Gabriel Lorca ( mirror ) Captain Gabriel Lorca was a male Imperial officer who was a figure of immense prestige in the mirror universe during the mid - 23rd century . While in command of the , he attempted an unsuccessful " coup " against Emperor . He became a fugitive wanted by the Terran Empire for treason and the murder of , captain of the . He escaped into a parallel universe and took the identity of his counterpart , a Federation Starfleet officer . In that capacity , he was appointed as the commanding officer on board the in 2256 . ( ) Using the " Discovery " and continuing his masquerade , he recruited the prime universe Michael Burnham and manipulated his way back to his universe . Burnham posed as her mirror universe counterpart , retaking command of the " Shenzhou " while bringing Lorca aboard as a " prisoner " , claiming she had faked her death in order to hunt him down . Lorca had presented this plan to Burnham and the rest of the " Discovery " crew as a ruse to obtain intelligence that might help the crew of the " Discovery " return to their own reality . ( ) His true objective , however , was to use Burnham to access the Emperor ' s ship . ( ) His obsession with Burnham wound up dooming his efforts , as she discovered his true nature , which she proceeded to reveal to Georgiou , her loyalists , and his former crew ; Lorca was killed by Georgiou herself . ( ) Personal life . Lorca claimed that , in the 22nd century , his family ran a business that produced fortune cookie s . He was in possession of at least one tribble , which he kept on his desk in his ready room . ( ) Starfleet career . Emperor ' s right hand and failed " coup " attempt . At some point prior to 2256 , Lorca was a figure of immense prestige , Terran emperor ' s right hand , and trusted with the Empire ' s most sensitive missions . He also became trusted with the Emperor ' s adopted daughter , , as Burnham came to see him as the father she was missing . Georgiou later claimed that Lorca had groomed Burnham , and that Burnham was complicit in his plot . ( ) At one point , Lorca attempted a " coup " against the Emperor . According to Lorca , it was ruined after sold him out . was sent to stop the " coup " , but in the process her shuttle was destroyed by one of his followers and she was believed killed . ( ) Lorca made his way to Priors World aboard the , but while he was on the surface recruiting allies , the Emperor caught up with him in the . As he beamed back to join the fight , her torpedoes hit , but so did an ion storm , which caused a transporter malfunction . Lorca was thrown into another universe , and was believed to have escaped . The Emperor laid waste to the " Buran " in retaliation . ( ) He later claimed that , in 2256 during a battle in the , he destroyed the rather than allow the ship ' s crew to be captured by the Klingon s . He claimed that he was the only survivor from the " Buran " , but the vessel ' s destruction injured his eye s , causing him to have to adjust to light change slowly from then on , when in reality his sensitivity to light was due to him being from a different universe . The fact that he appeared to have been the only survivor caused him to get a negative reputation among other Starfleet personnel , as typically captains were expected to go down with their ships . ( ) Commanding officer of the USS " Discovery " . Lorca was subsequently given command of the . Under his command , the " Discovery " rescued Michael Burnham and other prisoners after their prison shuttle was nearly destroyed by Species GS54 , a species that fed on electricity . It was later revealed that the rescue was not by chance , as Lorca wished to recruit Burnham per Starfleet Regulation 13982 to aid him in winning the war . ( ) . Under his command , " Discovery " was able to destroy the Klingon " Ship of the Dead " with a barrage of photon torpedo es after strategically placing two sensor s on the ship , and performing one hundred and thirty - three spore jump s to collect enough data to devise an algorithm to crack the Klingon ' s cloaking frequency . After the victory , " Discovery " was ordered back to Starbase 46 . However , Lorca performed an override on his console before the spore jump that sent " Discovery " into unknown space surrounded by starship debris . It was determined that they had jumped into the mirror universe . Return to the mirror universe . Back in the mirror universe , Lorca continued to keep up his ruse , appearing to be as surprised by the development as the rest of the crew . He set in motion a plan which he claimed was needed to return home , but which in fact was to give him access to the Emperor . It was revealed that he had recruited Burnham as part of his plan to gain entry to Emperor ' s ship , the . ( ) Once aboard the " Charon " , Lorca quickly built a power base by freeing his tortured followers . Additionally , while Captain claimed that the Emperor had successfully rounded up all Lorca loyalists from every corner of the Empire , to the point that the " Charon " s aft hangar bay had to be filled with agonizer s to accommodate them all , Lorca ' s people believed he still had supporters on several worlds . ( ) Lorca attempted a coup with Georgiou on the " Charon " , but was attacked by Prime Burnham , who aimed a phaser at him . She lowered it , saying she couldn ' t kill him . Georgiou responded that she could , and stabbed Lorca through the back with the Terran Sword . Lorca was then pushed through the safety field in the " Charon " s floor , and was vaporized in the ship ' s power core . Legacy . Lorca ' s betrayal changed the way the crew of the " Discovery " thought , and brought Saru to the post of Captain of the " Discovery " . Burnham was deeply affected by Lorca ' s betrayal and death . Relationships . Friendships . Michael Burnham . described Lorca to be a father figure to Burnham during her childhood . When Burnham reached adulthood , the relationship went beyond mentorship as result of Lorca ' s " grooming " . ( ) Lorca ' s relationship with Burnham caused an obsession with her prime universe counterpart . This in turn caused him to utterly misjudge her true nature , ruining his eventual " coup " and causing his death . ( ) Katrina Cornwell . While acting as the captain of the " Discovery " , Lorca assumed a friendship and a sexual relationship with Katrina Cornwell , despite their differences in ranks . However , he chose to allow her on a mission he knew would be a trap when she made the call to declare him unfit for command , bringing the risk of his exposure as an impostor . ( ) Cornwell was visibly angered after learning the true colors of the Gabriel Lorca that had been assigned to the " Discovery " . ( ) Enemies . Harcourt Fenton Mudd . Lorca met Harcourt Fenton Mudd of the prime universe in 2256 aboard a Klingon prison ship . When Lorca escaped the ship , he left Mudd behind for giving information about their conversations to the Klingons . Lorca later encountered Mudd as he attempted to take over the " Discovery " . However , with the help of his crew , Lorca was able to defeat Mudd and return him to his wife Stella and her father . ( ) Emperor Philippa Georgiou . His goal was to carry out a coup against Emperor Philippa Georgiou , whom he considered a weak leader . ( ) Memorable quotes . " " No matter how deep in space you are , always feel like you can see home . Don ' t you think ? Maybe it ' s just me . Forgive the lighting . The lack thereof . A recent battle injury . There ' s nothing they can do if I want to keep my own eyes , and I do . I have to suffer light change slowly . I like to think it makes me mysterious . No ? " " " " Captain Gabriel Lorca . Welcome to " Discovery " . " " " " Until your vessel ' s repaired , you ' ll be assigned to quarters and put to work . I ' m not a chauffeur . There ' s no free rides on my ship . You were once a Starfleet officer . I will use you , or anything else I can , to achieve my mission . " " " " We are creating a new way to fly . " " " " Hold tight . Blink : you ' re in Ilari . Blink : the moons of Andoria . Blink : you missed Romulus . All those planets , all those places , all those species seen and yet to be seen . And you ' re home like it never happened . " " " " Universal law is for lackeys . Context . . . is for kings . " " " " So , what ' s it to be , Michael ? What ' s in your future ? What do you wish for ? Atonement ? Redemption ? Maybe . . . the assurance that the captain you lost didn ' t die in vain ? You helped start a war . Don ' t you want to help me end it ? " " " " Let ' s send our Klingon friends a message they won ' t forget . " " " " We were ambushed , and I did . . . escape . But I didn ' t let my crew die . I blew them up . I knew what awaited them on Qo ' noS – degradation , torture , slow , public death . It ' s the Klingon way . To spread terror . Not my crew . Not on my watch . " " " " Your eyes . . . that happened when you destroyed the " Buran " , didn ' t it ? " " " " We choose our own pain . Mine helps me remember . " " " " I can ' t leave Starfleet ' s most powerful weapon in the hands of a broken man . " " " " Don ' t take my ship away from me . She ' s all I ' ve got . Please , I ' m begging you . " " " " We are about to face the most difficult challenge we have ever attempted . Today , we stare down the bow of the Ship of the Dead , the very same ship that took thousands of our own at the Battle of the Binary Stars . When I took command of this vessel , you were a crew of polite scientists . Now , I look at you . You are fierce warriors all . No other Federation vessel would have a chance of pulling this off . Just us . Because mark my words : you will look back proudly and tell the world you were there the day the USS " Discovery " saved Pahvo and ended the Klingon War . " " " " Mr . Rhys , could I trouble you to fire at something ? " " " " Ava . Her name was Ava . And I liked her . But you know how it is . Somebody better came along . " " " " Nothing that ' s happened to me was an accident . Not ending up in another world , not finding a ship that would help me return here . None of it . I ' m living proof that fate is real . " " " " We . . . We could ' ve . . . " " Catchphrases . " " Hold tight . " " " " Go . " " Appendices . Background information . Gabriel Lorca was played by Jason Isaacs . For his first ten appearances , it was assumed that he was native to the prime universe . In , it was revealed that the prime Lorca had been replaced by his mirror universe counterpart sometime before . Holding in remarkably high esteem , Jason Isaacs ' initial reaction to being asked to appear in " Star Trek : Discovery " was to turn down the offer , adamant that he didn ' t want to participate in a horribly diluted version of the series that he respected so much . " " But then , " " he continued , " " I set up a Skype , a slightly reluctant Skype , with these guys , and they had a great story to tell . They had a great character to play . And so , I shrugged off any of the yolk " [ sic ] " of the past and just jumped in to play this , to do this story . " " The character played by Jason Isaacs coincidentally carries a very similar name to another character featured on an episode of " " – " Gavriel Lorca " ( " Gavriel " equating to " Gabriel " in the Hebrew language ) . Isaacs portrayed the evil Immortal Zachary Blaine in a first - season episode of that same television series . On , Captain Lorca , in collaboration with the dance troupe Diversity , switched on the Blackpool Illuminations , the start of that year ' s annual festival of lights in Blackpool , UK . This was the first time " Star Trek " was involved in the highly celebrated switching - on ceremony . In interviews regarding the character following the revelation of his true nature , Isaacs came clean on having to lie in past interviews . He revealed that he had known since before being given the role that he was playing the Lorca of the mirror universe , stating that there are certain aspects of his performance and clues which viewers can look for in rewatching the series . He stated that Lorca ' s greatest mistake was not reading Burnham correctly . He refused to divulge any details about possible future plans for the show , noting that he had kept a big secret for six months and would certainly be keeping any others regarding the series .