diff --git a/src/game/engine/scenes/hud/unit_panel.gd b/src/game/engine/scenes/hud/unit_panel.gd
index a5031304..e568e4e0 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/scenes/hud/unit_panel.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/scenes/hud/unit_panel.gd
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ signal set_formation_shape_pressed(formation_id: int, shape: String)
 signal set_formation_command_pressed(formation_id: int, command: String)
 signal exit_formation_pressed(unit_id: String)
 signal auto_join_toggled(unit_id: String, enabled: bool)
+## p2-59 pioneer-escort verb signals. Surfaced for vulnerable protectees
+## (civilian / founder) via the EscortAssign/EscortRelease action vocabulary.
+## The controller routes these to the player-API escort dispatch.
+signal escort_assign_pressed
+signal escort_release_pressed
 
 const UnitScript: GDScript = preload("res://engine/src/entities/unit.gd")
 const ActionButtonScene: PackedScene = preload("res://engine/scenes/hud/action_button.tscn")
@@ -117,6 +122,9 @@ const _KIND_TO_SIGNAL: Dictionary = {
 	"supply_aura": "archetype_action_pressed",
 	"light_beacon": "archetype_action_pressed",
 	"claim_territory": "archetype_action_pressed",
+	# p2-59 pioneer escort
+	"escort_assign": "escort_assign_pressed",
+	"escort_release": "escort_release_pressed",
 }
 
 ## The currently selected unit (UnitScript or Dictionary). Typed as RefCounted
@@ -440,6 +448,10 @@ func _on_action_button_pressed(signal_name: String, kind: String = "") -> void:
 			disembark_pressed.emit()
 		"archetype_action_pressed":
 			archetype_action_pressed.emit(kind)
+		"escort_assign_pressed":
+			escort_assign_pressed.emit()
+		"escort_release_pressed":
+			escort_release_pressed.emit()
 
 
 ## Fallback button set when GdUnitActions is not loaded (editor / headless).
diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/autoloads/event_bus.gd b/src/game/engine/src/autoloads/event_bus.gd
index 5718d7e7..84988e75 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/src/autoloads/event_bus.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/autoloads/event_bus.gd
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ signal unit_destroyed(unit: Variant, killer: Variant)
 signal unit_promoted(unit: Variant, promotion: String)
 signal unit_healed(unit: Variant, amount: int)
 
+# -- Escort signals (p2-59) --
+## Emitted when a pioneer-escort link is OBSERVED to have formed in the
+## simulator (the link materialises when the TurnProcessor drains
+## `pending_escort_requests` at end-of-turn, so this fires off the post-step
+## link table — never optimistically on button-press). `protectee_id` /
+## `escort_id` are `MapUnit::id` integer handles.
+signal escort_assigned(protectee_id: int, escort_id: int)
+## Emitted when a previously-formed escort link is observed to have been
+## dropped (via EscortRelease, or because a linked unit died / was captured).
+signal escort_released(protectee_id: int)
+
 # -- City signals --
 signal city_founded(city: Variant, player_index: int)
 signal city_captured(city: Variant, old_owner: int, new_owner: int)
diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/modules/units/escort_controller.gd b/src/game/engine/src/modules/units/escort_controller.gd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f2ddd3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/modules/units/escort_controller.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+class_name EscortController
+extends RefCounted
+## p2-59 — bridges the pioneer-escort UI verbs to the player-API escort
+## dispatch and re-emits the EventBus escort signals off OBSERVED simulator
+## state.
+##
+## The escort link is NOT a same-frame mutation: `EscortAssign` queues an
+## `EscortRequest` that the Rust `TurnProcessor` drains when it processes the
+## turn (`process_escort_requests`, inside `apply_end_turn`'s `step`). So this
+## controller never emits `escort_assigned` optimistically on button-press —
+## it re-reads `escort_links` from the live state via `sync_links()` after the
+## turn resolves and emits the EventBus signal only for links that actually
+## formed (or dropped). `escort_links` is keyed `protected_unit_id ->
+## escort_unit_id` (both `MapUnit::id`).
+##
+## `_api` is a `GdPlayerApi` (the Claude / headless player interface — the
+## path that actually drains escort requests). The live human-game turn loop
+## (`world_map` + `GdTurnProcessor::step_encounters_only`) does not yet drain
+## escort requests; that interactive bridge is tracked separately from p2-59.
+
+## The held GdPlayerApi bridge (RefCounted at the GDExtension boundary).
+var _api: RefCounted = null
+
+## Snapshot of the last-observed link table (`protectee_id:int -> escort_id:int`)
+## so `sync_links()` can diff and emit only on change.
+var _known_links: Dictionary = {}
+
+
+func _init(api: RefCounted) -> void:
+	_api = api
+
+
+## Queue an escort-assign for `protectee_unit_id` (a vulnerable civilian /
+## founder). Returns the parsed response envelope; the link materialises only
+## after the turn resolves — call `sync_links()` then to surface it.
+func assign(player_slot: int, protectee_unit_id: int) -> Dictionary:
+	return _dispatch(player_slot, "escort_assign", protectee_unit_id)
+
+
+## Queue an escort-release for `protectee_unit_id`.
+func release(player_slot: int, protectee_unit_id: int) -> Dictionary:
+	return _dispatch(player_slot, "escort_release", protectee_unit_id)
+
+
+func _dispatch(player_slot: int, action_type: String, protectee_unit_id: int) -> Dictionary:
+	if _api == null:
+		return {}
+	var action: Dictionary = {"type": action_type, "unit_id": str(protectee_unit_id)}
+	var envelope_str: String = String(_api.apply_action_json(player_slot, JSON.stringify(action)))
+	var envelope: Dictionary = JSON.parse_string(envelope_str) as Dictionary
+	if envelope == null:
+		return {}
+	return envelope
+
+
+## Re-read `escort_links` from the live state and emit EventBus signals for any
+## link that appeared (`escort_assigned`) or disappeared (`escort_released`)
+## since the previous sync. Call once after each turn resolves.
+func sync_links() -> void:
+	if _api == null:
+		return
+	var dump: Dictionary = JSON.parse_string(String(_api.dump_state_json())) as Dictionary
+	if dump == null:
+		return
+	var links: Dictionary = dump.get("escort_links", {})
+
+	# Normalise the JSON link table (string keys/values) into int->int.
+	var current: Dictionary = {}
+	for key: String in links:
+		current[int(key)] = int(links[key])
+
+	# Newly-formed or re-targeted links → escort_assigned.
+	for protectee_id: int in current:
+		var escort_id: int = current[protectee_id]
+		if not _known_links.has(protectee_id) or int(_known_links[protectee_id]) != escort_id:
+			EventBus.escort_assigned.emit(protectee_id, escort_id)
+
+	# Dropped links → escort_released.
+	for protectee_id: int in _known_links:
+		if not current.has(protectee_id):
+			EventBus.escort_released.emit(protectee_id)
+
+	_known_links = current
diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/modules/units/escort_controller.gd.uid b/src/game/engine/src/modules/units/escort_controller.gd.uid
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e821eeb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/modules/units/escort_controller.gd.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://bmcwr1ovmj3s8