A spectroscopy system including first and second lasers. The first laser is triggered to induce a plasma, such as on a surface of a target at a stand-off distance from the target. The second laser stimulates amplified emissions from the plasma detected by one or more spectroscopes. The gain induced by the second laser detects traces of explosives and other substances on surfaces at stand-off distances. The spectroscopy systems use the same telescopic optics to collect emissions from the detection surface and activated at or just before the peak emission intensity useful for detecting element signatures and intensity ratios from the trace elements in the plasma.