Gabriel Lorca (MU)

"Her name was Eva."

- Lorca, to Captain Maddox.

Gabriel Lorca was a mirror universe antagonist introduced in the Star Trek: Discovery episode Context is For Kings.

He was portrayed by Jason Issacs, who had also played Banastre Tarleton in the movie The Patriot.

An officer in the Terran Empire's Imperial Starfleet, Lorca acted as a father figure to that universe's version of Michael Burnham, and as she grew up their relationship took a turn - with Lorca seeing her as the key to power, given that she was the adopted daughter of Empress Philippa Georgiou. As with all Terrans of the Mirror Universe, he was photo sensitive and had a low tolerance to bright lights.

Sometime prior to 2256, Lorca attempted a coup against Georgiou. His coup attempt was defeated. He somehow escaped in to the prime universe, and posed as his primary universe counterpart. Taking command of his counterpart's ship USS Buran, he destroyed the ship to keep it from falling into Klingon hands as the Klingons, led by T'Kuvma renewed their conflict with the Federation.

Lorca was the only survivor of the Buran. He explained that his sensitivity to bright light had been caused by the destruction of the Buran, and the explosion of that ship damaged Lorca's eyes. Lorca had to endure changes in the light level slowly. He refused implants that would have resolved that problem.

After the destruction of the Buran, Lorca was assigned to be the Captain of the Discovery. His ship was involved in experiments to develop a new type of FTL drive which could cross 90 light years in just a few seconds.

When the prison shuttle STS-21 was nearly destroyed by a space borne species, the Discovery rescued the shuttle, including the mutineer Michael Burnham. Deciding in light of the war with the Klingons that Burnham was still a vital asset, Lorca put her to work while the shuttle was being repaired. Due to the secretive behavior of Lorca and his crew, Burnham began to suspect that Lorca was engaging in the kind of activities that would be considered illegal at best and war crimes at worst.

Lorca convinced her that he was not engaged in such activities, that his crew was instead developing a new way to travel faster than light.

After destroying the Klingon ship Sarcophagus, Lorca redirected the Discovery to jump into the mirror universe.

He went on a mission with Burnham to the ISS Shenzhou to obtain classified information about the Defiant, which had crossed over a century earlier. He was later taken on board the ISS Charon. Lorca faked being in an arrest, and was released from the agony booth he was being tortured in. Overpowering Captain Maddox, he managed to escape custody.