I know! Lessa, the Chosen One in the Ruatha line, survives to become the Queen Slayer of Thread, watched and taught by the Masterharper, Robinton. Together, with her trusty companions, Lord Holder Jaxom and Menolly, they work to keep peace in Pern and slay the Thread that stalks the land.
There's a twist, though. F'lar, the broody Weyrleader who loves Lessa, is plagued by a terrible curse - if he becomes supremely happy for a moment, he'll lose his ability to be smugly right about everything. After a night of dragon-roused passion, F'lar begins getting things wrong - misjudging Threadfall, negotiating poorly with the Oldtimers, earning the disrespect of the Weyr and the Lord Holders, pissing off Mnementh. Though a slap from Lessa restores him, he is shaken enough by the experience to take himself away from her for their safety.
Enter F'nor, F'lar's younger brother, who Impressed a brown, Canth, and has always been second to his older brother in everything, and has quite a complex about it. But he dares to love Lessa, and dares further to try and have Canth fly Ramoth - and succeeds. Their affair afterward is carried on in secret, for what would people think if they knew the Weyrwoman was carrying on with a brown rider?
Meanwhile, Robinton is accused of being too innovative and with the changing times, and is disbarred from the Council of Harpers. Jaxom gets tired of being the supposed underdog as youngest Holder and rider of a runt dragon, and quits school to go ride around with the traders, and ends up going behind the Weyrs and cleaning up their 'mistakes' - Holds and people that were eaten by Thread. Menolly becomes a supreme Harper, but almost blows it all when she develops a crippling addiction to fellis juice and can't Harp anymore, except under controlled circumstances.
And I could go on...