Superlaser Fire Control, or the Fire Control Room, was a chamber in the Theta Sector of both Death Stars where the superlaser controls were situated. It was manned by gunners and Death Star troopers. In the first Death Star, the Fire Control Room was located in proximity to Detention Block 2180 and Hangars 84G and 85G.
The Fire Control Room of the first Death Star.
Fire Control was present on both Death Stars. It was responsible for coordinating the firing of all the tributary superlasers and controlling their collimation with a magnetic ring. The room contained eight computers used to control the lasers, along with four backup stations. In the first Death Star, the firing switch was located in Fire Control itself, however, in the second battlestation, the firing switch was in the main control room.
Prior to 0 BBY, a group of Rebel prisoners escaped from Detention Block 2180 and took control of the Fire Control Room. The prison break was countered by the stormtroopers of the 501st Legion, who retook it.
An Imperial gunner in the fire room
Later, Imperial gunner Tenn Graneet and his crew were placed in Superlaser Fire Control after they practiced for months in the Superlaser Simulator. When a Rebel Lucrehulk-class battleship, the Fortressa appeared and launched fighters, Fire Control fired the superlaser at the Lucrehulk, destroying it. Eventually, they were given the orders to fire at the planet Despayre. At only thirty-three percent power, the superlaser was required to fire three times to destroy the planet completely. Later, the crew were given orders to destroy Alderaan. This act left Graneet, whose job it was to pull the firing switch, demoralized and full of resentment against the Empire.
Eventually, the Rebels attacked the station after it found their base on Yavin 4. Still reeling over Alderaan's destruction, Graneet did not pull the firing lever when the Death Star was in range, instead repeating to his crew, "stand by..." as he contemplated what to do. His hesitation gave Luke Skywalker, a Rebel pilot, enough time to fire proton torpedos down a thermal exhaust port, causing the Death Star to explode, destroying the Fire Control room and killing everyone in it, including Graneet.
When the Death Star was rebuilt after the Battle of Yavin, the new station included a Superlaser Fire Control room as well. During the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, gunners in Fire Control targeted Rebel ships, which were promptly destroyed by the superlaser. The gunners were forced to stop firing, though, when the Rebel fleet engaged the Imperial fleet at point blank range in order to not give the Death Star any ability to fire at the Rebel ships without hitting their own.
As the tide of the battle turned in favor of the Rebels, the crew was given orders to target the Endor moon itself if the Rebels managed to disable the shield generator. When Rebel Han Solo managed to blow up the shield generator bunker, the crew confirmed the deflector shield was down and began rotating the station towards Endor. When the station was only thirty seconds to firing, the Death Star exploded from damage done to its reactor by the Rebels, destroying the Fire Control room and killing everyone onboard.
- Death Star Technical Companion