The Jedi trainees are ready to make their lightsabers, but Tenel Ka is impatient with herself. She rushes the delicate process, and her lightsaber gives out during a training duel with Jacen--and his lightsaber promptly cuts off her arm. Stricken, Tenel Ka returns to her homeworld. She has always defined herself as a warrior, and now she thinks herself useless. But her grandmother's tough love, and her friends' good sense, convince her that she can still be a warrior, and she returns to the Academy to complete her training.I loved this book. Tenel Ka shines, and the friendships feel real and specific. There's a scene where the twins teach her to braid her hair with only one hand that I remember to this day. And the book doesn't pull back in its portrayal of her grief and feelings of worthlessness. In this book, the characterization IS the plot.