By the time the rescue operations ended, the rankings had shifted in ways many factions had not expected.
Some of the strongest forces had performed well, but raw power alone had not carried them very far.
Teams that protected evacuation routes, preserved their healers, and made difficult decisions early often finished above groups that had destroyed far more enemies.
More importantly, the results exposed weaknesses that ordinary training had hidden.
Several factions discovered that their healers were positioned too far from the people who actually needed them. Others realized that their scouts were treated as support until the moment their information became critical. A few commanders learned, painfully, that hesitation could cost more lives than making an imperfect decision quickly.
Those lessons followed everyone out of the rescue sectors.
