Kaia Halverson

Halverson in 2087, Shortly after diffusing the Chile-Patagonia dispute

Kaia Halverson was a Norwegian politician, best known for being the Second Commissioner of Nordica. She served as Commissioner between 2082 and 2132.

## Early life

Kaia Halverson was born to Middle Income, Norwegian parents on 11th August 2049, in **Bergen, Norway**. She was publicly schooled in the city for the entirety of her childhood. She became interested in Psychology after a mugging by an escaped convict, even eventually going on to study Criminal Psychology at **Stockholm University**. After graduation, She became a trainee lawyer. While working there, she took on a case that wasn't assigned to her, pertaining to a former NUF leader, wanted in relation to the **Kerali Massacre**. She unearthed key information, and forwarded it on to her superiors, ensuring the man's conviction. For this, she became noticed by the First Commission.

## Political Career

Halverson was granted a scholarship under the First Commission, where she quickly proved her worth. She was the first person in the scheme that Commissioner Matsson chose to meet with. She became an adept strategist and diplomat during her scholarship, further impressing Matsson. He was so impressed with her, In fact, that he offered her personal tutorage, which she accepted. It was rumoured that he was training her as his successor, which was officially confirmed in 2076, when she became his official Nominee. Halverson became the Second Commissioner when Matsson resigned in 2082.

## Commission Years

Having been trained for a number of years to succeed her mentor, Halverson quickly and effectively took over the role of Commissioner, attending a number of meetings on the very same day she came to office. Partly as a result of this, she began to gain a reputation for her meticulous planning. Thus, the first four years of her commission were relatively uneventful, however, in 2086, a territorial dispute between the Autonomous region of Chile, a part of the Realm of Nordica, and Neo-European Patagonia would escalate into a military standoff, which resulted in the expulsion of Nordican diplomats from Neo-Europe. Halverson attended a conference with a Neo-European delegation not long afterwards and was able to put an end to the dispute; seeing Patagonia relinquish its claim over the concerned territory in exchange for free movement between the two regions, and that Chile would officially recognise the Neo-European possession of Patagonia.

2086 also saw the Estonian Leena Ilves elected Nordica’s sixth president, with whom Halverson would prove to work particularly effective with, and as a result, Nordica would prosper economically across this period. With this, a number of large projects were conducted, including the **Bermuda Atoll Project**, seeing the enlargement of the territory in preparation for a larger land reclamation project in Europe, as well as the construction of the **lunar colony of Hreggland**. The latter in particular, would be the start of a new age of space exploration by Nordica, helped in part by a number of programs established by Halverson, with her being a major advocate of space exploration in general and even helping to fund certain missions. Ilves’ second term concluded in 2098, and she would be personally appointed by Halverson become the first **Vice-Commissioner** of Nordica, allowing the two to continue to work closely.

Amidst this, Halverson generated her biggest controversy in 2112 as she continued to build Nordica’s influence through a purchase of land in GUISS, which would ultimately be partly settled with a land swap, seeing northern parts of Indomalaya’s Shan state ceded to it. This sparked outrage in the country, which Halverson attempted to quell through elevating it to a co-equal position in the Realm of Nordica, however she miscalculated. By this point Indomalayans had begun mass protests against the move, some turning violent. Outrage in Indomalaya was increased further still when it became clear that previously Indomalayan citizens had been forcibly resettled across GUISS, in favour of people more loyal to that country. As such, Indomalaya demanded a complete restructuring of the Realm, backed by a threat to leave it in 2115 should these demands not be met. Halverson eventually conceded, and the resulting **Saigon Articles** were passed, reforming **The Realm**, as It would now be known, devolving powers previously held by Nordica to all members, though not completely equally. The restructuring also saw a number of Autonomous Regions change status, many gaining full independence, though a few joined nearby countries. In particular, Belarus was controversially re-incorporated into Nordica. This would provide an opportunity for the exiled Razem leader **Andrzej Morawiecki**, who founded Irako as a transnational branch of Razem, as a way of co-ordinating pro-Slavic independence movements. Though admittedly small in comparison to its effects in Neo-Europe, or the earlier Anarchist Crisis, the **Irako crisis** caused heavy fighting and rioting in Belarus, which ultimately led to the party being declared unconstitutional in 2122.

Around this time, GUISS began to emerge from its voluntary exile since the Anarchist Crisis, and quickly became involved with communist parties across Europe, including Razem, and by extension Irako. This prompted many in Nordica to question the nations influence in their politics as a whole. In parallel, distrust of the nation rose, something which strained international relations. Halverson tried to reconcile this by aiding GUISS in dealing with the **Bidniig Udirddag Uprising**, however Nordican military officials were generally uncooperative with GUISS troops, which only exasperated the issue. At home, tensions continued to mount, with a few Nordican political parties, mainly communist ones, being declared unconstitutional. Partly a result of anti-communist sentiment, GUISS’s General Secretary, Myron Kuzmenko would suggest a pact, dubbed **The Ten Year Peace**, with the primary aim to combat extremism in GUISS, The Realm and Neo-Europe. Halverson declined to officially join, citing her nation’s distrust of GUISS, but implemented measures roughly equalling it, and did ultimately co-operate, albeit briefly. Neo-Europe would ultimately pull out of the pact after a couple of years, and the pact broke down entirely. Simultaneously, relations between Indomalaya and GUISS utterly collapsed, as did relations between them and Ghania, and though they pressured Nordica to cut ties also, Halverson resisted, blocking a Realm wide motion to do so.

Understanding that rising tensions with GUISS would ultimately spill over some time after she left office, Halverson began an extensive search for her successor, establishing a myriad of outreach programs in the process. Her overall candidate list would be over triple that of Matsson’s, and still the largest pool of candidates to date for the role. Following an arduous selection process, she ultimately chose Svend Anker to be her successor, though kept this a closely guarded secret. Halverson then announced her plans to retire in 2132, though drew criticism as a result of not naming her successor, which led to speculation that the decision had not yet been made. Her hand would be forced in 2131, when Leena Ilves was assassinated by a communist sympathiser. This forced Kaia to publicly nominate Anker as her successor, as well as making him her new Vice-Commissioner. She would, however, retire as planned, with a new alliance formalised with Neo-Europe against GUISS providing the needed stability, on the 1st November 2132, exactly 50 years after taking on the role.

## Post-Commission

Following her resignation, Kaia remained in politics, serving as both an advisor and spokesperson, and was invited to speak at the **centenary of Nordica**, with a statement implying war was inevitable. She moved back to Bergen, staying distant from the deteriorating events in the East. She was heartbroken when Anker took his own life in 2151. While she didn't particularly like his successor, Annaliisa Lund, she did congratulate her on taking the position. Halverson would pass away peacefully, aged 106, on the 25th March 2156

## Personal Life

### Family

Kaia Halverson had no family of her own, having only had one failed relationship with school friend **Johan Tanum** in 2064. They broke up after two years together, on good terms. Although Halverson wanted another relationship, she never got another opportunity. By the time she became Commissioner, she felt a responsibility not to abandon her post, especially not for her own gain, such as courtship. As a result, Kaia had no children of her own. She did however choose to adopt 14 year old **Morten Adler** in 2095, believing she could raise him more effectively whilst still carrying out her duties, due to Morten being more independent. She was mistaken as the boy would not form an attachment with her, and although she continued to house him, they rarely interacted. Adler left for university in 2099, and she lost contact.

### Friends

Halverson maintained a close friendship with her predecessor, Josef Matsson until his death in 2111. She had first met his daughter, **Karin Weivers** whilst at university, with her refering Kaia to Matsson prior to her candidacy for a scholarship under the First Commission. When granted, the two met quickly, and became well acquainted. They remained close throughout Halverson's tutorage and her Early Commission.

Kaia Halverson became extraordinarily close with her colleague Leena Ilves, with the pair working very closely together over the 2080s. Immediately following the end of Ilves' second term, she offered her the role of Vice-Commissioner, which she accepted. The two continued fostering a close political and personal friendship throughout their lives. Leena Ilves was assassinated by **Kyösti Heikkinen** in 2130, causing Halverson to temporarily postpone her planned retirement until 2132, while she resolved the fallout. Halverson would be brought to tears hearing Ilves' message at the **Centenary of Nordica** in 2136. one of Halverson's final acts as Commissioner was to commemorate Ilves' work in the form of a statue in her home town.

## Legacy

Halverson is Nordica's most respected political figure, having ushered in an Era of peace during her rule, and having protected Nordican values in the face of the rising influence of GUISS. She is somewhat liked in other realm states, having relented Nordica's power with the passing of **Saigon Articles**, however, some still haven't forgiven her actions immediately prior, in selling the north of the Shan state to GUISS. She introduced a number of elements for the commission, including the role of Vice-Commissioner.

During her time as Commissioner, Halverson wrote a book, **On Geopolitics and Ideologies**, focussing on the growing rifts between the superstates, which fairly unambiguously portrays the way she viewed the world, and is used as a primary source about this period of history in the present.

## Quotes

A segment of a news interview conducted following actions of the Finnish Communist party, 9/11/2119:

> “Communism is like a tumour - and I say that not to disavow the whole ideology. I mean that it can either be benign or malignant: It has a tendency to either cut itself off from the world, or to spread viciously without compromise. I fear we have now crossed that threshold, that kuzmenko believes it is time to spread his ideas to the rest of us.”
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Excerpt from the opening chapter of her book, On Geopolitics and Ideologies, 16/3/2126:

> “The key to understanding our world is understanding ideology. If we can understand what motivates a society, then we are not only able to interpret the world through their lens, but gain an insight as to how it thinks, and works as a collective.”
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