故事发生在遥远的未来世界，此时，人类对于太空的勘探已经发展到了成熟的阶段，梅尔（内森·菲利安 Nathan Fillion 饰）是太空船“宁静号”的船长，每一日，梅尔都驾驶着他的“家”，穿梭在浩瀚的宇宙之中。 　　宁静号拥有九名乘客，这九人地位悬殊，个性迥异，每一个人都有着一段不可告人的灰暗往事，而他们脱离陆地登上宁静号，亦有着各自不同的理由。九人唯一的共同点在于，他们都是地上世界中的“刺头”。为了维持生计，宁静号接纳一切能够赚钱的任务，其中甚至有些看起来并不是那么合法，与此同时，梅尔船长亦要带领他的船员们设法逃脱联邦政府的追踪。Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds is a former galactic war veteran who is the captain of the transport ship "Serenity". Mal and his crew, ensign Zoe Alleyne Washburne; Zoe's husband, pilot Hoban 'Wash' Washburne; muscular mercenary Jayne Cobb; young mechanic Kaylee Frye; former Alliance medical officer Simon Tam; his disturbed teenage sister River (both on the run from the interplanetary government "The Alliance"); the beautiful courtesan Inara Serra; and preacher Shepherd Book do any jobs, legal or illegal, they can find as the Serenity crew travels across the outskirts of outer space.