John Gill (mirror)


 * For the regular universe counterpart, see John Gill.

In the mirror universe, John Gill was a Terran professor who became ruler of the Terran Empire.

Managed Culture
Gill was at one point the director of the Empire's Bureau of Interstellar Hegemony. In this position, he viciously maintained order over subject worlds through a theory he called Managed Culture, forcibly controlling most aspects of local residents' lives, from freedom of speech to dress codes. The project was first tested on Ekos, where the locals took to the order with great zeal. Chief among his Ekosian followers was Melakon, who became an ardent supporter of Gill, serving as security chief on several other test worlds. Other disciples of the Managed Culture project included Tristan Adams. Despite the support of these and others, including the influential Stiles family, Gill resigned in 2260, and the bureau did not continue his project.

Rise to Power
Some time later, Emperor Garth of Izar was assassinated by a dozen members of the Imperial Senate. The Senators wished to have a peacemaker in office, so as to hold off conflict with the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Gill was selected because many Senators, having forgotten his short-lived Managed Culture project, thought that as an academician he would be cautious and pliable. Shortly after being appointed, Gill renewed his Managed Culture theory, this time with ordinary citizens of the Empire in his sights. As the Senate was disinclined toward totalitarian regimes, Gill solidified his power base by replacing most members of his cabinet.

Gill's Cabinet
Gill stacked the Imperial Cabinet with many already loyal to him and his theories. The only holdover from Garth's regime was War Minister Matthew Decker. New members appointed included:
 * Melakon (security minister)
 * Sevrin (science minister)
 * Tristan Adams (propaganda minister)
 * Raymond Stiles (genetic purity minister)
 * Harry Mudd (revenue minister)
 * Samuel T. Cogley (minister of vassal affairs)

Imperial Regime
During his tenure as emperor, Gill led a secretive life, often helping to spread rumors about himself to sow confusion. Many thought he was a secret drug addict, and many were suspicious that he was having an affair with the Vulcan woman T'Pau (many emperors were believed to be involved with T'Pau). Gill also spread rumors that he was very ill, hoping to lure those plotting against him into the open.

In 2267, Gill came to admire Spock after the Vulcan assassinated James T. Kirk, who had been a political supporter of the previous regime. Gill came to rely on Spock's advice in many situations. In 2268, following Spock's advice, Gill declined to retaliate against the Tholians' destruction of the ISS Defiant. In 2270, Gill appointed Spock to Imperial Security, giving him charge of a branch dedicated to eliminating the dissident Oswaldite movement. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to Gill, Spock was a co-founder of the movement, as was Gill's minister of vassal affairs, Samuel Cogley.

In 2271, Spock and Cogley convinced Gill that his trusted right-hand Melakon was in fact plotting to assassinate him, and Gill had the Ekosian executed. Shortly thereafter, war minister Matt Decker was killed combating the alien intelligence V'Ger. With two spots open in his cabinet, Gill appointed Spock as minister of war, and Cogley as the head of Imperial Security. After being advised by Spock and Cogley, Gill soon began making token financial contributions to disadvantaged worlds, in the hopes of appeasing the Oswaldite movement.

In 2273, Gill received information that Harry Mudd was skimming funds from this new campaign for his own personal use. He privately contacted the revenue minister, hoping to get in on the scheme. This contact led to a physical altercation between the two, in which Mudd's assistant Magda Kovacs stabbed Gill to death with a letter opener.

Mudd received the credit for Gill's death and went on to succeed him as emperor. (RPG sourcebook: Through a Glass, Darkly)