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Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern is a science fiction novel by the American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It was the seventh book published in the Dragonriders of Pern series, more than twenty books by Anne and eventually her son Todd McCaffrey.

With this book, McCaffrey jumped 1000 years back in Pern history from the setting of the first book, Dragonflight, to a time memorialized in song and rendered legendary from the standpoint of the previous books.

Plot summary
The story begins with Moreta the senior Weyrworman of Fort Weyr travels with her queen dragon Orlith (who is also near the end of her pregnancy) to the Gather at Ruatha Hold. At the Gather there is talk about a strange animal that was at display at Ista that was found at sea. However Moreta is more interested in the races that were being take place at the Gather, since she loves to watch runners race. While Moreta was watching the races with Alessan, the new Lord Holder, a runner suddenly collapsed from having liquid in its lungs. No one knew why the runner came over with such a illness, but it was quickly taken off the field. Alessan distracts Moreta by going to show her a runner that he has entered the races, when a handler accidently covered her with dirty water. Moreta was quickly given spare clothes then after she changed clothes and watched a couple more races she went to change so she could go to the Dancing Square with Alessan sister, Oklina.

After dancing with Alessan, Moreta starts talking to S’peren, a Fort rider, who came from Ista Gather and shares some news that some people weren’t happy because of a spreading fever. She does not think much of the news as after a while of dancing Orlith comes to take Moreta back to Fort Weyr. When Moreta wakes up the next morning she is greeted with news from Sh’gall and tells her that is now an epidemic that is spreading across Pern and Masterhealer Capian has ordered a quarantine order to try to stop the spreading of the disease. Moreta quickly gives out orders to isolate the Weyr, but it is too late as Berchar, the Weyr Healer, has already been infected with the disease.

Meanwhile Alessan is informed that multiple runners that have come to Ruatha have caught the disease and quickly plans to isolate the runners, along with quarantining the Hold. At the Healer Hall, Master Healer Capiam has also caught the disease and becomes very determined not to let anyone near him, even other journeymen or women.

Back at Fort Weyr Moreta even though there is quarantine upon them has to get everyone ready for the fall to protect Pern from Thread. When the Thread begins to fall the dragon riders take to the sky, protecting everyone from the Crom to Nabol. After the fight Moreta hears that Tolocamp broke the quarantine rules and returned to Fort Hold along with the sickness still spreading across Igen, Ista and Telgar. The sickness had spread so far so fast that the Weyrleaders met two days later to talk about what they should do next along with making a list of bronzeriders that could take control if they would die of the sickness. They decide to also have the queens take control of the communications between Weyrs and to decide against exploring the Southern Continent anymore since the animal that was found at sea was responsible for the sickness had came from there. Moreta also realized she had come down with the sickness and went to rest with Leri to take care of her.

Capiam while this has happening then reports that the sickness is not killing people, but the infections that came while they were sick are. Desdra mean while has been treating him while Capiam is sick and has kept him informed of the events in Pern. Because of Desdra help with treating Capiam he has recovered. Capian continues to try to find a cure when he remembers a lecture he was given long ago by Masterharpter Tirone. Capiam has an epiphany when he realizes that the blood of those who have recovered from the sickness like himself could be turned into a serum to cure others. They quickly start to make and deliver the serum to the sick. K’lon the one to deliver the serum and Leri realizes he been traveling through time, also known as “timing it”, a secret only known by bronze and gold dragon riders. K’lon states that he discovered the method by accident, but Moreta and Leri make sure that from now on he does not have to use that method.

Another wave of Thread falls as Moreta stays at Fort Weyre because Orlith is so close to clutching, but because of another Weyrwomans dragon has become seriously injured she makes the trip to High Reaches Weyr to help her. During this trip she is informed that Orlith is ready to clutch and quickly returns to be with her dragon. Where Orlith had clutched a healthy brood of eggs along with one queen dragon egg. She then gets word when she gets back to Fort Weyr that Alessan along with a Journeyman named Tuero discuss with her using the same method of using blood for vaccinating runner beasts. Moreta is surprised that they haven’t thought of that idea before and telling them that his is a great idea.

Back at the Healer Hall, Capiam discovers that old records show that there is a strong probability that a second wave of the sickness would strike Pern in a couple days so he proposes a mass vaccination. Starting with the most inflicted holds and then going to areas that were not affected by the disease.

Tirone, the master harper, mean while then discovers, after relieving the log of the ship, that the animal responsible was actually captured on the Southern Continent, not found at sea. There was then a unanimous decision to stop the plan to recolonize the Southern Continent.

Upon realizing there would be a second wave of disease, Desdra pointed out a problem where they did not have enough needlethorn to vaccinate people with. Along with the problem that it does not bloom until Autumn. Moreta then comes up with a plan to travel in time to the future so they could collect the needlethorn in Ista. Moreta along with B’lerion, Alessan, Oklina, Capiam and Desdra then travel secretly to the future to harvest the needlethorn. Moreta does not feel well at first, but she ignores it and harvested the needlethorn like the others. Upon traveling back to their time they went to Ruatha. Moreta realizes that the pains she had been having was because she been separated from Orlith for too long and returns to her dragon. There she made plans for a Search for Orlith’s eggs then help implement the vaccine to the other Weyrs. The mass vaccination happens the next day with help from the dragon riders. When Moreta was done with running to different holds she was exhausted and headed back with Holth, timing it to get there faster.

Back at the hatching grounds at Fort Weyr, K’lon and Leri waits for Moreta’s along with Holth’s return. Orlith suddenly bursts out shrieking and with Leri horrified she tries to strangle herself. K’lon however stops her and asks his dragon Rogeth what is wrong. Rogeth tells him that Moreta and Holth failed to envision their destination properly due to exhaustion and have died between as a result.

A month later everyone, including people from other Weyrs and their dragons gathered at Fort Weyr for the Hatching. The dragons started to hum signally the beginning of the Hatching. Where Sh’gall leads the candidates to the Hatching Grounds for the dragons to choose them. Oklina was among the candidates and was chosen by the newly hatched queen dragon, Hannath.

The follow-up novel, Nerilka's Story, tells the tale of the same event from a different perspective.

Characters
Moreta

Orlithe

Sh’gall

Lord Ratoshigan

Alessan

Lord Tolocamp

Oma

Oklina

B’lerion

S’peren

Capian

Talpan

K’lon

F’neldril

Malth

Dag

Desdra

Leri

F'neldril

Malth

Nesso

A'murry

Tirone

Follen

Falga

Tamianth

Holth

Pendra

Nerilka

Diona

Tuero

M’barak

Fergal

Nabeith

M’tani

T’grel

Levalla

Hannath

Themes
The book addresses such issues as quarantine, public response to emergency restrictions on travel and assembly, and also describes how "modern" forms of transportation, especially air travel, can spread a disease worldwide during its incubation period, allowing the disease to spread far more widely before pathologists are able to recognize the magnitude of the outbreak.

Awards
Moreta was one of five nominees for the annual Hugo Award for Best Novel and it placed sixth for the annual Locus Award for Best Novel.