You cherry picked quotes from the cards and omitted some others. I'll break this down: First, I'll address the cards you give as evidence that the Guardian stayed and fought. The first Traveler card is speculation. The Narrator is a Guardian, meaning that the Narrator died, then was resurrected after the Collapse. [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Rasputin]Ghost Fragment: Rasputin[/url] further states that it is a common belief that the Guardian fought while the Warminds died. But this is obviously not true, because Rasputin survived. Now, this does not make the Guardian staying behind not true, but proves that what the Guardians consider the truth and what actually happened during the Collapse are two different things, therefore the Traveler card narrator is not a reliable source of information. You then cherry picked Ghost Fragment: Traveler 2, picking only one line from 2 and ignoring that all three cards of the series. Even without GF: Traveler 1 and 3, [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_The_Traveler_2]the full text of 2 is:[/url] [quote]This has been such a long chase. This will be the place you will fight. Fight and win. But do you really know why you go where you go, and where this journey is taking you? The chase leads you where you need to be, you believe. Unless...you are being pushed.[/quote] And this further requires context from [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_The_Traveler]Ghost Fragment: The Traveler[/url] and [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_The_Traveler_3]Ghost Fragment: Traveler 3[/url] In short, the three segments are a logically connected monologue presumably directed to the Traveler somehow related to the titular "Dreams of Aplha Lupi (Alpha Wolf)" all three reference. The monologue first states what we know, that the Traveler moves from system to system, cultivates life according to some grand design, then runs when the Darkness catches up to it. But it also suggests that the Traveler itself does not know why it does so. It states that it has no memory of wanting worship or gratitude and that it has become so wary from its journey that it acts on instinct, its memories became a burden it fears. When it says that Sol is where the Traveler will fight, it goes on to suggest that both where it goes and why it leaves is not by its own design. In fact, it outright suggests that the Traveler does not run, but rather is "pushed" by something, either the Darkness or something that drives both. Finally, it describes a knife of million blades that pins the Traveler and strips it of its godhood. It cannot see. It has no senses. Only the "slick heart of its soul" remains, keeping alive what the Guardian feared - its memories. When put together, these Grimoire entries outright confirm that if not for some outside force, the Traveler would have fled again but not done so because it wanted to but rather be "pushed" again. Yes, the Traveler stayed and "fought", but it only did so because it was crippled and all but destroyed, freeing its memories and also possibly whatever influence compelled it to continue the cycle. [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Mysteries]Finally, Ghost Fragment: Mysteries[/url] In here, indeed it seems like the narrator is Rasputin, as it takes the same method of talking as it does in other fragments, but the interpretation is not clear. Rasputin seems to suggest that the only way to defeat IT is to be alone and presumably focus everything on a singular purpose, just like IT forces itself. The Traveler does not do so, in fact, the Traveler uplifts and uses civilizations for that purpose, "weakening" itself in the process. If we interpret that and consider the Alpha Lupi fragments, this seems to suggest that by crippling the Traveler Rasputin would do exactly that, "force" it to focus on IT rather then have it fly to uplift another civilization. Again, on its own, this sentence does indeed suggest the Traveler fought to protect humans. But there is an overwhelming amount of evidence suggesting that is not what it meant, listed both above and bellow. Now, next you move on to [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Rasputin_5]Ghost Fragment: Rasputin 5[/url] and proceed to misinterpret it. What you did here is made a mistake in the order Rasputin considered its logic as well as some minor descriptive errors. I'll elaborate by lines of Ras 5: Apart from the Neutrino Needle line, the first 4 lines are the usual classification Rasputin uses to categorize/tag its directives and decisions. [quote]This is a SUBTLE ASSETS IMPERATIVE (NO HUMAN REVIEW) (NO AI-COM REVIEW) (secure/ABHOR).[/quote] Rasputin was made to learn and to survive, therefore it created a secret imperative for itself. This is hidden from all humans and AIs. It is also aware this is a immoral, everything has gone to shit imperative. [quote]Stand by for CRITERIA:[/quote] These are the 8 conditions required for the imperative to be activated. They are: [quote]Under CARRHAE (WHITE or BLACK) If SECURITY STATE is EGYPTIAN If event rank is TEILHARD: TRAUMATIC CONTEXT or SKYSHOCK: OUTSIDE CONTEXT If VOLUSPA is ACTIVE and in FAILURE [synapse to FENRIR::SURTR] If YUGA is ACTIVE and in SUNDOWN If AI-COM has granted PERMISSIVE POTENTIATION to outboard resilient instances If a CIVILIZATION KILL EVENT is underway [all flexions] If tactical morality is built at MIDNIGHT[/quote] All of these are implied or outright declared in [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Darkness]Ghost Fragment: Darkness[/url] and [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Rasputin_3] Ghost Fragment: Rasputin 3[/url] and flow in a natural order from detecting a doomsday style event, to checking for contingencies against it (and their failure) and finally for a declaration that a civilization-ending event is taking place and that AI-COM, presumably Rasputin, is seeding itself into outside channels to survive (hence it is on Mars) This is where you made an error in interpretation, as these are all conditions Rasputin needs to activate this imperative. This means that even though it abandoned its other defensive imperatives and is seeding itself to survive, it also is actively running this function. The next line is not a conditional as you interpreted it, but rather active monitoring of a variable and instructions if it triggers: [quote]Stand by for DECISION POINT: If available ISR and WARWATCH indicates imminent [O] departure >then [O] departure compromises human/neohuman survival and epoch strategy Stand by for ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE: Activate LOKI CROWN Perform deniable authorization: full caedometric and noetic release Prevent [O] departure by any means available [/quote] Rasputin deduced at some point that if the Traveler leaves, everyone dies. Probably including itself and at this point, it is oriented purely on survival. It then monitors results: [quote]Stand by for effect assessment criteria: Coerce pseudoaltruistic [O] defensive action. Defer civilization kill.[/quote] Meaning it is trying to force the Traveler to defend itself and survivors and at least defers total anihilation. It is entirely possible that this is done to make sure it has time to guarantee its own survival. Now if we put this together with GF: Traveler 1-3, we can deduce that the Traveler did indeed intend to flee, not even by its own design. Finally you state that there is no confirmation of this, but this is wrong. Behold, [url=http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_Cards/Ghost_Fragment:_Old_Russia]Ghost Fragment: Old Russia[/url] In here, we see a ship taking off and making final checks before deploying a caedometric weapon, the same weapon that Rasputin planned to use as part of LOKI CROWN. The flight controlers even mention that this is happening under SECURE ISIS, meaning that Rasputin is keeping is secret from anyone it can, but the controlers both seem to be aware who authorized the order. EDIT: After a conversation in this thread and reading through [url=http://db.destinytracker.com/grimoire/places/earth/ghost-fragment-old-russia-3]Ghost Fragment: Old Russia 3[/url] I have come to the realization that there is also another possible scenario - Rasputin declares humanity screwed and prepares for its MIDNIGHT contingency, thus clearing all 8 conditions in the abhorrent imperative. Since at this point it is very likely it is one of the last Warminds, and regardless, it has control over Earths defenses, it authorizes SABER GREEN to carry a doomsday, antimater "anihilation pumped caedometric" weapon ([url=http://www.latin-dictionary.org/caedo]caedo is latin for a lot of nasty stuff[/url]), programs whatever weapons it needs to watch for sings of the Traveler leaving Sol, then disperses itself and hibernates. SECURE ISIS is no longer maintained, mass panic ensues as humanity realizes its screwed (results in creation of the Reef and the mess at the outskirts of the Cosmodrome), the Traveler feels it needs to move again, but is stopped by the weapons Rasputin planted, but without any active involvement of Rasputin (hence everyone assumed it was destroyed beforehand) /EDIT So yeah no. You made mistakes in assumptions, omitted context and finally did not include Old Russia's log. Nothing here suggests that the Traveler did not intend to run for the hills, in fact it seemed not to have a choice in the matter as at this point it was moving purely by force of habbit. EDIT: Various coding mistakes and tidying up, typos. EDIT2: Added some additional thoughts about GF: Old Russia and its timeline.