The history and adventures of the Battlestar Pegasus, from shortly before the Cylon invasion to shortly after Lee Adama is made commander. The story is told through the eyes of and largely focuses on one particular member of Pegasus's crew, Kendra Shaw.

The first Cylon war has been raging for 10 years and a young Ensign William Adama joins the fleet. Disappointed not to be assigned to a fighter but to a freighter, his co-pilot also isn't too keen on having a rookie flying his aircraft as he has only a short time before he again becomes a civilian. Their cargo is a civilian scientist, but they no sooner leave than she has new orders for them and a new destination. Although she’s less than forthcoming about the details, Adama is keen—particularly as it involves going into Cylon controlled space. However, nothing is as it seems.

Sam Peckinpah's younger sister Fern Lea Peter recalls days from their childhood and details about the Peckinpah family. Footage of her interview is intercut with scenes from Peckinpah's movies and the landscape of the area of California where he grew up. Fern Lea draws parallels between members of the Peckinpah family and characters in Peckinpah's 1962 feature, "Ride the High Country."