CHAPTER 13

The swarm of beetles spun like a tornado, and began to twist down out of the sky toward them.

"Look out!" Zak cried. But it was useless. The swarm was moving too quickly, and there was nowhere to run.

Suddenly, Hoole began to shiver, and the skin crawled across his bones. An instant later, a dark-winged shreev stood in his place.

"By the Emperor!" Thrawn cried. Then he paused and muttered, "A Shi'ido. How very interesting."

Hoole, in the shape of a shreev, launched himself into the air and darted directly at the massive swarm. Zak heard the shreev shriek as it plunged toward the cloud of hungry beetles.

It worked. Instinctively, the beetles swerved away from their natural enemy. The entire cloud veered to the right, heading away from those still on the ground.

"This is our chance. Run!" Sh'shak urged.

"Where?" Zak asked.

"My ship," Thrawn ordered. "We'll be safe there."

"We won't have much time," Tash said.

She was right. Hoole in shreev form plunged into the cloud, striking at the thick wall of beetles. But one shreev could hardly attack the entire swarm. Although the beetles gave way wherever the shreev flew, the rest of the cloud leaked around it and continued to pour through the sky toward the victims on the ground.

Hoole was nearly overwhelmed by advancing beetles. Letting out one more frustrated shriek, he turned and flapped away. But instead of flying toward Zak and Tash, Hoole flew off in the opposite direction.

"Where's he going?" Zak called out as he started to run.

"Tactical retreat," Thrawn suggested. "Either that or he's a coward."

"Uncle Hoole is no coward!" Tash snapped.

Thrawn shrugged. "Either way, your Shi'ido friend won't be helping us now. We've got to get to the shuttle."

It was like racing the wind. Zak willed his feet to fly as fast as they could carry him as Thrawn and Sh'shak pulled ahead. Behind him, he could hear a soft whirrr sound grow into an angry buzz. And then the buzz became a violent drone.

The swarm was getting closer.

The sun vanished. Zak found himself running in near darkness, hoping he wouldn't trip over any stray rocks or clumps of grass.

The swarm was directly overhead.

"There's the shuttle!" Tash gasped.

Zak felt something bump against his ear. He swatted away a beetle that had landed on his shoulder. The fastest of the insects had reached them. A hail of bugs flew down on them from the sky.

Sh'shak and Thrawn had reached the shuttle and hurried up the ramp on the underside of the craft. As soon as he was inside, the Imperial turned and slapped something on the wall. The ramp began to rise.

"Hey!" Zak and Tash shouted.

Thrawn was going to lock them out!