A laser system may include a gain medium; and pump modules to energize the gain medium or a single pump emitter to energize the gain medium; and circuitry to: configure a pump emitter of the pump modules to activate at a first intensity at a first time, or configure a pump emitter of the single pump module to activate at a reduced intensity at the first time; and the circuitry to: configure one or more next pumps emitters of the pump modules to activate at one or more second intensities, respectively, and at one or more second times, respectively, or configure the single pump emitter to activate at one or more second intensities at the one or more second times, respectively, wherein the one or more second times are delayed by one or more delay amounts, respectively, relative to the first time.