But this is shaping up as a rigorous year for the reporters the palace refers to as the "royal rat pack," and The Sun's security-guard saga was just an early salvo in the fight for stories and readers.

The executive order, he said, was "sought by Bush's corporate contributors and right-wing ideologues" and was "an early salvo in a continuing campaign of over-reaching initiatives that have undermined workers' rights."

The attack on Sept. 11 simply marked an early salvo in battles that Mr. Bobbitt says will accompany those transformations.

Ferrari, as usual, fired early salvos.

These early salvos were sporadic and lasted until 06:00, when the engagement was broken off for 20 minutes due to waves breaking over Renown's forward turrets.

Hawkins's early salvo was only 2 points shy of his previous high this season as the Hornets built a 12-point lead in the opening period and stretched it to 49-33 in the second before the Hawks began to rally.

The Economy The Clinton Administration is attacking redlining on many fronts, of which its recent settlement with the Chevy Chase Federal Savings Bank represents only an early salvo.

In its dismissal of convention and promotion of idiosyncratic invention, this treatise is an important early salvo in the nascent Romantic revolt.

It is also an early salvo by Disney in the battle over who controls content: entertainment creators or those who distribute it, like cable and satellite services.

Two other missiles detonated on the ground as three of the earlier salvo had done.