Short answers, pulled from the story.
Star Wars X-Wing arrived in 1993 and required players to use a joystick instead of a gamepad. Lawrence Holland's company Totally Games built the experience to mimic World War I dogfights with grounded physics.
Star Wars X-Wing opened its first tour months before A New Hope unfolded on screen. Players helped the Rebel Alliance gather intelligence and ambush Imperial forces across various sectors of space while escorting freighters through asteroid fields.
Maarek Stele remained unnamed until players consulted the strategy guide or read The Stele Chronicles fiction during the release of Star Wars TIE Fighter. He served as the main character who gained prestige with the Emperor throughout dangerous missions ending just before the Battle of Endor.
The Balance of Power expansion for Star Wars X-Wing vs TIE Fighter included two story-driven campaigns of fifteen missions each. This addition featured voice-acted briefings and massive structures like the Super Star Destroyer which measured nineteen kilometers in length.
Players assumed the role of Ace Azzameen as the youngest member of a family-owned transport company in Star Wars X-Wing Alliance released in 1999. Early missions involved transport duties and conflicts with a rival company known as Viraxo before shifting to Rebel operations.