They indeed lacked truly battle-hardened experience, but the indefinite amount of time they had spent in training and their combat awareness and military expertise still allowed them to make the right decisions in the absence of command systems.
With the combat power they possessed, they should have been able to easily complete their retreat and regrouping, then simultaneously face the Xinghe Squad and the three major Independent Groups with their collective strength.
At this point in the battle, they were acutely aware that retreat was impossible, not only because they would be pursued and consumed by the Xinghe Squad alongside the Independent Groups, but also because their retreat would lead to the capture of over a hundred Duke Mechas by the Federation.
Exchanging over a hundred Duke Mechas for the Federation's over a hundred Mountain-cutting Mechas and a Space Battleship would be a significant loss for the Empire.
