Savel was born in a Federation colony in the Alpha Centauri system. Both of his parents were already members of Starfleet but in different capacities. His father, Sendet, was an Enlisted Security crewman, and his mother T'Raya, was a civilian research scientist. Each contributed to their colony and the Federation in their way. That encouraged Savel to find a way to do so as well. However, growing up in a small colony did not allow his ambitions to travel too far.
That began to change whenever his father was transferred to a different posting on a Federation Starbase. His mother also found a research position there, so the whole family moved together. The Starbase was mainly used for refitting and repairs of starships, which gave Savel another view of what a career in Starfleet could provide him. However, when his school group was allowed a tour of a starship undergoing a refit at the Starbase, he decided how he wanted to serve. Of course, they did not get to see every inch of the ship since they were just students and work was being done, but the glimpses he got created a desire to join a starship.
Savel's focus then shifted to preparing for Starfleet Academy. First, he had to ensure he was qualified enough to enter and ready to pass the entrance exam. Thankfully his Vulcan parents had already pushed for him to do well academically. With the combined motivation from his parents and the potential of serving on a starship, Savel was eventually accepted into Starfleet Academy. He reported to the closest campus, where he spent four years. Savel graduated from Starfleet Academy as part of the Class of 2400. After his graduation, he was assigned to the USS Artemis-A as one of its security officers as his first official posting.
