I think it's pretty clear from the prologue in episode 17 that there's no traitor. Instead the source of the "leak" is the purple Haro recovered from the wreckage near Jupiter. Though I could be wrong.
I'm guessing that the blocked portion of Veda has something to do with Nena. Whatever tampering she did is probably located in that section, and the block keeps Tieria from finding it and undoing it. Beam saber "explaining" - Most likely the beam saber has a built in battery that recharges while it's not in use. Presumeably it can only be turned on and off while being used by a Throne Gundam. So Graham can swing it, but it probably wouldn't shut off until the charge died on its own. Note that this would allow the Gundam to throw the beam saber at an opponent if necessary. This is, of course, all speculation based on what we saw and logical inferences. I got the impression that Sumeragi also wanted to hold off on doing missions because she wasn't certain what Nena might have done to Veda while she was inside of it. If Nena hacked Veda, then the Thrones might have the ability to learn beforehand about any missions that Sumeragi plans, and spoil them. It appears that Nena shot up the wedding because she resented the fact that people were at a party having a good time while she was out working hard to save the world. Also, I'm fairly confident that Louise only lost her hand. If she'd lost her legs as well, then I'm pretty sure that the nurse would have mentioned it. Other odds and ends... Way to go Graham! 'nuff said! If the Gundam's beam saber is more powerful than the ones that Graham uses, maybe Billy can rig something up to allow it to draw power from Graham's Overflag, which would allow Graham to use it? Graham with good equipment would be scary... (On a side note - when are we finally going to get to see Soma do something other than giving Allelujah a headache? Even a mock fight between Soma and Graham might be interesting to watch.) Graham was the test pilot for the Flag during it's evaluation by the military (apparently it was involved in a competition to be chosen as Union's new military unit), and there was some sort of tragedy during the evalution. I suspect it may have something to do with the comment the Alaskan ace made about Graham killing his commander, though there's not really anything to base that on. Sumeragi has been informed by Billy that the Professor was killed (Billy texted her). Billy has also realized that the entire purpose of the attack on the base was simply to kill the Professor. Speculation - The Professor's death will prove to only be a setback, and Billy will manage to pick up the pieces and continue the investigation. The Throne Meisters appear to have their own version of Veda, which they call Ledna (sp?). A mobile suit pilot (was he AEU? I'm not sure...) crawled out of his wreckage and overheard Nena mention it while he was in hiding (the pilot was ambushed and killed almost immediately after telling Saji's sister about the incident in a bar). Later in the episode, the three pilots mention Ledna in a context that seems to suggest it has a role similar to Veda. With regards to the next episode - I suspect that Setsuna is going to come off slightly the worse for wear after his encounter with the Thrones. That, presumeably, will serve as an encouragement to him to finally start developing his skills as a pilot instead of relying on having the best mobile suit on the block. junior Subject : [gundam] Gundam 00 Episode 18 *spoilers* Date : Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:02:50 +0000 >From : [EMAIL PROTECTED] To : [email protected] 1) Throne's GN Drive is a hack job - it doesn't have unlimited power. There is a time limit on how long it can run. They suspect there might be "Traitors" inside CB, since overall, Gundam Throne uses the same "stuff" as the ones used in the other Gundams, other than the GN Drive. The technology should not be available to anybody else, other than those inside CB. 2) The GN Drive data might be stolen from Veda, since Tiera noticed there is extra "stuff" in Veda yet he doesn't have access to. 3) Gundam's Beam saber can be used by other MS for a short period of time - Graham "stole" one of the beam saber and managed to slice off one of the new Gundam's arm. Also revealed in the episode that after Billy upgrade the Overflag slightly, Graham is shown to be at his limit - his body cannot handle the stress of the G (he cough up blood after the brief engagement). 4) The "China fraction" doesn't seem to be too concern with the new Gundam, "as long as they accomplished the goal of CB. 5) Sumeragi and company decide not to rely on Veda for future missions, and they will wait before doing another mission because the society hate CB with a passion, and doing anything might not be wise. 6) The Thrones are shown to attack military sites, even with a lot of civilians. Neeva even bomb a wedding (the one Louise is at) because she doesn't like it for some reason. Louise lost her left hand, although from the looks of it, she lost her legs as well. Her parents and relatives all die at the attack (She wasn't hit in the initial attack because she was hiding at the side talking to Saji). 7) A very touching scene with Saji going to the hospital to visit Louise, and even give her the ring that Louise wanted to get. You just have to see it yourself to get the feel of the scene. 8) Episode end with Exia engaging the three Thrones. I know a lot of people hate how the story progresses in the beginning of the series, but if the series is heading in the direction where I think they are heading toward shown in this episode, I think this might end up be a pretty good series.
