Commander Kruge (2nd version)

Kruge was a Klingon warrior who served in the Klingon Defense Force in the 23rd century.

As of 2246, Kruge served as gunner aboard the IKS Kut'luch, a D6-class battle cruiser, under the command of Commander Kor. In October 2246, Kruge was serving as gunner on the bridge when Kor launched an attack against the USS Enterprise to prevent their entering the Tarsus system. Although Kruge was able to inflict damage on the Enterprise, the Federation starship was able to launch a stronger attack against the Kut'luch and disabled the vessel. When Kor ordered the Kut'luch to withdraw, Kruge began to question his captain's orders, but later stood down. However, Kor believed that Kruge would one day challenge him.

He was later reassigned to the IKS Kad'nra, under the command of Captain Vheled, as second officer. After the deaths of Vheled and his first officer, Kruge took charge of the ship.

By the mid-2280s, Kruge had risen to command a B'rel-class bird-of-prey, with about 12 officers and crewmen under his command. In 2285, after obtaining information about the Genesis Device from the freighter Merchantman, Kruge took his ship and crew to the Genesis Planet in a rogue operation aimed at stealing the secrets and technology of the Genesis Device (or Genesis Torpedo; as he called it). Upon entering orbit, Kruge ordered an attack on the Oberth-class science vessel, USS Grissom. Kruge intended to only disable the Grissom, but the attack destroyed the ship, killing the entire crew. Furious, Kruge pulled out his disruptor and killed the officer at the weapons station. Torg then discovered Lieutenant Saavik and Doctor David Marcus alive on the surface.

Kruge sent a landing party down to the surface to find the survivors in the hopes that they would have the secrets of Genesis-a weapon of "ultimate power." When the Klingons found them, they discovered that they had a Vulcan teenager with them, who was actually the regenerating Captain Spock. Meanwhile, the Enterprise under the command of Admiral James T. Kirk entered orbit and the Bird-of-Prey and the Enterprise fought in a brief, inconclusive battle. In order to prove his sincerity to gain the Genesis Device, Kruge ordered his guards to kill one of the prisoners on the surface. The Klingon guard decided initially to kill Saavik, but David Marcus rushed the guard and was killed.

On the surface of the Genesis planet, Kruge tried to thwart Kirk's attempts to secure the body of Spock and tried to bargain Spock's revived body for the Genesis technology. As the Genesis planet began to break up, Kirk engaged Kruge in hand-to-hand combat. The two combatants found themselves on a precipice overlooking a lake of molten lava, the ground gave way beneath Kruge, and he ended up clinging to the edge of the cliff. Kirk offered to rescue him, but Kruge was determined to take Kirk with him to a fiery death below, and attempted to pull Kirk over the edge of the cliff. Enraged and exasperated, Kirk kicked Kruge into the sea of lava. This image, however haunted Kirk in the years ahead. His nightmares took him back to that place. First, with seeing Khan Noonien Singh, then David Marcus and finally himself (along with Enterprise) crashing into the molten sea.