Session Handoff [auto-1509]: Name the Off-Grammar --branch Outcome in AUDIT.md Section 1 per #1509 #2694

Next Steps, in Priority Order

1. Fix AUDIT.md Section 1 Does Not Describe the Third Outcome --branch Now Has #1509. AUDIT.md section 1's --branch paragraph ("Verify a convergence before it is promoted with --branch") names two outcomes of a --branch value: a ref that resolves, and a ref that does not resolve, which is a single error naming it. It omits the third, a value off the grammar spec/validate.py declares (GROUND_TRUTH_BRANCH_PATTERN, applied through GROUND_TRUTH_BRANCH_RE in spec/audit.py's argument handling), which exits 2 with one stderr line before any read. Add one clause naming that outcome and where the grammar it is judged against lives. Done looks like: the paragraph states all three outcomes, the clause matches what spec/audit.py actually does on origin/develop (re-read the guard and its exit code rather than trusting this summary), and the pull request into develop merges with Closes on promotion: #1509 in its body.
2. Run the carried-content checks this edit owes. AUDIT.md section 1 is a carried canonical unit, so run the local gate set, spec/validate.py included, and the local-strict-review pass before each push. Done looks like: every gate green on the pushed head and the pass recorded.

External Blockers

None known at pick time. The picker found no open decision issue blocking work on develop.

Internal Dependencies

• Step 2 runs on the branch step 1 creates, before every push, since the pass reads the branch's diff against develop.

State

• No branch, worktree, or pull request exists for this lane yet. The worker creates feature/auto-1509 in a worktree of its own based on develop.
• At pick time no open pull request, no unpromoted develop merge, and no open handoff's next steps named AUDIT.md Section 1 Does Not Describe the Third Outcome --branch Now Has #1509, and AUDIT.md Section 1 Does Not Describe the Third Outcome --branch Now Has #1509 had no comments.
• Re-derive all of the above at resume rather than trusting it.

Parked Decision Queue

Zero parked decisions on this lane.

What the Last Round Did

This is the lane's first link, created by the unattended-handoff picker from the open backlog.

What Not to Repeat

• Do not widen the edit beyond the one missing clause. The issue states the existing sentence is incomplete rather than wrong, so it stays.

New Learnings

None yet.