fix(housekeeping): coordinate all rank mutation paths

docs/superpowers/evidence/2026-09-05-housekeeping-rank-convergence.md

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+# Housekeeping rank synchronization
+
+## Behavior
+
+Rank assignments commit the configured rank, user update, and audit intent before
+attempting emulator synchronization. Assignment and rank deletion acquire the
+configured-rank row lock first. Delivery acquires the user row lock, reads the
+current database rank, and holds that lock until the transport settles.
+
+Retrying an old recovery reference therefore dispatches the current committed
+rank rather than replaying the rank stored in the old audit record. A user deleted
+after persistence produces an audited superseded result. SQL lock errors remain
+dependency failures rather than being reported as missing ranks.
+
+The coordinated paths cover System operations, People user editing, the legacy
+command centre, legacy user editing, the user-actions API, legacy rank deletion,
+and shop rank upgrades. Administrative user creation also locks the selected rank.
+Shop upgrades compare the locked current rank so they cannot overwrite a newer
+staff promotion. A failed post-purchase rank delivery leaves a recovery intent
+without turning the completed purchase into another charge.
+
+People and legacy responses preserve partial-completion information and recovery
+references. Failure of the completion audit alone does not misreport successful
+transport delivery as a transport failure.
+
+## Verification
+
+- Focused rank, legacy-entrypoint, shop, System and People tests: 94 passed.
+- Full suite: 280 files passed, 3 skipped; 1,861 tests passed, 5 skipped.
+- Next.js 16.3.4 production build passed and generated all 245 pages.
+- TypeScript and canonical Knip checks passed.
+- Biome passed on all 13 changed source/test files.
+- Project-source lint without formatting passed on 1,412 files, with one existing
+  Catalog Studio warning. The full Windows checkout check also includes local
+  untracked brainstorm HTML and reports CRLF/LF formatting differences; those
+  local files were preserved and are not part of this change.
+- Migration matrix: 138 historical rows valid; 138 legacy pages retained;
+  runtime discovered/mapped/verified 138/138/138, with 2 intentional removals.
+- Independent read-only review found no remaining Important or Critical issues.
+
+## Validation boundary
+
+Tests exercise the parameterized locking SQL and controlled transaction/transport
+ordering. No live two-connection MariaDB race test or production emulator
+acceptance test was performed.
+
+TCP RCON success means the socket write completed. CMS dispatch is serialized,
+but the current protocol does not acknowledge emulator processing or enforce its
+processing order. End-to-end confirmation would require an emulator protocol
+change. The existing transport timeout and retry policy bounds the delivery wait.
+
+The PR remains draft; these checks are not a deployment or preview-cutover claim.