I would cut from the tonsil tennis right to planet of the oil rigs. The awkward halt to the music has always been the sad trumbone of the scene.
Bro, this comment is poetry. I’ve never heard snogging called tonsil tennis before, and my life has been poorer for it!
To your point, I almost did exactly that, but I think the scene actually works better with halt (or pause) because there’s a melodic rejoin that follows it to finish the musical phrase.
Hear me out. I need you to go grab the shiniest gold pocket watch you can find and say these words as you swing it in front of your face “Semyhr ti yrteop ekil sti.” Once you’re good and hypnotized, imagine a version of Attack of the Clones where Anakin never whines, bickers, or acts immature and where Padme treats Anakin as an equal in age and ability from scene one. Secondly, imagine a version where Anakin and Padme never talk about their relationship other than the Love Pledge scene right before the Arena Battle. The way I recut their relationship is entirely through action. Anakin says “I love you” when he saves Padme from the Bed Bugs, and I recut the Droid Factory so that Ani not Artoo says Padme from the Lava Vat. Padme says “I love you,” when she puts herself in danger so that Anakin can check on his mom, and when she gives Anakin permission to go rescue his boy Obi-Wan. So basically if you just let the tonsils do the talking, the final look from Padme in the “Sand” Scene mixed with the musical pause could read like Padme thinking, “Well I guess we’re doing this. . .” Rather than the awkward halt of the original.