The devices swarmed at the planet from every direction, a bombardment from nowhere. In a few moments, every ship and station Selene could see was covered, until they were little more than ovoid masses of oily encrustation.
More ships veered off course as those inside lost control. Huge collisions threw off debris that triggered further destruction. Some ships unleashed beam-weapon fire, perhaps attempting to carve the attacking devices off nearby vessels. It had no noticeable effect. Still the flood continued. The vast central ring, thousands of kilometres around, became completely consumed, a single seething mass of darkness.
Selene tried to count the devices making up the swarm, but even her enhanced brain couldn"t keep up with the flood.
The Sun, Rising flew through it all, unharm
