The Andromeda took a few hours to leave; not only did Eneas spend a good time talking with Admiral Odysseus, but also the deputy commander, Icarus, received specific instructions.
The return to Elysium would take a month and a week for them to arrive. Even with the maximum pace of march that the Andromeda could carry, the Argos had two months of space travel ahead of them. It was true that the Argos lost a great attack capacity. Although The Andromeda was emptied of all mechs, fighters, and support ships, it could be said that the frigate was an empty shell.
If the mission was taken seriously, if they could really trust the high command to send immediate reinforcements, the Andromeda could complete its charge on Elyssium and thus bring more troops and reinforcements to the fight. But that was only a possibility, although everyone's hope was Aeneas's intervention, his ascendancy over the high command could tip the balance and simplify things.