Raised the son of freighter pilots, Scott had a deep understanding of and respect for the life of a traveller of the stars. From a very early age he showed a certain apptitude towards astronavigation and piloting. His parents nurtured these skills, often letting him pilot the family freighter on cargo runs.

The first time he was on a planet longer than a few days was when he attended school on Galus, the 3rd planet in the Alpha Centauri 3 system. He completed his studies there with ease and returned to the stars.

He was only 17 at the time of the onset of the Dominion War. He had never held a job for more than two months, and would often accompany his parents on cargo runs. They forbid him from joining a run to Betazed, to provide medical supplies to the Federation troops there. On that trip, the Dominion captured and executed his parents. Upon learning this, Scott's mind was galvanized. He knew that his future lie with Starfleet. At the Academy, he studied starship and shuttlecraft piloting. He also showed a great deal of apptitude towards massive fleet combat maneuvers, which he would eventually specialize in.

The war ended before Scott's graduation, but his options were no less limited. Due to his high standing in his class, he was offered a chance to join the FDTF. He accepted, and after a brief stint at the Hyperion Campus in orbit of Saturn, was posted to the USS Aztec as helm officer.

On the Aztec Scott performed time and again with distinction. After piloting the ship through numerous engagements, he was promoted to XO of the Aztec. He stayed there a while learning the nuances of command, until he was promoted to Captain and transfered to the USS Horizon.