The time that a rough and ready space marine group rescued a group of abandoned, well.. they LOOKED like puppies anyway. They made great pets, though some galactics got more than a little nervous seeing a predator being called "Mr. Snuggles" -- Anon Guest
If the Humans don't have a saying for it, they can easily make one up. In this case, it's, "Convergent evolution is one hell of a drug."
It used to mean that people will name new discoveries after the things they most resembled. It's come to mean something else, after the encounter at Logorala.
Space Marine Troop 934, the Terror Tiktaliks, had gone in to Logorola to help fight off an invading piratical force. They "picked up a few things" via right of conquest. Specifically, a few of the captured pirates shipboard animals. Colloquially referred to by the Tiktaliks as "puppers". They were not dogs.
They were not even closely related to dogs. Of all the Terran creatures to compare it to, they were somewhere between the wolverine and the American badger in temperament. But they did look very cute. At least according to the Humans.
According to everyone else they were savage, carnivorous, little whirlwinds of teeth and claws. Just looking for the next juicy prey animal to come wobbling by.
But... Humans are going to Human, as they also say.
These huge, tough, battle-hardened marines devoted their travel time to raising their 'puppers' with the utmost care. Training them with clickers and treats. Making sure they had the right nutrition, making sure they evacuated their bowels in the proper place. Keeping them clean and comfortable and entertained. Just like they might for any given dog.
And, just like any given dog, it worked on them.
They might be omnicidal terrors in their natural habitat, the landbound equivalent of the mythic form of piranhas, but in the hands of the Humans, they were "the goodest puppers". They followed their Humans around, obeyed commands and, of course, were highly dangerous only to the Marine's enemies.
Trust Deathworlders to befriend Deathworlders.
[Photo by Peter Neumann on Unsplash]
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