Within the same solar system:

  *Beep Boop* *Beep Boop* *Beep Boop*

  A flashing screen alerts the staff on duty. A humanoid figure rushes into the room and looks at the various monitors.

  "Probably just an error with the software or shoddy equipment. Darn people up top can wear outfits worth millions of credits one time to a party but can't spare a few thousand to get new parts and tools on the outer-rim."

  The monitor dismissively taps into some drones nearby the pinged location and sips his energizer (pretty much coffee).

  "What do we have for today?"

  Occasionally and rarely some pirates, alien lifeforms, or a stray comet would set off a sensor. He would alert the appropriate agency and that would be all, but this time while approaching the pinged location with the drones he notices the large mass of swirling shadows in the distance absorbing something the size of a planet.

  Shocked the monitor drops the energizer, stalls the drones to their place and rockets one other into the orb of darkness.

  It quickly begins losing connection and before total loss he triggers an explosion.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Through the remaining drones the monitor witnesses the explosion be completely absorbed into the orb and verifies their worries.

  "A devourer has appeared on the outer rim!"

  Screaming franctically the monitor sets the drones to maintain a certain distance while sending out a message to some superiors that reads.

  "Universal Threat found in Outer Rim Sector 186. Entity/Threat detected: Devourer - currently devouring what appeared to be a half-tier primitive world. Further instructions are requested urgently. 15 drones currently monitoring while 300 others scour to make sure this isn't a simple fragment."

  The monitor can do nothing else but watch the Devourer with the drones and wait for further instructions from command.

  After an hour of waiting a call comes through.

  Command - "Monitor of Outer Rim Sector 186, Darb Ov. Status Report"

  Darb - "Reporting: A devourer was reported through pings in Outer Rim Sector 186 Zone 17 the location of a small star and a few half-tier worlds that seem to have been absorbed already. Zone 17 has already become an empty zone of space command. No evidence that this is a fragment or has other fragments has been found."

  Command - "Monitor Darb do we have details on size and approximate time it took for Zone 17 to fully corrupt and be absorbed?"

  Darb - "It appears that it all occured within a week to a month command. The extended period of time for drones and sensors to go throughout Sector 186 is the cause of the discreptancy."

  Command - "Stay vigilant Monitor Darb and continue searching for other fragments. Within 200 hours a rift team will arrive to remove the devourer. May you be blessed during that time."