"Fire at will, Commander."
... Down in the bowels of the Death Star, Commander Jerjerrod gave an
order. it was with mixed feelings that he issued the command, because it
meant the final destruction of the Rebel insurrectionists-- which meant an end
to the state of war, which Jerjerrod cherished above all things. But
second to ongoing war itself Jerjerrod loved total annihilation; so while
tempered with regret, this order was not entirely without thrill.
At Jerjerrod's instruction, a controller pulled a switch, which ignited a
blinking panel. Two hooded Imperial soldiers pushed a series of
buttons. A thick beam of light slowly pulsed from a long, heavily
blockaded shaft. On the outer surface of the completed half of the Death
Star, a giant laser dish began to glow.
(ROTJ novelization)
