Sounds good, Hal. I appreciate you giving it a listen!
As for the Vader’s Castle shot, I think it’s fine as it is without the trees. However, for a compromise solution that hopefully wouldn’t be as difficult, what if there were some extra plumes of smoke coming up from the lower-right corner, where the ships head on their way to the burned forest? That way, it would imply that the area to which they’re heading has been razed. Perhaps the smoke could even obscure that section entirely, covering any trees that “might have once” been there. I.e. Rather than the castle being in the middle of a forest, it’s right on the edge of one.
At least, I’d imagine that an extra smoke effect in the corner would be easier to add than tracking a bunch of trees around throughout the camera pan. But I really think it’s fine as is for a three second shot.