The controller may ask any module's tool

The control plane is the way in for tool calls (novox/hq ADR 0095): a person or an agent asks
through it, so it alone may publish to every module's tool subject. The first ask on the new bus
was refused the publish.

cmd/mesh-controller/rollout.go

@@ -127,9 +127,13 @@ func readinessOf(ctx context.Context, inv *inventory.Inventory) (broker.Readines
 	if address != "" {
 		// One dial, briefly. "Is it answering" is the one fact records cannot hold, and a mesh about
 		// to move onto a server that is not there should hear it here rather than afterwards.
-		if conn, err := nats.Connect(broker.BareAddress(address), nats.Timeout(5*time.Second)); err == nil {
+		//
+		// **Dialled the way the mesh dials it** — credential and pin — because a bare connect to a
+		// bus that requires TLS and a user fails at the handshake, and the check then reported a
+		// standing server as absent (seen live, 2026-09-28).
+		if js, err := broker.Dial(address, nats.Timeout(5*time.Second)); err == nil {
 			state.ServerStanding = true
-			conn.Close()
+			js.Close()
 		}
 	}
 

internal/broker/nats.go

@@ -181,6 +181,11 @@ func PermissionsFor(p Principal) (Permissions, error) {
 		for _, seat := range meshSeatsTheControllerUses {
 			pub = append(pub, "mesh.seat."+seat+".accept.>")
 		}
+		// Every module's tools: **the control plane is the way in** (novox/hq ADR 0095). A person
+		// or an agent asks through it and every question passes one process where an audit
+		// belongs — so it, alone among principals, may call any tool by name. The first `ask` on
+		// the new bus was refused the publish (2026-09-28).
+		pub = append(pub, "mesh.mod.*.tool.>")
 
 		// The two events it reacts to, and its ack subject on the stream they arrive from
 		// (streams.go). **Each named, not a pattern**: `mesh.mod.*.event.>` would make the

internal/broker/testdata/composed.conf

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ accounts {
     jetstream: enabled
     users = [
       { user: "controller", password: "$2a$11$cccccccccccccccccccccc", permissions: {
-        publish: { allow: ["$JS.ACK.CONTROL.controller.>", "$JS.ACK.EVENTS.controller.>", "$JS.API.>", "_INBOX.enrol.>", "mesh.control.>", "mesh.node.>", "mesh.seat.mesh-build-machine.accept.>"] }
+        publish: { allow: ["$JS.ACK.CONTROL.controller.>", "$JS.ACK.EVENTS.controller.>", "$JS.API.>", "_INBOX.enrol.>", "mesh.control.>", "mesh.mod.*.tool.>", "mesh.node.>", "mesh.seat.mesh-build-machine.accept.>"] }
         subscribe: { allow: ["$JS.API.>", "_DELIVER.controller", "_DELIVER.controller.>", "_INBOX.controller.>", "mesh.control.>", "mesh.mod.gitea.event.pull.merged", "mesh.mod.mesh-catalog.event.catching-up", "mesh.mod.mesh-catalog.event.upgraded", "mesh.seat.mesh-build-machine.event.built"] }
         allow_responses: { max: 1, ttl: "1m" }
       } }