Aramis is correct. I've always been a fan of Ro, she's such a wonderfully conflicted character... This scene, where Picard forgives her for betraying him, is so well written, it gets to me every time.
I agree. I just happened to have finished Avatar on Tuesday. I'm re-reading the DS9R and it's chock full of great writing! Here is the new quote: "He knew precisely the reason that his skin might be peeling. And if that was the case, then it wasn't going to stop with this, oh no. It would start slow, but there would be more and more, an almost embarrassing amount."
Despite not having read that book in ages, the moment I read your quote the cover with the bearded McCoy came to my mind. New quote:
^^What a bizarre and out-of-character sentiment for Jim Kirk, who's always been portrayed as a student of history and a lover of literature. Could this be some Kirk other than James T., or perhaps an alternate version of Jim Kirk? The names Cortes and Hawking are familiar, but I can't place them.
There are a few Hawkings that I know of. One is the Enterprise-D shuttlecraft, the other is an TOS Enterprise shuttle in the novel Death Count, although that doesn't really match the piece of history thing AFAICR...
Death Count? If I'm right, you guys will have to wait for about 24 hours before I post my quote, I'm off to Wimbledon tomorrow for a fun-filled day of tennis!! ETA: Damnation, beaten to the punch