The crew of the Serenity is getting desperate. They have lain lower and lower to protect their doctor, Simon Tam (Sean Maher), and his telepathic traumatized little sister, River (Summer Glau), from the alliance, whom he rescued her from a year earlier. This has made getting jobs harder and now they are desperate. When they take River on a robbery during which Reavers (humans who have gone crazy and turned into cannibals) attack, Simon decides that its time to leave the crew of the Serenity for his and River's safety. She then mutters "Miranda" and goes berserk and nearly shoots Capt. Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), until her brother says the safety word to put her to sleep. Reynolds decides to take them back on board for safety, only now an alliance operative (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is on their tracks and making Reynolds determined to find out what "Miranda" is and what the Alliance is hiding.

In the distant future, Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds is a renegade former interstellar officer now turned smuggler/rogue whom is the commander of a small spacecraft with a loyal hand-picked crew making up of first mate Zoe Warren; pilot Hoban 'Wash' Washburn; gung-ho grunt Jayne Cobb; engineer Kaylee Frye; fugitives Doctor Simon Tam and his psychic sister River, where they travel the far reaches of space in search of food, money, and anything to live off on.

Ray Ferrier is a working class man living in New Jersey. He's estranged from his family, his life isn't in order, and he's too caught up with himself. But the unthinkable and, ultimately, the unexpected happens to him in an extraordinary sense. His small town life is shaken violently by the arrival of destructive intruders: Aliens which have come en masse to destroy Earth. As they plow through the country in a wave of mass destruction and violence, Ray must come to the defense of his children. As the world must fend for itself by a new and very advanced enemy not of this world, it's inhabitants must save humanity from a far greater force that threatens to destroy it.

Ten years after the 'Phantom Menace' threatened the planet Naboo, Padmé Amidala is now a Senator representing her homeworld. A faction of political separatists, led by Count Dooku, attempts to assassinate her. There aren't enough Jedi to defend the Republic against the threat, so Chancellor Palpatine enlists the aid of Jango Fett, who promises that his army of clones will handle the situation. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi continues to train the young Jedi Anakin Skywalker, who fears that the Jedi code will forbid his growing romance with Amidala...

This First Episode follows the young years of Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader). The friendship of Obi-wan Kenobi, Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn are also central aspects. And the beginning of the rise to power of Senator Palpatine to Emperor.

It has been three long years since the Clone Wars have first begun, and Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) have fought as hard as they possibly could. When the capital planet of Coruscant becomes under attack by the Separatist droid armies and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is kidnapped by the army leader, General Grievous (voiced by Matthew Wood), Anakin personal problems begin to develop, including his anger at the Jedi Council for not giving him the rank of Master, though he is on the council, and his plagued visions of his secret wife, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), dying in childbirth. He is determined to do anything to save her, no matter the cost. While Obi-Wan is sent to kill General Grievous on Utapau, Anakin is taken under Palpatine's wing, being subtly seduced by the Dark Side of the Force and convince that the Dark Side is power than can save his wife from death. Soon enough, a new, darker, ominous figure that would eventually be feared by the entire galaxy is formed: Lord Darth Vader. Obi-Wan, discovering Anakin's betrayal, sees no choice but to face his own apprentice in an attempt to bring back the young, loyal Jedi that had been like his own son, brother, and friend.