A method for laser peening a surface of a work piece, comprising: generating a first laser pulse and a second laser pulse with a laser system having a fixed position relative to a transmitting mirror in a set of optics, and wherein: the transmitting mirror is positioned to direct a laser pulse to a receiving mirror in the set of optics; the receiving mirror has a movable position relative to the transmitting mirror to define within a beam path a variable segment (120, 502) between the transmitting mirror and receiving mirror that is straight; and the variable segment has a variable length determined by movement of the receiving mirror in three dimensions under control of a robot, and a variable direction determined by controlling a direction in which the transmitting mirror directs the laser pulse, to direct a laser pulse received via the transmitting mirror to the receiving mirror; positioning the set of optics to configure as the beam path a first beam path (500, 502, 507) for propagating a first laser pulse to a first target location on the surface of the work piece; applying the first laser pulse to the first beam path to peen the first target location on the surface of the work piece; positioning the set of optics to configure as the beam path a second beam path for propagating a second laser pulse to a second target location on the surface of the work piece, the second beam path being different than the first beam path, wherein the variable segment from the transmitting mirror to the receiving mirror has a different length and a different direction in the second beam path than in the first beam path; and applying the second laser pulse to the second beam path to peen the second target location on the surface of the work piece. generating a first laser pulse and a second laser pulse with a laser system having a fixed position relative to a transmitting mirror in a set of optics, and wherein: the transmitting mirror is positioned to direct a laser pulse to a receiving mirror in the set of optics; the receiving mirror has a movable position relative to the transmitting mirror to define within a beam path a variable segment (120, 502) between the transmitting mirror and receiving mirror that is straight; and the variable segment has a variable length determined by movement of the receiving mirror in three dimensions under control of a robot, and a variable direction determined by controlling a direction in which the transmitting mirror directs the laser pulse, to direct a laser pulse received via the transmitting mirror to the receiving mirror; the transmitting mirror is positioned to direct a laser pulse to a receiving mirror in the set of optics; the receiving mirror has a movable position relative to the transmitting mirror to define within a beam path a variable segment (120, 502) between the transmitting mirror and receiving mirror that is straight; and the variable segment has a variable length determined by movement of the receiving mirror in three dimensions under control of a robot, and a variable direction determined by controlling a direction in which the transmitting mirror directs the laser pulse, to direct a laser pulse received via the transmitting mirror to the receiving mirror; positioning the set of optics to configure as the beam path a first beam path (500, 502, 507) for propagating a first laser pulse to a first target location on the surface of the work piece; applying the first laser pulse to the first beam path to peen the first target location on the surface of the work piece; positioning the set of optics to configure as the beam path a second beam path for propagating a second laser pulse to a second target location on the surface of the work piece, the second beam path being different than the first beam path, wherein the variable segment from the transmitting mirror to the receiving mirror has a different length and a different direction in the second beam path than in the first beam path; and applying the second laser pulse to the second beam path to peen the second target location on the surface of the work piece.