I googled this heavily but couldn't find or understand how Gul Dukat seems to slide back into his normal role after the events in Maquis Part II. Specifically, after Central Command makes him the scapegoat for the smuggled weapons. Sisko even says "The Central Command wants him dead. That's reason enough for us to want him alive".

At the end of the episode, Dukat disappears, but only to then seemingly resume his duties as a Cardassian officer as if nothing had happened. In the S03E09 (The Defiant), we actually see him coming back to Cardassia Prime with Sisko. So I guess we're supposed to assume Dukat somehow ironed out that whole situation? No matter the default Cardassian policy of the state never being wrong (except in extremely rare cases)?

I'm watching the show for the first time, currently on the Defiant episode, so please no spoilers for the future if possible.