Sh'shak was present in the Sikadian Gardens during a visit by Captain Thrawn and Lieutenants Wolver and Tier of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Vengeance, and was training with his vibropike in the garden when Wolver was found dead. After a medical team ruled that the likely cause of death was vibropike wounds, Sh'shak was arrested by Thrawn. While Sh'shak attempted to prove his innocence, Tier was attacked and killed by a swarm of drog beetles and Thrawn realized that they were also responsible for the death of Wolver.
Sh'shak, along with Mammon Hoole and Zak and Tash Arranda, accompanied Thrawn to visit the garden's caretaker, Vroon, in search of answers. It emerged that Vroon was a member of an ancient cult that worshipped the beetles and had been killing their natural predators, the shreevs, for months to allow their population to grow. Vroon attempted to flee and Sh'shak gave chase, his natural speed allowing him to pull ahead of the others. However, the caretaker's knowledge of the garden allowed him to escape and Sh'shak and the others were forced to flee as they were attacked by a swarm of drogs. They managed to reach Thrawn's shuttle, the Tessera, but soon abandoned it upon discovering that the drogs had short-circuited the power systems and could gain entry through the air vents.
Returning to Vroon's workshop to find the caretaker devoured by his own beetles, the group attempted to seal themselves in. Eventually, Zak proposed an escape plan. Vroon had been able to use wingsong to temporarily calm the beetles—if Sh'shak could calm the swarm, the group might be able to reach Hoole's ship. However, Sh'shak was unable to calm the swarm alone so Hoole used his Shi'ido shape-shifting ability to turn into a S'krrr and assist the poet. The plan worked and, while Thrawn used the distraction to repair his shuttle, the children retrieved Hoole's ship, the Shroud, and returned for Sh'shak and Hoole. As the group fled the garden, Sh'shak informed his government aboút the situation and they dispatched ships to deal with the problem.
- The Essential Reader's Companion