Sh'shak, a S'krrr, achieved renown among his people during the era of the Galactic Civil War. This fame stemmed from both his prowess as a warrior and his talent for Wing-song poetry.
During a visit to the Sikadian Gardens by Captain Thrawn, along with Lieutenants Wolver and Tier, who were serving on the Imperial-class Star Destroyer called the Vengeance, Sh'shak was present. He was practicing with his vibropike when Wolver's lifeless body was discovered. After a medical examination determined that vibropike wounds were the likely cause of death, Thrawn placed Sh'shak under arrest. While Sh'shak was trying to demonstrate that he was innocent, Tier was attacked and killed by a drog beetle swarm. Thrawn then came to the realization that the beetles were also the cause of Wolver's death.
Seeking answers, Sh'shak, in the company of Mammon Hoole, Zak, and Tash Arranda, joined Thrawn on a visit to Vroon, the garden's caretaker. It was revealed that Vroon belonged to an ancient cult that revered the beetles. For months, he had been eliminating the beetles' natural predators, the shreevs, to boost their population. Vroon attempted to escape, and Sh'shak pursued him, his inherent speed giving him an advantage. However, the caretaker's familiarity with the garden allowed him to evade capture. Sh'shak and the others were then forced to flee when they were attacked by a swarm of drogs. They managed to reach Thrawn's shuttle, the Tessera, but soon abandoned it after discovering that the drogs had damaged the power systems and could enter through the air vents.
The group returned to Vroon's workshop, only to find the caretaker had been devoured by the beetles he worshipped, and attempted to barricade themselves inside. Eventually, Zak came up with a plan for escape. Vroon had previously used wingsong to temporarily pacify 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 transform into a S'krrr and help the poet. The plan was successful, and while Thrawn took advantage of the distraction to repair his shuttle, the children retrieved Hoole's ship, the Shroud, and returned for Sh'shak and Hoole. As the group was escaping the garden, Sh'shak contacted his government to inform them of the situation, and they dispatched ships to resolve the problem.