Skirmish in the Campagna District

The Skirmish with the French was a military engagment between Cesare Borgia's French army, commanded by Octavian de Valois and Bartolomeo d'Alviano, a Assassin in secret and the leader of the mercenaries guild active in Rome.

Barrack assault
In 1503, subsequently following the death of Juan Borgia the Elder, Master Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze intended to assassinate Octavian de Valois to weaken Cesare's influential control over Rome. Ezio visited the military barracks to gain support from his fellow assassin, Bartolomeo, who at the time was occupied with the French and Papal forces.

Once arriving at the barracks Ezio was greeted by a paranoid Bartolomeo who informed Ezio that the fight with the French was going as planned, suddenly a French arquebus shot at the two from a distance. Despite this Bartolomeo still assured that the fight was going well, until a mercenary loudly announced that French troops were moving in for a direct assault, Bartolomeo then admitted he may need some help containing the situation.

Although Ezio and Bartolomeo were successful killing off the first wave of French soldiers more reinforments attacked the barrack overwhelming the mercenaries. However, Ezio, thinking quickly, closed all three of the gates preventing any reinforcing French troops from entering the barracks. Although the barracks were safely defended Octavian and his troops called for Bartolomeo, Octavian revealed that his troops managed to capture Pantasilea Baglioni, Bartolomeo's wife, Octavian promised to release Pantasilea, should Bartolomeo come into his camp unarmed and alone.

Enraged Bartolomeo and Ezio rode on horseback to the French camp for a rescue attempt, however they discovered that the camp was impenetrable. Fortunately, Ezio quickly devised a plan, ordering Bartolomeo to call off the attacks and return to the barracks Ezio quickly explain that he would liberate several suits of French armor for himself and the mercenaries, at dawn they would march into the French with an easy access.

Trojan horse
Ezio stealthily inflitrated several French camps throughout the Campagna district and successfully killed the French troops leaving their bodies for the mercenaries to liberate the suits. By dawn Ezio met Bartolomeo and his mercenaries at the rondevu. Disguised as the French troops, aside from Bartolomeo who acted as their "prisoner", they marched to the French camp. Ezio cleared the path of any suspicious French guards. Eventually reaching the camp entrance they were allowed access, thanks to Ezio's French as there were "a few French girls in Firenze".

The death of the Baron
Once inside the Baron greeted Bartolomeo, however he intended to kill Pantasilea regardless of Bartolomeo's "surrender", Ezio then fired his pistol signaling the mercenaries to begin the attack, however Octavian fled deeper into the camp with Pantasilea as his hostage. Ezio pursed him, while killing French captains and Papal Guards along the way.

Locating the Baron at a small courtyard Ezio steathily killed off his arquebusiers and killed Octavian from above and freed Pantasilea

Aftermath
After Octavian's death the French troops abandoned their stations in Rome and returned to France weakening Cesare balance of power. The mercenaries guild continued to further the Assassin's cause without annoyance of the French.