My memory is poor too, but from what I remember, I thought that’s what that Rebel Politician was discussing with Cassian, in private; to take out Saw when given the chance. In extension, I guess killing Galen would be also on the agenda since I suppose that Rebel guy thought Galen and Saw could be working together some how…?
Ah… no.
Galen Erso sent Bodhi Rook (the pilot with the message about the Death Star) to Saw, because Galen trusts Saw (as we saw [hah] in the opening scene) and presumably doesn’t know he’s since gone a bit insane.
Cassian finds out about the pilot and Galen’s message from Tivik (the informant he kills on the Ring of Kafrene who works as an Alliance informant inside of Saw’s sect), then takes this intel to the Mon Mothma and the other Rebels on Yavin IV. They obviously want to know more about this alleged “planet killer,” but they can’t just go talk to Saw because he’s gone super extremist and kills their people, so they decide to bust Jyn Erso out because they know she’s close to Saw and he possibly won’t kill her so that they have a chance to set up a meeting with Saw about Galen’s message.
Jyn and Cassian are sent to set up this meeting and to see if the pilot can lead them to Galen himself, ostensibly to extract him because of what he knows, but General Draven (at least him, Mon Mothma might have sanctioned it too, but we dunno) catches Cassian as they’re about to leave for Jedha to see Saw (hah) and tells him to “forget what he heard” in the briefing about extracting Galen and that he’s too dangerous to be left alive to potentially develop more weapons for the Empire, and that he must be killed on sight.
And that’s the first act of Rogue One. =P
That clears that up then, thank you.
Darn these Saw puns!
Don’t forget the part where Krennic lands too far away from everything. Now, it doesn’t have to bother you, but you still have to mention it, otherwise you’ve not done a proper review of Act One.
Obviously, they needed to conserve their fuel to get to Coruscant, afterwards.