the Reach drives the narrative, but the attack was actually Fordola's idea and she's even the one that kills Meffrid or whoever the c-list named character there was.

Zenos doesn't really do much himself besides beat us and then leave, Fordola does more to actually drive that point. But I'll grant that maybe if Zenos hadn't been there the WOL could have repelled the attack.

In Doma, us attacking Zenos should have been a moment that had negative consequences with us picking a fight we weren't ready for. But instead the only thing that actually comes of it is Grynewaht accidentally helps us rally the Xaela to fight the empire.