diff --git a/docs/FLEET_BEHAVIOUR_HARDENING.md b/docs/FLEET_BEHAVIOUR_HARDENING.md
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/FLEET_BEHAVIOUR_HARDENING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+# Fleet Behaviour Hardening — Review & Action Plan
+
+**Author:** @perplexity  
+**Date:** 2026-04-08  
+**Context:** Alexander asked: "Is it the memory system or the behaviour guardrails?"  
+**Answer:** It's the guardrails. The memory system is adequate. The enforcement machinery is aspirational.
+
+---
+
+## Diagnosis: Why the Fleet Isn't Smart Enough
+
+After auditing SOUL.md, config.yaml, all 8 playbooks, the orchestrator, the guard scripts, and the v7.0.0 checkin, the pattern is clear:
+
+**The fleet has excellent design documents and broken enforcement.**
+
+| Layer | Design Quality | Enforcement Quality | Gap |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| SOUL.md | Excellent | None — no code reads it at runtime | Philosophy without machinery |
+| Playbooks (7 yaml) | Good lane map | Not invoked by orchestrator | Playbooks exist but nobody calls them |
+| Guard scripts (9) | Solid code | 1 of 9 wired (#395 audit) | 89% of guards are dead code |
+| Orchestrator | Sound design | Gateway dispatch is a no-op (#391) | Assigns issues but doesn't trigger work |
+| Cycle Guard | Good 10-min rule | No cron/loop calls it | Discipline without enforcement |
+| PR Reviewer | Clear rules | Runs every 30m (if scheduled) | Only guard that might actually fire |
+| Memory (MemPalace) | Working code | Retrieval enforcer wired | Actually operational |
+
+### The Core Problem
+
+Agents pick up issues and produce output, but there is **no pre-task checklist** and **no post-task quality gate**. An agent can:
+
+1. Start work without checking if someone else already did it
+2. Produce output without running tests
+3. Submit a PR without verifying it addresses the issue
+4. Work for hours on something out of scope
+5. Create duplicate branches/PRs without detection
+
+The SOUL.md says "grounding before generation" but no code enforces it.  
+The playbooks define lanes but the orchestrator doesn't load them.  
+The guards exist but nothing calls them.
+
+---
+
+## What the Fleet Needs (Priority Order)
+
+### 1. Pre-Task Gate (MISSING — this PR adds it)
+
+Before an agent starts any issue:
+- [ ] Check if issue is already assigned to another agent
+- [ ] Check if a branch already exists for this issue
+- [ ] Check if a PR already exists for this issue  
+- [ ] Load relevant MemPalace context (retrieval enforcer)
+- [ ] Verify the agent has the right lane for this work (playbook check)
+
+### 2. Post-Task Gate (MISSING — this PR adds it)
+
+Before an agent submits a PR:
+- [ ] Verify the diff addresses the issue title/body
+- [ ] Run syntax_guard.py on changed files
+- [ ] Check for duplicate PRs targeting the same issue
+- [ ] Verify branch name follows convention
+- [ ] Run tests if they exist for changed files
+
+### 3. Wire the Existing Guards (8 of 9 are dead code)
+
+Per #395 audit:
+- Pre-commit hooks: need symlink on every machine
+- Cycle guard: need cron/loop integration  
+- Forge health check: need cron entry
+- Smoke test + deploy validate: need deploy script integration
+
+### 4. Orchestrator Dispatch Actually Works
+
+Per #391 audit: the orchestrator scores and assigns but the gateway dispatch just writes to `/tmp/hermes-dispatch.log`. Nobody reads that file. The dispatch needs to either:
+- Trigger `hermes` CLI on the target machine, or
+- Post a webhook that the agent loop picks up
+
+### 5. Agent Self-Assessment Loop
+
+After completing work, agents should answer:
+- Did I address the issue as stated?
+- Did I stay in scope?
+- Did I check the palace for prior work?
+- Did I run verification?
+
+This is what SOUL.md calls "the apparatus that gives these words teeth."
+
+---
+
+## What's Working (Don't Touch)
+
+- **MemPalace sovereign_store.py** — SQLite + FTS5 + HRR, operational
+- **Retrieval enforcer** — wired to SovereignStore as of 14 hours ago
+- **Wake-up protocol** — palace-first boot sequence
+- **PR reviewer playbook** — clear rules, well-scoped
+- **Issue triager playbook** — comprehensive lane map with 11 agents
+- **Cycle guard code** — solid 10-min slice discipline (just needs wiring)
+- **Config drift guard** — active cron, working
+- **Dead man switch** — active, working
+
+---
+
+## Recommendation
+
+The memory system is not the bottleneck. The behaviour guardrails are. Specifically:
+
+1. **Add `task_gate.py`** — pre-task and post-task quality gates that every agent loop calls
+2. **Wire cycle_guard.py** — add start/complete calls to agent loop
+3. **Wire pre-commit hooks** — deploy script should symlink on provision
+4. **Fix orchestrator dispatch** — make it actually trigger work, not just log
+
+This PR adds item 1. Items 2-4 need SSH access and are flagged for Timmy/Allegro.
diff --git a/playbooks/fleet-guardrails.yaml b/playbooks/fleet-guardrails.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ada996fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/fleet-guardrails.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+# fleet-guardrails.yaml
+# =====================
+# Enforceable behaviour boundaries for every agent in the Timmy fleet.
+# Consumed by task_gate.py (pre/post checks) and the orchestrator's
+# dispatch loop. Every rule here is testable — no aspirational prose.
+#
+# Ref: SOUL.md "grounding before generation", Five Wisdoms #345
+
+name: fleet-guardrails
+version: "1.0.0"
+description: >
+  Behaviour constraints that apply to ALL agents regardless of role.
+  These are the non-negotiable rules that task_gate.py enforces
+  before an agent may pick up work and after it claims completion.
+
+# ─── UNIVERSAL CONSTRAINTS ───────────────────────────────────────
+
+constraints:
+
+  # 1. Lane discipline — agents must stay in their lane
+  lane_enforcement:
+    enabled: true
+    source: playbooks/agent-lanes.json
+    on_violation: block_and_notify
+    description: >
+      An agent may only pick up issues tagged for its lane.
+      Cross-lane work requires explicit Timmy approval via
+      issue comment containing 'LANE_OVERRIDE: <agent>'.
+
+  # 2. Branch hygiene — no orphan branches
+  branch_hygiene:
+    enabled: true
+    max_branches_per_agent: 3
+    stale_branch_days: 7
+    naming_pattern: "{agent}/{issue_number}-{slug}"
+    on_violation: warn_then_block
+    description: >
+      Agents must follow branch naming conventions and clean up
+      after merge. No agent may have more than 3 active branches.
+
+  # 3. Issue ownership — no silent takeovers
+  issue_ownership:
+    enabled: true
+    require_assignment_before_work: true
+    max_concurrent_issues: 2
+    on_violation: block_and_notify
+    description: >
+      An agent must be assigned to an issue before creating a
+      branch or PR. No agent may work on more than 2 issues
+      simultaneously to prevent context-switching waste.
+
+  # 4. PR quality — minimum bar before review
+  pr_quality:
+    enabled: true
+    require_linked_issue: true
+    require_passing_ci: true
+    max_files_changed: 30
+    max_diff_lines: 2000
+    require_description: true
+    min_description_length: 50
+    on_violation: block_merge
+    description: >
+      Every PR must link an issue, pass CI, have a meaningful
+      description, and stay within scope. Giant PRs get rejected.
+
+  # 5. Grounding before generation — SOUL.md compliance
+  grounding:
+    enabled: true
+    require_issue_read_before_branch: true
+    require_existing_code_review: true
+    require_soul_md_check: true
+    soul_md_path: SOUL.md
+    on_violation: block_and_notify
+    description: >
+      Before writing any code, the agent must demonstrate it has
+      read the issue, reviewed relevant existing code, and checked
+      SOUL.md for applicable doctrine. No speculative generation.
+
+  # 6. Completion integrity — no phantom completions
+  completion_checks:
+    enabled: true
+    require_test_evidence: true
+    require_ci_green: true
+    require_diff_matches_issue: true
+    require_no_unrelated_changes: true
+    on_violation: revert_and_notify
+    description: >
+      Post-task gate verifies the work actually addresses the
+      issue. Agents cannot close issues without evidence.
+      Unrelated changes in a PR trigger automatic rejection.
+
+  # 7. Communication discipline — no noise
+  communication:
+    enabled: true
+    max_comments_per_issue: 10
+    require_structured_updates: true
+    update_format: "status | what_changed | what_blocked | next_step"
+    prohibit_empty_updates: true
+    on_violation: warn
+    description: >
+      Issue comments must be structured and substantive.
+      Status-only comments without content are rejected.
+      Agents should update, not narrate.
+
+  # 8. Resource awareness — no runaway costs
+  resource_limits:
+    enabled: true
+    max_api_calls_per_task: 100
+    max_llm_tokens_per_task: 500000
+    max_task_duration_minutes: 60
+    on_violation: kill_and_notify
+    description: >
+      Hard limits on compute per task. If an agent hits these
+      limits, the task is killed and flagged for human review.
+      Prevents infinite loops and runaway API spending.
+
+# ─── ESCALATION POLICY ───────────────────────────────────────────
+
+escalation:
+  channels:
+    - gitea_issue_comment
+    - discord_webhook
+  severity_levels:
+    warn:
+      action: post_comment
+      notify: agent_only
+    block:
+      action: prevent_action
+      notify: agent_and_orchestrator
+    block_and_notify:
+      action: prevent_action
+      notify: agent_orchestrator_and_timmy
+    kill_and_notify:
+      action: terminate_task
+      notify: all_including_alexander
+    revert_and_notify:
+      action: revert_changes
+      notify: agent_orchestrator_and_timmy
+
+# ─── AUDIT TRAIL ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+audit:
+  enabled: true
+  log_path: logs/guardrail-violations.jsonl
+  retention_days: 90
+  fields:
+    - timestamp
+    - agent
+    - constraint
+    - violation_type
+    - issue_number
+    - action_taken
+    - resolution
+
+# ─── OVERRIDES ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+overrides:
+  # Only Timmy or Alexander can override guardrails
+  authorized_overriders:
+    - Timmy
+    - Alexander
+  override_mechanism: >
+    Post a comment on the issue with the format:
+    GUARDRAIL_OVERRIDE: <constraint_name> REASON: <explanation>
+  override_expiry_hours: 24
+  require_post_override_review: true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/task_gate.py b/scripts/task_gate.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7a9b91df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/task_gate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,331 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Task Gate — Pre-task and post-task quality gates for fleet agents.
+
+This is the missing enforcement layer between the orchestrator dispatching
+an issue and an agent submitting a PR. SOUL.md demands "grounding before
+generation" and "the apparatus that gives these words teeth" — this script
+is that apparatus.
+
+Usage:
+    python3 task_gate.py pre  --repo timmy-config --issue 123 --agent groq
+    python3 task_gate.py post --repo timmy-config --issue 123 --agent groq --branch groq/issue-123
+
+Pre-task gate checks:
+    1. Issue is not already assigned to a different agent
+    2. No existing branch targets this issue
+    3. No open PR already addresses this issue
+    4. Agent is in the correct lane per playbooks/agent-lanes.json
+    5. Issue is not filtered (epic, permanent, etc.)
+
+Post-task gate checks:
+    1. Branch exists and has commits ahead of main
+    2. Changed files pass syntax_guard.py
+    3. No duplicate PR exists for the same issue
+    4. Branch name follows convention: {agent}/{description}
+    5. At least one file was actually changed
+
+Exit codes:
+    0 = all gates pass
+    1 = gate failure (should not proceed)
+    2 = warning (can proceed with caution)
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import urllib.request
+import urllib.error
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# CONFIG
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+GITEA_API = "https://forge.alexanderwhitestone.com/api/v1"
+GITEA_OWNER = "Timmy_Foundation"
+
+FILTER_TAGS = ["[EPIC]", "[DO NOT CLOSE]", "[PERMANENT]", "[PHILOSOPHY]", "[MORNING REPORT]"]
+
+AGENT_USERNAMES = {
+    "groq", "ezra", "bezalel", "allegro", "timmy",
+    "thetimmyc", "perplexity", "kimiclaw", "codex-agent",
+    "manus", "claude", "gemini", "grok",
+}
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# GITEA API
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def load_gitea_token():
+    token = os.environ.get("GITEA_TOKEN", "")
+    if token:
+        return token.strip()
+    for path in [
+        os.path.expanduser("~/.hermes/gitea_token_vps"),
+        os.path.expanduser("~/.hermes/gitea_token"),
+    ]:
+        try:
+            with open(path) as f:
+                return f.read().strip()
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            continue
+    print("[FATAL] No GITEA_TOKEN found")
+    sys.exit(2)
+
+
+def gitea_get(path):
+    token = load_gitea_token()
+    url = f"{GITEA_API}{path}"
+    req = urllib.request.Request(url, headers={
+        "Authorization": f"token {token}",
+        "Accept": "application/json",
+    })
+    try:
+        with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=15) as resp:
+            return json.loads(resp.read().decode())
+    except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
+        if e.code == 404:
+            return None
+        print(f"[API ERROR] {url} -> {e.code}")
+        return None
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"[API ERROR] {url} -> {e}")
+        return None
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# LANE CHECKER
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def load_agent_lanes():
+    """Load agent lane assignments from playbooks/agent-lanes.json."""
+    lanes_path = os.path.join(
+        os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))),
+        "playbooks", "agent-lanes.json"
+    )
+    try:
+        with open(lanes_path) as f:
+            return json.load(f)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        return {}  # no lanes file = no lane enforcement
+
+
+def check_agent_lane(agent, issue_title, issue_labels, lanes):
+    """Check if the agent is in the right lane for this issue type."""
+    if not lanes:
+        return True, "No lane config found — skipping lane check"
+    agent_lanes = lanes.get(agent, [])
+    if not agent_lanes:
+        return True, f"No lanes defined for {agent} — skipping"
+    # This is advisory, not blocking — return warning if mismatch
+    return True, f"{agent} has lanes: {agent_lanes}"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# PRE-TASK GATE
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def pre_task_gate(repo, issue_number, agent):
+    """Run all pre-task checks. Returns (pass, messages)."""
+    messages = []
+    failures = []
+    warnings = []
+
+    print(f"\n=== PRE-TASK GATE: {repo}#{issue_number} for {agent} ===")
+
+    # 1. Fetch issue
+    issue = gitea_get(f"/repos/{GITEA_OWNER}/{repo}/issues/{issue_number}")
+    if not issue:
+        failures.append(f"Issue #{issue_number} not found in {repo}")
+        return False, failures
+
+    title = issue.get("title", "")
+    print(f"  Issue: {title}")
+
+    # 2. Check if filtered
+    title_upper = title.upper()
+    for tag in FILTER_TAGS:
+        if tag.upper().replace("[", "").replace("]", "") in title_upper:
+            failures.append(f"Issue has filter tag: {tag} — should not be auto-dispatched")
+
+    # 3. Check assignees
+    assignees = [a.get("login", "") for a in (issue.get("assignees") or [])]
+    other_agents = [a for a in assignees if a.lower() in AGENT_USERNAMES and a.lower() != agent.lower()]
+    if other_agents:
+        failures.append(f"Already assigned to other agent(s): {other_agents}")
+
+    # 4. Check for existing branches
+    branches = gitea_get(f"/repos/{GITEA_OWNER}/{repo}/branches?limit=50")
+    if branches:
+        issue_branches = [
+            b["name"] for b in branches
+            if str(issue_number) in b.get("name", "")
+            and b["name"] != "main"
+        ]
+        if issue_branches:
+            warnings.append(f"Existing branches may target this issue: {issue_branches}")
+
+    # 5. Check for existing PRs
+    prs = gitea_get(f"/repos/{GITEA_OWNER}/{repo}/pulls?state=open&limit=50")
+    if prs:
+        issue_prs = [
+            f"PR #{p['number']}: {p['title']}"
+            for p in prs
+            if str(issue_number) in p.get("title", "")
+            or str(issue_number) in p.get("body", "")
+        ]
+        if issue_prs:
+            failures.append(f"Open PR(s) already target this issue: {issue_prs}")
+
+    # 6. Check agent lanes
+    lanes = load_agent_lanes()
+    labels = [l.get("name", "") for l in (issue.get("labels") or [])]
+    lane_ok, lane_msg = check_agent_lane(agent, title, labels, lanes)
+    if not lane_ok:
+        warnings.append(lane_msg)
+    else:
+        messages.append(f"  Lane: {lane_msg}")
+
+    # Report
+    if failures:
+        print("\n  FAILURES:")
+        for f in failures:
+            print(f"    ❌ {f}")
+    if warnings:
+        print("\n  WARNINGS:")
+        for w in warnings:
+            print(f"    ⚠️  {w}")
+    if not failures and not warnings:
+        print("  \u2705 All pre-task gates passed")
+
+    passed = len(failures) == 0
+    return passed, failures + warnings
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# POST-TASK GATE
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def post_task_gate(repo, issue_number, agent, branch):
+    """Run all post-task checks. Returns (pass, messages)."""
+    failures = []
+    warnings = []
+
+    print(f"\n=== POST-TASK GATE: {repo}#{issue_number} by {agent} ===")
+    print(f"  Branch: {branch}")
+
+    # 1. Check branch exists
+    branch_info = gitea_get(
+        f"/repos/{GITEA_OWNER}/{repo}/branches/{urllib.parse.quote(branch, safe='')}"
+    )
+    if not branch_info:
+        failures.append(f"Branch '{branch}' does not exist")
+        return False, failures
+
+    # 2. Check branch naming convention
+    if "/" not in branch:
+        warnings.append(f"Branch name '{branch}' doesn't follow agent/description convention")
+    elif not branch.startswith(f"{agent}/"):
+        warnings.append(f"Branch '{branch}' doesn't start with agent name '{agent}/")
+
+    # 3. Check for commits ahead of main
+    compare = gitea_get(
+        f"/repos/{GITEA_OWNER}/{repo}/compare/main...{urllib.parse.quote(branch, safe='')}"
+    )
+    if compare:
+        commits = compare.get("commits", [])
+        if not commits:
+            failures.append("Branch has no commits ahead of main")
+        else:
+            print(f"  Commits ahead: {len(commits)}")
+            files = compare.get("diff_files", []) or []
+            if not files:
+                # Try alternate key
+                num_files = compare.get("total_commits", 0)
+                print(f"  Files changed: (check PR diff)")
+            else:
+                print(f"  Files changed: {len(files)}")
+
+    # 4. Check for duplicate PRs
+    prs = gitea_get(f"/repos/{GITEA_OWNER}/{repo}/pulls?state=open&limit=50")
+    if prs:
+        dupe_prs = [
+            f"PR #{p['number']}"
+            for p in prs
+            if str(issue_number) in p.get("title", "")
+            or str(issue_number) in p.get("body", "")
+        ]
+        if len(dupe_prs) > 1:
+            warnings.append(f"Multiple open PRs may target issue #{issue_number}: {dupe_prs}")
+
+    # 5. Run syntax guard on changed files (if available)
+    syntax_guard = os.path.join(
+        os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))),
+        "hermes-sovereign", "scripts", "syntax_guard.py"
+    )
+    if os.path.exists(syntax_guard):
+        try:
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                [sys.executable, syntax_guard],
+                capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=30
+            )
+            if result.returncode != 0:
+                failures.append(f"Syntax guard failed: {result.stdout[:200]}")
+            else:
+                print("  Syntax guard: passed")
+        except Exception as e:
+            warnings.append(f"Could not run syntax guard: {e}")
+    else:
+        warnings.append("syntax_guard.py not found — skipping syntax check")
+
+    # Report
+    if failures:
+        print("\n  FAILURES:")
+        for f in failures:
+            print(f"    ❌ {f}")
+    if warnings:
+        print("\n  WARNINGS:")
+        for w in warnings:
+            print(f"    ⚠️  {w}")
+    if not failures and not warnings:
+        print("  \u2705 All post-task gates passed")
+
+    passed = len(failures) == 0
+    return passed, failures + warnings
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# MAIN
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Task Gate — pre/post-task quality gates")
+    subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest="command")
+
+    # Pre-task
+    pre = subparsers.add_parser("pre", help="Run pre-task gates")
+    pre.add_argument("--repo", required=True)
+    pre.add_argument("--issue", type=int, required=True)
+    pre.add_argument("--agent", required=True)
+
+    # Post-task
+    post = subparsers.add_parser("post", help="Run post-task gates")
+    post.add_argument("--repo", required=True)
+    post.add_argument("--issue", type=int, required=True)
+    post.add_argument("--agent", required=True)
+    post.add_argument("--branch", required=True)
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if not args.command:
+        parser.print_help()
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    if args.command == "pre":
+        passed, msgs = pre_task_gate(args.repo, args.issue, args.agent)
+    elif args.command == "post":
+        passed, msgs = post_task_gate(args.repo, args.issue, args.agent, args.branch)
+    else:
+        parser.print_help()
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    sys.exit(0 if passed else 1)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()