Even with a half-hearted attack, they still had the chance to interfere with the Western War Zone's scavenging efforts.
This would significantly decrease the rewards of their victory.
Should they risk losing more Mecha to prevent the Federation from seizing over a thousand Mecha? Or should they abandon those Mecha, along with the supplies the Empire had left behind in outpost 1840 that they didn't have time to remove?
Due to Ji Xinghe's battlefield repair strategy, the Empire made the decision most beneficial to the Western War Zone.
Of course, this was also related to the five hundred Mecha the Western War Zone had dispatched to outpost 1838.
And the fact that the vast number of soldiers in the temporary defense line the Empire had formed lacked sufficient oxygen.
They chose to retreat to outpost 1842.
Thus, while the Western War Zone was seizing its spoils of war, its main force advanced to outpost 1840.
Twenty days later, they had reclaimed their lost territory.