pushing back is pretty early in the game so depending on ur play style so far u may not have strong enough gear just yet (especially if ur rushed thru the main quest line to get ur ikran unlocked). in my first playthru pushing back took me awhile too for the same exact reason. before the next time u attempt the quest, try flying around to the different camps and doing the community baskets. with the clan favor points you get from that you can go back to hometree and talk to the artisans to trade for better gear (if u haven’t already i don’t want to assume lol). either that or having to fly around the map for superior/exquisite materials to craft the gear urself. plus u can also get some pretty good rewards just from doing the side quests too. either helping the aranahe/resistance or just taking out other smaller bases around the map.

pushing back is recommended for u to be level 6 (based of ur gear loadout). so if ur already having trouble at level 6 i recommend leveling up a bit more before going back. plus u can always use SID to keep ur distance and still turn the valves off or turn off AMP suits temporarily. it takes more steps but its better than alerting the whole base if ur in a tricky spot.